Joel Phillips
Jun 25, 2003, 06:49 pm
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/avengv3-68.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/avengv3-68t.jpg" align=left alt="Avengers (3rd series) #68"></a>Reviewer: Joel Phillips, old_ky_shark@hotmail.com
Quick Rating: Good
Story Title: Red Zone: Part Four (The Great Escape)
She-Hulk Smash, an Avenger go boom, and there’s a whole lotta coughing going on.
Written by: Geoff Johns
Penciled by: Olivier Coipel
Inked by: Andy Lanning
Lettered by: RS & Comicraft’s Albert Deschesne
Colored by: Chris Sotomayor
Assistant Editors: Marc Sumerak & Andy Schmidt
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
This issue, like the last one, is a middle-of-the-arc issue. Ideally, such an issue serves to fill out some details, to push us in the general direction of the eventual climax, and maybe even to throw a curveball or two our way. This issue has its share of twists, if not as much forward motion as I would have liked.
Even though a fair amount happens in this issue, nothing really happens with the Red Zone itself. The problems the Avengers must face in their attempts to stop the disease from spreading and to cure the dying are not addressed at all in this issue. That’s what’s most troubling about this lack of progress: we don’t even see anyone in the issue trying. We see no struggle for gains, successful or no, nor do we have some villain interfering and handicapping the heroes’ attempts (although a bit of that happens, in a way). The problems are not addressed: writer Geoff Johns has the characters otherwise occupied, and simply doesn’t have the space in this issue to devote to actually addressing the Red Zone itself.
What does happen, however, does manage to create a fair amount of new tension. She-Hulk’s condition at the end of last issue has resolved itself in an unexpected and troublesome way, one which makes me certain it’s no coincidence that this issue hits stores less than a week after her cousin’s big screen debut. Only time will tell however whether or not She-Hulk’s actions in this issue are solely a movie tie-in or the beginnings of a new direction for the character, so I will reserve my judgment until I’ve seen a little more.
There’s also a fairly lengthy interlude where we see Warbird having a heart-to-heart with Park Warden Tom Hawkins. The conversation is a very brief recap of Carol’s origin and what motivates her. Though unnecessary for die-hard fans, newer ones can learn a surprising amount about Carol from that brief speech, which is quite effective at summarizing the kind of person she is.
Unfortunately, the rest of the issue is spent with the story trying to catch up to the imaginative readers. Dell Rusk, Secretary of Defense, is finally, conclusively tied to the plague… a conclusion fans came to several issues ago. And even though I won’t come right out and spoil the issue’s final big secret, it’s one that was obvious enough that fans have been talking about it for weeks as well.
None of this, however, is to say that the issue lacks drama or suspense. The predicament Iron Man and the Black Panther were put in last issue, though touched upon only briefly here, remains a source of tension: between the Avengers and their unseen captors, as well as between the duo themselves. The issue’s one skirmish also leaves us wondering about the integrity of the Avengers’ bio-suits, once again reminding us what that red haze surrounding them is and the quiet danger it poses. These points, combined with a final scene that places yet another Avenger in peril, give the issue some added bite.
Coipel’s art, however, just doesn’t seem up to his usual high standards in this issue. Several of his facial close-ups are rough or out of proportion. And his battle sequence leaves quite a bit to be desired, as the roughness of both landscape and combatants combine with the busyness of the battle to make for some confusing panels. That said, Coipel’s Black Panther is both dark and regal, and one character’s transformation, at issue’s end, looks deliciously creepy.
This issue is a solid, though not perfect, middle chapter to a promising arc. Personally I would have liked for more to happen with the actual main story itself, but hopefully we can expect things to really pick up next issue now that (presumably) all of the secrets are out.
ART:
http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/avfull.jpg http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/avfull.jpg http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/avfull.jpg http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/avhalf.jpg http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/avnone.jpg
STORY:
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OVERALL:
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Buy this issue online now from X-World and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=67&cat=AVENGERS)
Quick Rating: Good
Story Title: Red Zone: Part Four (The Great Escape)
She-Hulk Smash, an Avenger go boom, and there’s a whole lotta coughing going on.
Written by: Geoff Johns
Penciled by: Olivier Coipel
Inked by: Andy Lanning
Lettered by: RS & Comicraft’s Albert Deschesne
Colored by: Chris Sotomayor
Assistant Editors: Marc Sumerak & Andy Schmidt
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
This issue, like the last one, is a middle-of-the-arc issue. Ideally, such an issue serves to fill out some details, to push us in the general direction of the eventual climax, and maybe even to throw a curveball or two our way. This issue has its share of twists, if not as much forward motion as I would have liked.
Even though a fair amount happens in this issue, nothing really happens with the Red Zone itself. The problems the Avengers must face in their attempts to stop the disease from spreading and to cure the dying are not addressed at all in this issue. That’s what’s most troubling about this lack of progress: we don’t even see anyone in the issue trying. We see no struggle for gains, successful or no, nor do we have some villain interfering and handicapping the heroes’ attempts (although a bit of that happens, in a way). The problems are not addressed: writer Geoff Johns has the characters otherwise occupied, and simply doesn’t have the space in this issue to devote to actually addressing the Red Zone itself.
What does happen, however, does manage to create a fair amount of new tension. She-Hulk’s condition at the end of last issue has resolved itself in an unexpected and troublesome way, one which makes me certain it’s no coincidence that this issue hits stores less than a week after her cousin’s big screen debut. Only time will tell however whether or not She-Hulk’s actions in this issue are solely a movie tie-in or the beginnings of a new direction for the character, so I will reserve my judgment until I’ve seen a little more.
There’s also a fairly lengthy interlude where we see Warbird having a heart-to-heart with Park Warden Tom Hawkins. The conversation is a very brief recap of Carol’s origin and what motivates her. Though unnecessary for die-hard fans, newer ones can learn a surprising amount about Carol from that brief speech, which is quite effective at summarizing the kind of person she is.
Unfortunately, the rest of the issue is spent with the story trying to catch up to the imaginative readers. Dell Rusk, Secretary of Defense, is finally, conclusively tied to the plague… a conclusion fans came to several issues ago. And even though I won’t come right out and spoil the issue’s final big secret, it’s one that was obvious enough that fans have been talking about it for weeks as well.
None of this, however, is to say that the issue lacks drama or suspense. The predicament Iron Man and the Black Panther were put in last issue, though touched upon only briefly here, remains a source of tension: between the Avengers and their unseen captors, as well as between the duo themselves. The issue’s one skirmish also leaves us wondering about the integrity of the Avengers’ bio-suits, once again reminding us what that red haze surrounding them is and the quiet danger it poses. These points, combined with a final scene that places yet another Avenger in peril, give the issue some added bite.
Coipel’s art, however, just doesn’t seem up to his usual high standards in this issue. Several of his facial close-ups are rough or out of proportion. And his battle sequence leaves quite a bit to be desired, as the roughness of both landscape and combatants combine with the busyness of the battle to make for some confusing panels. That said, Coipel’s Black Panther is both dark and regal, and one character’s transformation, at issue’s end, looks deliciously creepy.
This issue is a solid, though not perfect, middle chapter to a promising arc. Personally I would have liked for more to happen with the actual main story itself, but hopefully we can expect things to really pick up next issue now that (presumably) all of the secrets are out.
ART:
http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/avfull.jpg http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/avfull.jpg http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/avfull.jpg http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/avhalf.jpg http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/avnone.jpg
STORY:
http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/avfull.jpg http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/avfull.jpg http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/avfull.jpg http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/avhalf.jpg http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/avnone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/avfull.jpg http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/avfull.jpg http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/avfull.jpg http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/avhalf.jpg http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/avnone.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=67&cat=AVENGERS)