Written by John Sazaklis
Designed by Can2 Design Group
SUMMARY:
Published by Marvelkids.com through Fun Studio Books in 2015, this 80-page junior novelization adapts Marvel’s Avengers Assemble TV series opener. This 2013 two-part episode is entitled “The Avengers Protocol.” Iron Man furiously reunites the other Avengers (Black Widow; Hulk; Thor; Falcon; and Hawkeye) after the Red Skull & Modok have seemingly disintegrated Captain America.
The team’s investigation leads to a HYDRA body-switching machine. Immediately seeking vengeance, the Red Skull & Modok nearly kill Tony Stark during their theft of his Iron Man armor. Modok’s mind-controlling micro-bots further threaten to send the Avengers raging against one another in battle. An explosive confrontation at Avengers Mansion concludes the story.
The book is loaded with “Freeze Frame 1” still photos from the animated episodes, as well as original artwork of the characters interspersed with these stills.
REVIEW:
For pre-teen readers, it’s actually a neat concept blending a junior novelization (actually more like a junior-junior novelization); a comic book; and a picture flip-book into a single cohesive package. Though Rise of the Avengers isn’t a particularly engaging read (it’s all told in narrative), it makes an entertaining visual alternative to television for young fans.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
Alternating between its far-left and far-right columns, ‘miscellaneous facts’ are included to briefly explain concepts in the story and/or throw in random trivia for readers. For instance, the book acknowledges the first use of the body-swapping concept in Thomas Antsey Guthrie’s 1882 novel, Vice Versa, and later in Mary Rodgers’ 1972 novel, Freaky Friday.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7 Stars
