Stan Lee // Don Heck
November 1966
**
An uninspired tale w/ lower stakes than usual. A new supervillain has a laser schtick, but his real gimmick is an obsession with the Wasp. Unfortunately, the issue focuses on her guy instead. Since his return, Pym has become this mag’s central character as well as the focal point of every cover.
[last issue: The Avengers #33]
[next issue: The Avengers #35]
Archive for the ‘Black Goliath’ Category
The Avengers #33
July 4, 2012
Stan Lee // Don Heck
October 1966
**
The Avs, led by Pym, face off against a secret society of super-bigots, the KKK by way of 007. It’s similar to the FF‘s classic “Hatemonger” ish but not as tight. Heck inks his own art, displaying his pro skills (akin to Sekowsky on JLA, coince) in the best light, but he muffs crucial plot points.
[last issue: The Avengers #32]
[next issue: The Avengers #34]
The Avengers #32
July 3, 2012
Stan Lee // Don Heck
September 1966
***
A few months after FF debuted the Black Panther, The Avs tackles bigotry in a superhero paradigm. Cap & the gang rally to denounce & then confront a super-conspiracy of nativists who beat up blacks & Latinos! Unfortch, the new guy, a black biochemist, is more of a plot device than a 3D character.
[last issue: The Avengers #31]
[next issue: The Avengers #33]
Civil War #4 of 7
June 8, 2011Mark Millar // Steve McNiven
October 2006
**
The commentary on PATRIOT Act America has become paper-thin & confused, esp. since Millar doesn’t care about civil rights & govt. regulations. He just wants to blow shit up & he has his ideas about how to do that—like a rogue cyber-clone of Thor! But would Mr F create such a Frankenstein’s monster?
[last issue: Civil War #3 of 7]
[next issue: Civil War #5 of 7]
Civil War #3 of 7
June 7, 2011
Mark Millar // Steve McNiven
**
September 2006
Finally, CW reaches its reason for being: heroes v. heroes, a classic Marvel trope since Amazing S-M #1. Iron Man turns a sneak-attack into a parlay, which Cptn. America violates w/ his own sucker punch. The problem is, each twist violates its actor’s character. It’s action stripped of motivation.
[last issue: Civil War #2 of 7]
[next issue: Civil War #4 of 7]
Civil War #1 of 7
June 5, 2011
Mark Millar // Steve McNiven
July 2006
***
Two sides face off in Civil War: 1) a comix riff on Bush’s America, from the PATRIOT Act to grassroots rage to reality TV; 2) an inane plot w/ cliche dialogue, in which every person & group is devoid of common sense. A villain blows a suburb up, see, so superheroes must register w/ the US govt.
[next issue: Civil War #2 of 7]
Index Indigo 