AVENGERS #56
"Lo, There Shall Come... an Accounting!"
Mildly Recommended (6/10)
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Marvel Comics
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Pencils: Yanick Paquette
Inks: Ray Snyder
Colors: Tom Smith
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Price: $2.25 US/$3.75 CAN |
This issue marks the end of Kurt Busiek's run on this title, which has clearly been a labour of love for him. It should come as no surprise that he ends his stint with the kind of story for which he is best known: he combines the super-heroics of years gone by with more logical, real-world story elements. Sadly, this script lacks another one of Busiek's storytelling strengths: complex characterization.
A small crew of Avengers -- regular members and reservists -- gather at Avengers Mansion for a meeting with accountants from the Maria Stark Foundation, the body that funds the super-hero team. A number of financial claims have been made as the result of a recent skirmish in St. Louis. As each hero accounts for damages and fines that were incurred during the mission, we learn of their battle with the human-hating Elements of Doom.
Paquette does a solid job of the fill-in art. Though he's juggling an expansive cast of characters (larger than usual, actually), the story trots along clearly. Mind you, nothing about the art beyond that clarity that really grabs me either. The Elements of Doom, whose morphing qualities usually make for fun visuals, didn't strike me as all that interesting this time around, for example. The stock-image cover does nothing to indicate what kind of story the reader can expect, and even goes so far to be misleading, indicating that it will feature just three of the team's core/founding members.
The idea behind this script -- that there has to be an accounting of the financial fallout of the heroes' actions -- is novel and intriguing. Maybe it's just me, but delving into the fiscal and adminstrative side of the world of wonder of super-heroes holds a lot of potential. Here, though, it serves as a framing device to convey a fun story, one that's quite accessible and would be of particular interest to younger readers new to the world of comics and super-heroes. With all of those colorful heroes running around, it's the kind of book I'd have eaten up as a kid.
That Avengers adminstration was great, a step forward in the super-hero genre, really. That's why I was disappointed that Busiek took a step or two back when it came to the characters. Clearly, Busiek has an infectious affection for super-hero stories of yesteryear; the Beast's demeanor in this story is proof of that. But the characters boast lose ground when it comes to their personalities here. I realize that this story doesn't lend itself to deep characterization or anything, but I was disappointed to see these characters behave as if nothing has changed in their lives in 20 years.
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