Avengers Prime – Graphic Novel Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Alan Davis (pencils), Mark Farmer (inks), Javier Rodriguez (colors), and Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

The Story: Steve Rogers, Iron Man, and Thor find themselves trapped in a strange, Asgardian realm and under attack from Hela.

The Review:  Sometimes you get a comic that is not at all what it was advertised as.  Judging from the preview of the first issue of Avengers Prime, as well as Marvel’s hype around the miniseries, you’d think you were getting a comic that was heavily reliant on the aftermath of Siege.  You’d also think that you were about to get a thrilling comic focused on Steve, Tony, and Thor yelling at each other about the events of the last ten years of Avengers continuity.

Oh, thank God that this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Funnily enough though, for the first few pages, that’s exactly what you get.  And really, those first few pages are by far the weakest portion of the book.  Then out of nowhere, the comic entirely shifts and you end up getting a continuity light (Steve Rogers falling in love with an elf chick), high fantasy comic that is barrels of old school fun for everyone.

Of course, when you say “high fantasy,” Brian Bendis most likely isn’t the first writer that comes to mind.  In fact, he’s probably not the last one either.  However, Bendis actually acquits himself really well here.  There’s something about the new setting and genre that revitalizes Bendis’ work, giving freshness to it.  You don’t really get any of the usual Bendis foibles of mischaracterization and irritatingly repeated lines of dialogue.  Instead, you get a comic that’s all fantasy ass-kicking and when there are “moments” between the Big Three, they feel genuine and sincere, and certainly more than enough to put a smile on your face.

Yet, that friendship and the issues between Thor, Tony, and Steve are really only a background part of this comic.  Story comes first here, and it’s a simple, heroic struggle.  Put simply, a big bad (Hela) wants to rule the Nine Realms, and our heroes must rally the various people (and dragon) of this mysterious world to wage medieval combat against Hela and her undead hordes.  There’s really not much more to say about the story beyond that summary since it sounds as innately fun as it is.  It’s basically the Avengers in sword-and-sorcery goodness, resulting in a good, old-fashioned fun with a cackling bad guy, light character moments for the protagonists, and lots of action.

Of course, pretty much all of this is only made possible by the efforts of the one and only Alan Davis.  Davis’ old school visuals are what allow Bendis to write this comic and really, I think this is a case where the writer is attempting to serve the interests of the artists, and not the other way around.  While very detailed, bombastic, and impressive on a technical level,  Davis’ work is defined by nostalgia for a by-gone era, and so Bendis ends up writing a story that carries the same feel.  Essentially, Alan Davis’ work forces Bendis to writing something unlike anything else he has ever done, with results that should surprise even the most vocal of his critics.

If there is one downside to the comic, it’s the series’ villain, Hela.  Her motivations are never any better defined than some vague, only barely suggested idea of ruling the Nine Realms and there isn’t any real character-work done on her.  That said, while this would normally be pretty damning for a comic, I actually think that this suits a comic like this.  It leaves Hela as an imple “muhuhaha” type villain trying to take over the world with vague means and ends.  This only further emphasizes the old school feel and honestly, it makes things simpler and more fun.  Oddly, this means that while Hela’s lack of characterization is a weakness, it’s one that’s completely masked by the story’s tone.

What isn’t masked by the story’s tone, however, is Alan Davis’ take on Tony Stark, who looks a bit too much like an 80s male pornstar.  Thankfully, though, he’s in his armour for much of the time, which Davis does a great job on, given that this is just after Siege, and Tony is stuck in an old suit.

Conclusion:  This is definitely a comic for the “comic should be fun” people left wallowing in nostalgia.  And it’s by Bendis, the guy who often finds his most vocal critics among that party.  Go figure.  Either way, this was one of the most surprising reads I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying in quite some time.

Grade: B+

-Alex Evans