“All-New, All-Different Avengers”
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Mahmud Asrar; Frank Martin; & VC’s Joe Sabino
Cover Art by Jerome Opeña & Frank Martin
“Uncanny Inhumans”
Written by Charles Soule
Art by Brandon Peterson; Justin Ponsor; & VC’s Clayton Cowles
Cover Art by Nick Bradshaw & Richard Isanoye
SUMMARY:
For Free Comic Book Day 2015, Marvel Comics offered this flip book featuring new incarnations of the Avengers and the Inhumans in two 10-page stories. Seen partially through flashbacks, three teenage protégés (the Indian-born Ms. Marvel; the new Nova; and Miles Morales’ Spider-Man) have joined the Avengers, which consist of: the Vision; Iron Man; Captain America (Sam “Falcon” Wilson); and Jane Foster’s Thor. As the adult Avengers thwart a magical dragon during a downtown Manhattan bank heist, the three teens discover deceased victims inside the bank’s vault. There they must face the villainous Radioactive Man … and the consequences of their actions.
In Mumbai, India, a vain Bollywood actor, Ajay Roy, soaks in the adulation of his first film premiere. The unexpected arrival of the Terrigen Cloud disrupts the premiere and wildly mutates Roy into a tree-like creature. HYDRA attempts to abduct this new Inhuman, only to face some unexpected opposition. Medusa, Naja, & the Fantastic Four’s Human Torch make appearances, as evidently this erratic Terrigen Cloud is now mutating humans all over Earth.
REVIEW:
Supported by decent visuals, writer Mark Waid’s unremarkable tale shines a decent spotlight on Marvel’s next generation of Avengers. Tinged with some age-appropriate humor, this story should be okay for pre-teen readers. Waid and the art team smartly infer how lethal Radioactive Man is, but they don’t resort to graphically revealing the deceased bank job victims. Overall, it’s a low-key and reliable approach phasing in some intriguing new characters. The undemanding cover serves this story well enough.
As to “The Uncanny Inhumans,” the glossy, high-caliber artwork impressively matches writer Charles Soule’s short tale of two contrasting reactions to suddenly becoming an Inhuman. Soule’s depiction of this new character, Ajay Roy, realistically plays up his ultra-conceited personality to help make this story well worth the read. Its cover image makes a stellar visual.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
Bolstered by some nice artwork, a three-page preview glimpses a comic adaption of novelist James Patterson’s Max Ride: First Flight # 1.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6½ Stars
IMAGES NOT AVAILABLE
