Avengers #2 - "Kang War Two"

[laughing_tree]

"One of the big hurdles for a science guy like me to leap is mythology ... It's a personal failing, but while I appreciate myth and magic, they don't move me the way science does." -- Mark Waid

Comments

[mrstatham]

I wasn't fully sure about Waid's Avengers with the last run, but this seems really, really neat. I think the art - which is absolutely top notch and certainly better than some of the stuff Waid was saddled with at points before - helps, but I think this is great.

Also, how good is it to see the Avengers actually fight a classic villain for once in a long time? No in-fighting, no working as stooges of SHIELD, no upstart villain who isn't nearly as cool as those he's trying to depose. I see a lot of demands for standard hero vs villain stuff, and it's good to see it executed pretty freaking well.

[candescencearia]

I think the reason there hasn't been a lot of classic hero vs villain material is because that stuff is "old hat", and, well, "comic-booky", as if that doesn't qualify as "respectable art". God forbid a comic isn't "naunced", "mature" and "grey vs grey morality".

[mrstatham]

I think you're probably right. I think that's what makes this kind-of refreshing. It might also be what makes Waid's Black Widow fall somewhat short for me - I think he's a lot better at regular superheroics than grey vs grey... That and I don't particularly like the contemporary need to push Natasha into the grey.

[byc]

I was already tired of "mature" and "adult" themed comics when they weren't an excuse for sex, nudity, and tons of blood. Then CW happened. Trying to use real world logic and problem solving on the scale of CW (and on other scales in other stories before it as well I'm sure) resulted in a terrible comic. Then Marvel basically rolled the resolution into the next summer event. And so forth.

Pretty much made me stop buying all comics, but Marvel especially.

[laughing_tree]

There's a whole world of comics outside superheroes.

[mrstatham]

This is true, but I can see where they're coming from. If I were to eat an apple and find it had a worm in there, that'd put me off ALL apples for a while.

[laughing_tree]

It strikes me as more like deciding to forego all fruits because you've been put off of apples.

[nyadnar17]

I honestly just thought it was because there aren't that many villians left with teeth these days.

Maybe this just the wrapped perspective of an X-man fan but most the good villains seem to be either dead, reformed, or beaten down so hard over the years they barely classify as a warm up.

[byc]

Unfortunately, comic fans have long memories. So change/the illusion of change is difficult without retcons, resurrections, and reboots.

Also, both companies decided the easiest way to have a threat is to have heroes turn against each other.

[katefan]

It's an excellent point. How scary is Doctor Doom when Reed has consistently owned him year after year. Doom spends months coming up with a master plan and Reed unravels it in five minutes with the aid of a host of Doom's "lessers".

[scorntx]

(Quiet mutterings about how Ewing's Mighty Avengers had all those things three years ago, minus the contractually mandated Axis tie-in)

[mrstatham]

Yeah, but it had Land art to begin with, meaning I wasn't particularly inclined to check it out. Also, if he's the one most recently writing New Avengers and the upcoming USAvengers, I'm not particularly one for his 'look how amazing Sunspot is' thing (although that was carried over, I suppose), or the more.. Goofy elements.

So to boil it down, it's execution. I like this, but I'm just not big on some of Ewing's stuff. I liked Ultimates, until it got derailed by crap.

[lyricalswagger]

But Sunspot is amazing!

[zachbeacon]

"Clearly Kang isn't trying to kill Herc because there are no records of his birth"

...or Kang knows enough Greek mythology to know that a freaking goddess couldn't kill newborn Herc so he has no chance

[korvar]

That would imply a humility on Kang's part that doesn't seem evident.