OK, who thought that Bendis was finally due for a massive screw-up? Anyone? You, in the back – put your hand down and get the hell out of here, now.
It’s almost become an Alan Moore-level cliche that anything Bendis writes will be 2 things – full of seemingly endless word balloons and a really good read to boot. The first chapter in AVENGERS: DISASSEMBLED is no different than the umpty-million comics he’s written for Marvel or Image in the last 4-5 years in that respect. Joined by the insanely talented David Finch, this issue manages to achieve the fairly frenetic pacing and actual sense of fear for the characters that hasn’t been present in an Avengers comic since the last time the series reached it’s artistic peak with the Masters of Evil epic that Roger Stern, John Buscema and Tom Palmer treated us to. Yes, an Avenger dies. Maybe 2. Might be more in the issues to come. But the real joy and skill in the storytelling is the pacing – Bendis and Finch manage to present the story in total rollercoaster mode, building to various peaks throughout the book, with each valley providing on a momentary breather before they head back up the next hill.
All of that aside, it’s a fun read, even if you’re not normally a Bendis or Avengers fan. It’s built a lot like a movie, where the characters obviously existed and knew each other before you see anything, but the writing totally allows you to understand everything that’s going on. Hmm. Seems like more comics used to read like that on a regular basis. Either way, if you’re Avengers illiterate, or are intrigued but don’t want to have to buy a ton of crossover issues from other books, don’t let either of those things frighten you off. It’s obvious that this is going to be a self-contained story, and the “crossovers” are more like ancillary tie-ins than anything else. Hell, Thor’s in the middle of his own storyline in Asgard, and I doubt he’ll be showing up to bang on Ultron for a few minutes before he decides to head back to reclaim his city from rock trolls or whatever. Underneath all of the fancy marketing and overwhelming hype, the first issue of AVENGERS: DISASSEMBLED promises to be a rock-solid adventure/action/mystery story of a quality that’s not seen often enough in comics, movies or television.
Wow, ancillary in two straight posts? Someone has been reading their word-a-day calendar. When I read this as a first look, I had low expectations (even with Bendis writing it). Of course, the book shattered ‘em. And Batt has seemed to shake his Image/Top Cow house style into something his own. Alas, with all of the unneccesary titles involved, I’ll have to wait for the trade.