Have you read a comic book lately? Chances are you haven’t, but Marvel wants to change that. Announced back in July, Marvel NOW! (their exclamation point) is an initiative by Marvel to get new readers on board, specifically the millions of you out there who helped make “The Avengers” the third highest grossing film of all time.
Though it’s not a reboot, like DC Comics “New 52” shenanigans from last year, Marvel has taken their most popular characters (particularly those who starred in the aforementioned Avengers film) and renumbered their series’ along with giving them new creative teams, and the results have been good for the most part. Having read a majority of the titles Marvel has released thus far, below is a quick recap of most of the first issues. Decide for yourself if any of them are worth your time.
Uncanny Avengers
Although this title isn’t as “new reader friendly” as Marvel would like to have everyone believe, Uncanny Avengers is the core book in the Marvel NOW! initiative. Stemming from the aftermath of the “Avengers Vs. X-Men” event, Uncanny follows a team lead by Captain America and Wolverine in an attempt to mend the gap between humans and mutantkind.
Written by Rick Remender and drawn by John Cassaday, Uncanny spends it’s first issue deftly blending exposition and action, and keeps the tone grounded, even if the twist at the end of the first issue veers into (admittedly awesome) B-movie territory. Remender is of course a skilled writer (if you haven’t read his Unncanny X-Force run, do that now, this article can wait), but Cassaday’s art is what really shines. Known for his time consuming commitment to detail, everything from minor details to big action scenes are done spectacularly. Although Uncanny Avengers is a very good book, it’s not nearly as fun and accessible to new readers as a certain other Avengers comic…
Avengers Assemble
One of the stranger additions to Marvel NOW!, Avengers Assemble started back in late April as an attempt to hook in new readers having just seen the Avengers film. Assemble was fine in concept, but it didn’t do much to invite new readers and wasn’t interesting enough for long time comic nerds. This new issue of Avengers Assemble however, does more than enough to entertain both groups.
Written by Kelly Sue DeConnick with art by Stefano Caselli, Assemble is very similar in tone to the Avengers movie, and is probably the closest we will ever get to a sitcom about the team (seriously, the first issue involves a bet between Tony Stark and The Hulk). Caselli’s artwork is mostly fantastic, aside from a few wonky facial expressions, but he draws The Hulk better than any artist working today. Avengers Assemble is easily the must-read book for any casual reader wanting to get into comics today.
Indestructible Hulk
Let’s just get this out of the way: if Mark Waid is writing a book, it’s bound to at least be amazing. Indestructible Hulk goes in a different direction than you would expect, but it’s certainly for the best. Tired of being the black sheep of super heroes (Bruce Banner says it himself in the first issue: “I want my tombstone to say more than ‘Hulk smash'”), Bruce Banner offers his genius to S.H.I.E.L.D., in exchange for unlimited funds and resources for his world changing inventions. In return when he inevitably “Hulks out” from time to time, they can point him in the direction of issues that only the unlimited power of the Hulk can solve (by “solve” we mean “smash”).
This is an interestingly fresh idea for the Hulk, and it’s surprising that no writers have taken the big green guy in this direction before. It’s also a blessing though, since no one could write this story better than Mark Waid, easily one of the best writers working in comics today.Indestructible Hulk makes Bruce Banner a less sympathetic character and gives the Hulk a heroic purpose. Even after only one issue, it’s apparent that this is the best comic in the entire Marvel NOW! line.