AVENGERS #51
"Prisoners: A Love Story"
Highly Recommended (9/10)
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Marvel Comics
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Pencils: Brent Anderson
Inks: Tom Palmer
Colors: Tom Smith
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Price: $2.25 US/$3.65 CAN |
I've been reading Kurt Busiek's Avengers from the first issue, and enjoying it all along. In recent months, though, I've found the storylines have dragged on a bit, and they've been mired a shade too much in continuity. Here, Busiek demonstrates why he's such a popular and hailed comics writer with a touching, self-contained story that reunites him briefly with Astro City collaborator Brent Anderson. I've heard that some readers have grown tired of his run on Avengers, but they would be well advised to come back and take a look at this issue.
Kang's conquest of Earth is proceeding well, and Wonder Man finds himself locked up in a prison yard with others who resisted Kang's military actions. There, he is reunited with the Scarlet Witch, his one-time lover. Robbed of their powers, the two Avengers watch with despair as Kang's forces rule over the prisoners with an iron fist. The pair also re-examines the feelings they have for one another, and come to understand the nature of those feelings.
If there are Avengers readers out there who haven't sampled Kurt Busiek's Astro City by now, this issue gives them a glimpse into what they've been missing. Not only does Busiek tell a much more character-focused story here, but it's illustrated by Brent Anderson. His realistic figures and faces really bring these unlikely characters to life. The pain and emotion at the heart of this story is communicated to the reader with crystal clarity through the visuals. Smith's muted colors reinforce the downtrodden tone of the story as well.
The team-book nature of this title is set aside for a much more intimate tale, and therein lies the real strength of Busiek's writing. He makes the implausibility of an invasion from the future and super-heroes disappear by bringing the oppression that arises to life through the eyes of Simon and Wanda. The narration is compelling, and even though the story is set in the midst of the epic Kang storyline, Busiek offers up an accessible self-contained story that anyone can appreciate.
Instead of a letters column, there's a two-page spread toward the end of this issue on which a throng of industry figures -- and not just those working for Marvel -- pay tribute to the late John Buscema, best known for his work on Avengers v.1 and various Conan the Barbarian titles. It's a touching tribute, and it shows why he was a more than just a comic-book artist. His work and his specific projects made him a symbol of comic-book artistry. The highlight of the tribute pages was Roger Stern's retelling of an encounter between Buscema and a little girl that'll tug at the heartstrings of even the most cynical curmudgeon.
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