Saturday, October 8, 2011

Comic Review - Avengers 46- 50

Title/Storyline
(Kang Dynasty Review - part 2)
Avengers Vol 3. 46-50
Publish Date/Year
2000-2001
Creative Team
Story: Kurt Busiek
Art:
Manuel Garcia (#44-47)
Kieron Dwyer (#48-50)
Publisher
Marvel

Story

#46

Kang deploys his warriors and the Avengers's strongest members Hercules, Thor & She-Hulk and a global contingent of soldiers engage them in battle. Meanwhile, Yellowjacket, Warbird, Quicksilver, and Silverclaw assess the new threat of the Master’s constructs that he had built all across the world. They investigate one of the Master's bases and battle through his defences but were apparently defeated by the Master. Meanwhile, Cap, Photon (Monica Rambeau), Jack of Hearts, and Wanda (Scarlet Witch) head into space to confront Kang directly in his sword-shaped flying HQ – the Sword of Damocles.

#47

Warbird (or better known to many as Carol Danvers/Ms. Marvel) survived the Master's attempt to destroy the Avengers, but is attacked by his plodex wolves. The Scarlet Centurion infiltrates the Master’s base rescue her but she refuses his help and doesn't want anything to do with him. He proves that he isn't the Marcus that tricked her into loving him (waaay back from Avengers Vol.1 #200) and that his feelings for her are genuine. However, they are still on opposing sides of an ongoing war and rejoin their respective sides.

#48

A mysterious pyramid –shaped star spanning construct of unbelievable size and power enters the solar system. The war with Kang continues. The Triune Understanding powers up their spiritual ship and send it up against the "triple evil". Captain America and his team fail to breach Kang's Damocles base so the US government decides to launch a horde of Sentinel robots (the constant thorn to the X-Men) against Kang. Unfortunately, Kang foresaw this and used his time traveling influence to override the Sentinels' controls and sent them back against the USA. Meanwhile, Warbird and her team defeat the Master and take control of his bases and weapons.

#49

Kang and his Sentinel robots converge on Washington and are thwarted by the defenses of the Master's bases all over the globe that are now in the Avengers’ control. Unfortunately, the Kang’s Damocles starship provides enough firepower to destroy the Master's defenses and bases. Thor saves the US president just before Kang unleashes a bomb that decimates Washington. Wasp and the US goverment had no choice but to surrender to Kang.

#50

Quasar and the Living Lightning head off to space to rescue Captain America, Jack of Hearts, and Photon after Kang's attack. They meet up with Jonathan Tremont of the Triune Understanding who prepares to face the threat of the Tri-Evil. Unfortunately, he is driven by a power lust and seeks to destroy the Tri-Evil for his own means. Triathlon, with the essence of the 3-D man, manages to wrestle the power away from Tremont and destroys the Tri-Evil. The Avengers return to Earth only to learn that it had already surrendered to Kang & his forces.

Art

As I had said in my earlier entry, Manuel Garcia is a competent artist. However, his work is still unpolished and inconsistent. I truly missed Alan Davis’s work.

Dwyer’s name and work were both unfamiliar to me and judging from his covers, they really looked 3rd grade. Without the convenience of online art or covers that all of us are familiar with today, back then, all we had were cover images from the Previews or Wizard magazine to make our decision on whether or not we liked the new artist’s work.

HOWEVER, I’ll have to say that his work is really way better than his covers. I’m rather surprised I do not see more of his work these days as he is really good. Much better than Manuel Garcia in the past few issues.

Overall
This is one of the BEST Avengers EPICs as brilliantly told by Busiek. Busiek fans also know that he can do no wrong, especially with team books like the Avengers. He manages to keep the team interaction balanced while the exciting elements are constantly being amped up.

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