Erwin Rafael
Feb 21, 2002, 09:50 am
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/avengv3-50.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/avengv3-50t.jpg" align=left alt="Avengers (3rd series) #50"></a>Reviewer: Erwin Rafael, 3rdsummers@edsamail.com.ph
Quick Rating: Great!
Story Title: Book of Revelations
The latest incarnation of the Avengers reaches its 50th issue as the focus shifts away from Kangs invasion of Earth over to the Triune Understanding and the Triple Evil!
Written by: Kurt Busiek
Cover by: Kieron Dwyer & Rick Remender
Pencils by: Kieron Dwyer
Inked by: Rick Remender
Lettered by: Richard Starkings of Comicraft
Colored by: Tom Smith
Assistant Editor: Marc Sumerak & Jeff Youngquist
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
Behind a great Avengers story is a great villain.
The Kree-Skrull War. The Korvac Saga. The Siege of the Mansion by the Masters of Evil. Ultron Unlimited. Avengers Forever. In these stories, the villains took center stage as much as, or sometimes even moreso, than the heroes themselves. Of course, there were unforgettable moments that were more personal in nature, like Vision crying when he joined the Avengers and Hank Pym's several nervous breakdowns. However, these pale in comparison to the team's epic tussles with great adversaries. In a book chronicling the adventures of the "cream of the crop" of the hero crowd, it's just natural that the books' most memorable moments would be times where somebody was powerful enough to pose a real threat against a team dubbed as "Earth's Mightiest Heroes".
Of all the villains that appeared during Kurt Busiek's run in the Avengers, three made the most impact EUltron, Kang, and the Triune Understanding. Busiek's take on the first two are generally well-received, as he turned out what I believe are the best stories involving these classic villains. However, Busiek's treatment of the Triune Understanding, which is his original creation, elicited mixed reactions. Reading several opinions from the online community, it's either one really hates it or one loves it. Either way, it can not be denied that the Triune is one of the most influential elements during Busiek's run, as it was instrumental in key moments like the introduction of Triathlon, the lineup change in issue #27 and the new directionEthe team took in issue # 38.
This double-sized issue focuses on the Triune Understanding once again as we take a break from the Kang War. We are presented with revelations and resolutions concerning Jonathan Tremont, Pagan, Lord Templar, the 3-D Man and Triathlon. The results are enlightening, as we finally get to see long hanging questions answered. At the same time, however, the massive amount of information provided to us makes the work feel a bit rushed and ill-timed.
Apparently, the Triune traces its origins from the Trion - a trio of cosmic beings who exorcised their essence of all evil tendencies and trapped this evil into a sphere of perfect darknessE Longtime readers of X-Men may recognize the Trion, who were first introduced in X-Men #88 in a storyline involving the Juggernaut rampaging and breaking barriers between dimensions. While this revelation proves once again Busiek's and editor Tom Breevorts uncanny eye on cross-title continuity, what really fascinated me more is the fact that the Triune was introduced more than a year earlier than the Trion. Was the Trion in Busiek's original plans for the Triune? Did he have a hand in the creation of the Trion in the pages of X-Men? I posed these questions to Busiek, and he answered:
Kurt Busiek wrote:
No - we were planning to come up with our own set of tripartite cosmic beings. When I saw the Trion in X-Men, I was flabbergasted, and realized that introducing three more beings like that would seem redundant, and besides, they looked great and had a good name. So I suggested to Tom that we use them, and he agreed.
And what a nice set of coincidence it is, as the Trion concept fits perfectly into the origin of the Triune. :D
I wont get into any further details of other revelations in this issue because there are just too many to mention. Id like to note, though, that Triathlon had some interesting developments this issue, which left him with a major power-up. Would this particular power-up play a role in the closing stages of Kangs invasion? Only time will tell.
With respect to the writing, Busiek delivered, as usual, nice characterization. Despite working with a big number of characters, he managed to find each characters' own unique voice. Busiek's characterization of Jonathan Tremont, in particular, is outstanding. This issue leaves you guessing on his true motivations with every small detail of his origin slowly being revealed as the story progresses. His final fate, though, comes off a bit predictable and makes me wonder if this would have worked better if this story is given time to build up in a number of issues.
Which is basically my major complaint this issue. Taken alone, this issue is solidly written. Taken from a larger context, however, particularly from the point of view of somebody who followed the story of the Triune since its original conception more than 40 issues ago, I was left wondering if that was all there is to it. I have always felt that Pagan, Lord Templar, Jonathan Tremont and Triathlon would become players of a really large epic, considering the impact these characters have had in Avengers. While the threat presented by the Triple Evil, as shown in this issue, is indeed massive in scope, the speedy "resolution" of this story in just one issue does not do justice to this storyline. Compounded with the fact that this falls smack dab in the middle of an entirely different story which is already picking momentum, I cant help but feel that the Triune story is considered just as filler materialEwhich needs to be resolved before Busiek leaves the book in six month' time.
I also asked Busiek for his view on the isssue, and he replied:
Kurt Busiek wrote:
In any case, I'd have liked to spend a little more time on these events, playing them up larger, but we were constrained by the fact that this is already a long story, and we didn't want to make it longer, and by the general reaction among the readers, which seems to be equal parts furious shouting at us to finish the plotline, and furious shouting at us whenever we so much as mention the Triunes. It seemed that the readership desperately wanted a resolution, and desperately wanted it to take no space whatsoever.
For my part, I never particularly thought of it as a story - the Triune Understanding was an organization, and they were out there, and things occurred with them. Each time they showed up, I thought it was a new story, not a chapter or a subplot - it's like having Magneto out there; when he turns up again it's a new Magneto story, not Chapter 395 of the story that began in X-Men #1. So I figured the Triunes were recurring adversaries of the Avengers, and that we'd learn more about them over the course of a number of stories. The readership didn't seem to view it that way, though - they thought it was just one long-running, slow-moving story, and even if we didn't so much as mention the Triunes for months at a time, it was somehow still ongoing. Next time I want to do something like this, I suppose, I'll try framing it a different way.
But as of now, the Triune Understanding is still out there - nobody's come back to Earth to tell them how it all came out. So what'll happen is a matter for future issues, I'd say...
Busiek's response got me thinking on the power reader's reactions have on the creative process. I have always held the position that stories should be left entirely in the hands of the writers, and that they should be given the freedom to etch their own vision on any title they handle. Maybe I still have this fear of the era called the "90s", which I believe is the best example of comic book writers "selling out" or engaging in a "give the readers what they want" practice. And I still firmly believe that patronizing to readers is the reason for the decline in the quality of comic books, particularly Marvel's, last decade.
Then again, some criticisms by readers may also be constructive in nature. As Busiek pointed out, it may serve as a sign of what works well, and what doesn't. The ability to take criticism is essential in just any endeavor, as criticism serves as a major tool for improvement. Granted, however, that one identifies criticisms which are valid, and not just incessant negative ranting of a vocal group of dissenters.
As a fan of the Triune story, I guess I should just be thankful that, other than the pacing, Busiek's vision of the Triune doesnt seem to have been compromised in this issue. I guess the "fault" in Busiek's handling of the Triune story is that in the past appearances, the amount of info he provided on the Triune has been very sparse. He left questions and clues in every Triune appearance, and too many of these clues were left without any resolution whatsoever that it gave the illusion that the Triune is indeed a long-running subplot rather than as a set of separate appearances.
Artwise, this is yet another hit from Kieron Dwyer and company. I have nothing but praises for this art team since their debut in issue #48. So instead of rehashing what I have said before, I would just point out a particular aspect of the art in this issue that up and coming artists may want to look at. Basically, this issue has two stories running simultaneously. One is a narration of the origin of the Triune and the players involved. The other is a depiction of the present event, which is the AvengersEencounter with the Triple Evil. While each story can be distinguished by the writing (the former is told in the third person narrative while the latter is mostly told without any narration at all), the art style is also distinctive, thus, providing clearer storytelling and avoiding confusion in the continuous shifts between the two stories. Most noticeable would be Tom Smiths colors, which shifts to muted and monochromatic colors when telling flashbacks. Dwyer and Remender also do their share, albeit in a more subtle manner, by varying layouts and inks. Particularly, the origin sequence could be characterized with heavy inks and an orderly grid-like layout, while the present-time story generally has finer inks and diagonal panels.
In closing, Id say that despite the interesting revelations this issue, I still am disappointed that the Triune was not able to realize its potential. Dont let that stop you from reading this issue, though, since it is still solid classic superhero stuff. I guess I would just always be wondering how the story of the Triune would have played out had it been given the proper time to develop.
STORY:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xhalf.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
ART:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xhalf.jpg
OVERALL:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics (http://www.x-worldcomics.com/x/bstore/newbooksmain.html) and save!
Quick Rating: Great!
Story Title: Book of Revelations
The latest incarnation of the Avengers reaches its 50th issue as the focus shifts away from Kangs invasion of Earth over to the Triune Understanding and the Triple Evil!
Written by: Kurt Busiek
Cover by: Kieron Dwyer & Rick Remender
Pencils by: Kieron Dwyer
Inked by: Rick Remender
Lettered by: Richard Starkings of Comicraft
Colored by: Tom Smith
Assistant Editor: Marc Sumerak & Jeff Youngquist
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
Behind a great Avengers story is a great villain.
The Kree-Skrull War. The Korvac Saga. The Siege of the Mansion by the Masters of Evil. Ultron Unlimited. Avengers Forever. In these stories, the villains took center stage as much as, or sometimes even moreso, than the heroes themselves. Of course, there were unforgettable moments that were more personal in nature, like Vision crying when he joined the Avengers and Hank Pym's several nervous breakdowns. However, these pale in comparison to the team's epic tussles with great adversaries. In a book chronicling the adventures of the "cream of the crop" of the hero crowd, it's just natural that the books' most memorable moments would be times where somebody was powerful enough to pose a real threat against a team dubbed as "Earth's Mightiest Heroes".
Of all the villains that appeared during Kurt Busiek's run in the Avengers, three made the most impact EUltron, Kang, and the Triune Understanding. Busiek's take on the first two are generally well-received, as he turned out what I believe are the best stories involving these classic villains. However, Busiek's treatment of the Triune Understanding, which is his original creation, elicited mixed reactions. Reading several opinions from the online community, it's either one really hates it or one loves it. Either way, it can not be denied that the Triune is one of the most influential elements during Busiek's run, as it was instrumental in key moments like the introduction of Triathlon, the lineup change in issue #27 and the new directionEthe team took in issue # 38.
This double-sized issue focuses on the Triune Understanding once again as we take a break from the Kang War. We are presented with revelations and resolutions concerning Jonathan Tremont, Pagan, Lord Templar, the 3-D Man and Triathlon. The results are enlightening, as we finally get to see long hanging questions answered. At the same time, however, the massive amount of information provided to us makes the work feel a bit rushed and ill-timed.
Apparently, the Triune traces its origins from the Trion - a trio of cosmic beings who exorcised their essence of all evil tendencies and trapped this evil into a sphere of perfect darknessE Longtime readers of X-Men may recognize the Trion, who were first introduced in X-Men #88 in a storyline involving the Juggernaut rampaging and breaking barriers between dimensions. While this revelation proves once again Busiek's and editor Tom Breevorts uncanny eye on cross-title continuity, what really fascinated me more is the fact that the Triune was introduced more than a year earlier than the Trion. Was the Trion in Busiek's original plans for the Triune? Did he have a hand in the creation of the Trion in the pages of X-Men? I posed these questions to Busiek, and he answered:
Kurt Busiek wrote:
No - we were planning to come up with our own set of tripartite cosmic beings. When I saw the Trion in X-Men, I was flabbergasted, and realized that introducing three more beings like that would seem redundant, and besides, they looked great and had a good name. So I suggested to Tom that we use them, and he agreed.
And what a nice set of coincidence it is, as the Trion concept fits perfectly into the origin of the Triune. :D
I wont get into any further details of other revelations in this issue because there are just too many to mention. Id like to note, though, that Triathlon had some interesting developments this issue, which left him with a major power-up. Would this particular power-up play a role in the closing stages of Kangs invasion? Only time will tell.
With respect to the writing, Busiek delivered, as usual, nice characterization. Despite working with a big number of characters, he managed to find each characters' own unique voice. Busiek's characterization of Jonathan Tremont, in particular, is outstanding. This issue leaves you guessing on his true motivations with every small detail of his origin slowly being revealed as the story progresses. His final fate, though, comes off a bit predictable and makes me wonder if this would have worked better if this story is given time to build up in a number of issues.
Which is basically my major complaint this issue. Taken alone, this issue is solidly written. Taken from a larger context, however, particularly from the point of view of somebody who followed the story of the Triune since its original conception more than 40 issues ago, I was left wondering if that was all there is to it. I have always felt that Pagan, Lord Templar, Jonathan Tremont and Triathlon would become players of a really large epic, considering the impact these characters have had in Avengers. While the threat presented by the Triple Evil, as shown in this issue, is indeed massive in scope, the speedy "resolution" of this story in just one issue does not do justice to this storyline. Compounded with the fact that this falls smack dab in the middle of an entirely different story which is already picking momentum, I cant help but feel that the Triune story is considered just as filler materialEwhich needs to be resolved before Busiek leaves the book in six month' time.
I also asked Busiek for his view on the isssue, and he replied:
Kurt Busiek wrote:
In any case, I'd have liked to spend a little more time on these events, playing them up larger, but we were constrained by the fact that this is already a long story, and we didn't want to make it longer, and by the general reaction among the readers, which seems to be equal parts furious shouting at us to finish the plotline, and furious shouting at us whenever we so much as mention the Triunes. It seemed that the readership desperately wanted a resolution, and desperately wanted it to take no space whatsoever.
For my part, I never particularly thought of it as a story - the Triune Understanding was an organization, and they were out there, and things occurred with them. Each time they showed up, I thought it was a new story, not a chapter or a subplot - it's like having Magneto out there; when he turns up again it's a new Magneto story, not Chapter 395 of the story that began in X-Men #1. So I figured the Triunes were recurring adversaries of the Avengers, and that we'd learn more about them over the course of a number of stories. The readership didn't seem to view it that way, though - they thought it was just one long-running, slow-moving story, and even if we didn't so much as mention the Triunes for months at a time, it was somehow still ongoing. Next time I want to do something like this, I suppose, I'll try framing it a different way.
But as of now, the Triune Understanding is still out there - nobody's come back to Earth to tell them how it all came out. So what'll happen is a matter for future issues, I'd say...
Busiek's response got me thinking on the power reader's reactions have on the creative process. I have always held the position that stories should be left entirely in the hands of the writers, and that they should be given the freedom to etch their own vision on any title they handle. Maybe I still have this fear of the era called the "90s", which I believe is the best example of comic book writers "selling out" or engaging in a "give the readers what they want" practice. And I still firmly believe that patronizing to readers is the reason for the decline in the quality of comic books, particularly Marvel's, last decade.
Then again, some criticisms by readers may also be constructive in nature. As Busiek pointed out, it may serve as a sign of what works well, and what doesn't. The ability to take criticism is essential in just any endeavor, as criticism serves as a major tool for improvement. Granted, however, that one identifies criticisms which are valid, and not just incessant negative ranting of a vocal group of dissenters.
As a fan of the Triune story, I guess I should just be thankful that, other than the pacing, Busiek's vision of the Triune doesnt seem to have been compromised in this issue. I guess the "fault" in Busiek's handling of the Triune story is that in the past appearances, the amount of info he provided on the Triune has been very sparse. He left questions and clues in every Triune appearance, and too many of these clues were left without any resolution whatsoever that it gave the illusion that the Triune is indeed a long-running subplot rather than as a set of separate appearances.
Artwise, this is yet another hit from Kieron Dwyer and company. I have nothing but praises for this art team since their debut in issue #48. So instead of rehashing what I have said before, I would just point out a particular aspect of the art in this issue that up and coming artists may want to look at. Basically, this issue has two stories running simultaneously. One is a narration of the origin of the Triune and the players involved. The other is a depiction of the present event, which is the AvengersEencounter with the Triple Evil. While each story can be distinguished by the writing (the former is told in the third person narrative while the latter is mostly told without any narration at all), the art style is also distinctive, thus, providing clearer storytelling and avoiding confusion in the continuous shifts between the two stories. Most noticeable would be Tom Smiths colors, which shifts to muted and monochromatic colors when telling flashbacks. Dwyer and Remender also do their share, albeit in a more subtle manner, by varying layouts and inks. Particularly, the origin sequence could be characterized with heavy inks and an orderly grid-like layout, while the present-time story generally has finer inks and diagonal panels.
In closing, Id say that despite the interesting revelations this issue, I still am disappointed that the Triune was not able to realize its potential. Dont let that stop you from reading this issue, though, since it is still solid classic superhero stuff. I guess I would just always be wondering how the story of the Triune would have played out had it been given the proper time to develop.
STORY:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xhalf.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
ART:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xhalf.jpg
OVERALL:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics (http://www.x-worldcomics.com/x/bstore/newbooksmain.html) and save!