Legal Stuff: All characters, references and images of Heroes Reborn, Avengers, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, and Captain America are copyright Marvel Comics.
Okay. That's out of the way. In the past I have focused more on the comic book industry and business, and not so much on story lines. This editorial is my general comments on the Marvel stoylines "Onslaught" and 'Heroes Reborn"
One business comment...Marvel's move to give complete creative control to Jim Lee and Rob Leifield for a specific duration on the four titles above is nothing short of brilliant. The strength of Image Comics is that they are a group of separated, creator owned properties. However, this is also Image's weakness. The studios and artists are in essence 'free agents" and can work for any other company.
Marvel's problem is how to give "complete artistic control" to Lee and Leifield without permanent impact to the Marvel Universe? Okay. Time for a "gimmick." Yes, the gimmick is called "Onslaught" and just to make sure it sells, put it in X-men comics, a perennial best seller.
In my opinion, "Onslaught" is a gimmick to get the characters in the four titles into an alternative universe. This way Lee and Leifield can do whatever they want, and the "original "Marvel Universe will only be peripherally affected. I have not read any of the "Onslaught" issues, but by all reviews it was criticized unmercifully. Gregg wrote "It was awful, simply awful..."
Okay, by the power of a cosmic whoszit the characters in these titles are (a) magically (b) mystically (c) scientifically (d) does it really matter;......... transported to an alternative universe.
I was highly amused by the comments (of either Lee or Leifield -- don't remember) that these stories would now be "Told the way they should have been told. The right way to tell the story." My opinion on this is -- what massive self confidence. That this particular person, who insists on complete creative control, now has the unmitigated ego to insinuate that all authors and writers that previously worked on these titles were all wrong, and did a really crummy job.
Okay, I did pick up one new comic in the last three months. It was Leifield's Avengers Volume 2, Issue 1. (With a hefty price tag, I might add...) I thought the issue was extremely well produced. I know Lefield's style of art is "stylized," and I can accept that. Given the style, the art was excellent. The story was a retelling of the early Avenger's story. It was not strictly Avengers 1, as this story was told from Captain America's perspective. Loki was back, commenting that he "hated" Thor and the Avengers, but could not quite remember why. My only criticism is that Loki lacked motivation, or his motivation was undefined. Of course, they couldn't reflect on past issues, and that would mean referring to stories in 'that other universe" and ego will simply not allow that to happen. The character development was about typical for Leifeild, that is, just enough. The storytelling was good. The drawings make this issue fascinating to read.
Go To Page: 1 2
