Remender really is hitting his stride on this arc. Having just criticized Bendis for never having managed to pull together an arc that felt like an old-school Avenger story, I definitely have to compliment Remender on doing exactly that here.
First, leave it to Hawkeye to make Captain Britain likable. Remender has a great ear for Hawkeye and I loved seeing him make it infectious, with Brian responding in kind. ("I cherish you, Captain Britain, and you look so pretty in that new suit." "I was worried about using too much black." "No, it's slimming.") I didn't really like Captain Britain when I read "Excalibur" and I can't say that I've liked him all that much here. Maybe having Beast and Hawkeye for playmates will help make him less insufferable. ("I hate you, Captain Britain. From now on, because of you bringing me here, I'm going to hate everything about Britain. Tea. The Smiths. The queen." "Let's leave the Smiths out of this.")
But, unlike Bendis, Remender actually doesn't paint everyone with the same brush. He manages to give Natasha some banter, but still make it feel like the type of banter that you'd get from Natasha. ("We're Avengers, we have each other's backs, even when we're irritated.") Similarly, he also delivers a Flash who's heroic yet goofy ("Uh -- a fetishist costume collector guy came and stole her clothes") and a Valkyrie who serves as the heart of the team, reminding us of the difficulty that they're all having in processing the reality that Eric is dead and has been replaced by a LMD.
Remender also manages to make me believe that he might kill off people. I'm not sure how he does it, but he does. I actually found myself wondering at the end of last issue if Valkyrie, at least, wouldn't wind up dead and, at the end of this issue, I find myself wondering if maybe Hank is a Deathlok now. I mean, intellectually, I'm pretty sure that he isn't, but Remender manages to immerse you in the story that he's telling so much that you forgot that these characters appear in other series. "Secret Avengers" has always been an afterthought in terms of the Avengers line, so it's nice to see Remender elevate it to the type of title where you believe something big may happen.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Scalera. His art has taken a little while to grow on me, but, man, I can't imagine anyone else on this title. He has a spectacular sense of timing, knowing when to keep the panels tight -- like when Flash is stranded in space -- to convey the building tension, and when to use a splash page -- like when Hawkeye and Captain Britain engage the Zombie Avengers -- to let the action explode. Wilson also does a great job of using a dark palette that suggests espionage and treason.
Basically? This issue is the Avengers I've been hoping to have for the last three years and never got. I'm sad to see Remender leave this title, but I'm thrilled that it's for another Avengers title. If you haven't been reading this title lately, pick up this final arc, because, seriously, it's great stuff.
No comments:
Post a Comment