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Terry Hooper-Scharf

Friday 21 October 2022

Modern Age Marvel NEVER Ceases To Disappoint

  I had a big roll on stupidity. Two comics I have followed since the 1960s have been Fantastic Four and The Mighty Avengers. I remember when the FF was Marvel’s flagship title and the World’s Greatest Comic Magazine. Then the 1990s came along and, yes, you can dip back into the collection and see just where it started going wrong.

Writer: Mark Russell

Artist: Greg Land

Publisher: Marvel ComicsRelease Date: September 21, 2022

The Avengers’ ace archer is back! As Judgment Day looms, Hawkeye is called upon to justify his existence. As a benchmark, Hawkeye must prove that he brings at least as much joy and usefulness to the world as a randomly chosen mailbox, which, admittedly, is a pretty high bar.

Sounded like it might be interesting but definitely a case of false advertising. The world’s mightiest heroes coming together to fight a foe just one could not. A group book -group: ie. more than one person. Hawkeye used to be a fun character but he has had one bad writer after another and all basing the character (loosely) on the movie/TV character. Maybe they are hoping for some TV or movie work?

Solo Avengers One Off would have been a better title. Since this current run started it has been all over the place starting with 1 million BC and just poor continuity. I have no idea from one issue to the next what story line is going to be churned up again let alone whether there will be a group of Avengers or just the latest movie/TV version of a character.

This story was a limp biscuit floating in water from the outset. The only action was brief and I can’t even remember the bad guy’s name. At the end (well it obviously is not the end as it’s part of another money-grub (A.X.E.: JUDGMENT DAY) I just thought “Kill Hawkeye (again) and f*** this comic!” which is NOT the way an Avengers comic should leave a decades long Avengers fan.

Really -it was a mess and unlike most comics I never even gave it a second read. AVENGERS -the group not ONE person. Oh -and a story.

A.X.E.: JUDGMENT DAY TIE-IN! The Taking of Baxter 1-2-3-4 begins now! With judgment looming over the Marvel Universe- Reed Richards has locked himself in his Think Tank in search of answers. But with the fate of humanity on the line- what happens when OUBLIETTE MIDAS sets her sights on the Baxter Building? As the Fantastic Four falls before the Exterminatrix’s death traps- only one hero remains standing – but if you thought Oubliette was dangerous- it’s nothing compared to what the Invisible Woman is capable of. Get ready for Die Hard in the Baxter Building- as we’ve only got one thing left to say: Yippie-ki-yay- Marvel Universe.

I saw this cover and for some reason expected cross time or cross dimensions action with a good story. You know, like Marvel used to produce (bad day when they got rid of Jim Shooter). I opened this one up and read through it. Art was okay but story wise it was on a par with the Avengers comic and I was left wondering what the cover was about. It is odd that after all of these years the FF and Avengers stories are instantly forgettable!

When I saw the Alan Davis cover I had to buy! Miracleman is also on so many variant covers that it is ridiculous -most U.S. comic fans do not even know who the character is an few have read the Moore/Gaiman run. I guess if you push it readers will think “this is big!”

The few Gaiman pages here are passably okay -first few and last pages. The second story looked promising then we had the overused old guy who used to create comics coming face-to-face with his creations. Some good art then some not so good art and….in all honesty the thickness of this “intro” comic seems to be down to dumping unused pages and just filler pages. 

I am really -really- pissed off that this was so bad.  The cover looks great and seems to promise more than it does. I had to go back and forth trying to see whether the stories were connected or not (I still have no idea it is so badly put together and edited).   Also Alan Davis drew the cover but contributes no strip work which is a BIG stack of minus points. 

I have no idea how all of this will affect Miracleman -The silver Age or which creative team will be on it but this book in itself deflated my hopes and expectations so much.


You know, bringing back Jim Shooter would be a good idea because Marvel has its two former main titles flopping about like dying fish on the dockside and this official introduction of Miracleman sank like a concrete block wrapped in steel chains.

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