CR Review: Avengers #19 Creators: Brian Michael Bendis, Daniel Acuna Publishing Information: Marvel Comics, comic book, 40 pages, November 2011, $3.99
Perhaps the oddest thing about the Avengers property becoming Marvel’s flagship title the last few years is that there’s no underlying concept involved in its execution. It’s Marvel’s biggest superheroes (and some of its stronger supporting characters) teaming up to take on various super-baddie threats… and that’s really about it, as far as I can tell. It’s not a family, it’s not a community, it’s not a certain way of doing things; it’s everybody the fans think are cool put into the same room. In a similar vein, the writer Brian Michael Bendis recently announcing the conclusion of his run with that property surprised only in that there’s little in the way of a dramatic arc — at least not one I can see, from several steps back — that would indicate he was close to wrapping up whatever personal, creative business he might have brought to the series several years ago. In most ways that count, the defining characteristics of this comic book series lies in how it resists past signifiers. For all that it defines the current superhero mainstream, Avengers is one contrary comic book.
Kids and adults are no doubt dressing up for school and office parties in celebration of Halloween. Many of you will no doubt be dressed as Marvel characters and we want to see them.
Not only that, we want to publish your pics and name two as the best, awarding lucky winners with a complete set of [[[Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes]]] courtesy of our friends at Walt Disney Home Entertainment. That’s right, all four volumes can be yours if you impress us. Just go to our Contact Page, select “I’d like to submit a file for review!”, fill out the form and upload your picture.
Submission constitutes permission to publish your name and picture. The submission must be accompanied with your full name and address so winners may receive discs. Submissions must be timestamped by 11:59 p.m. Monday, October 31. The judgement of ComicMix’s expert panel of judges will be final.
Happy Halloween!
And as part of our Saturday Morning Cartoons section, here are some clips from the DVDs in question:
AVENGERS: VOLUME 3 – IRON MAN UNLEASHED
V3 Clip: Walk in Both Worlds (Iron Man, Thor, Black Panther)
AVENGERS VOLUME 4 – THOR’S LAST STAND
V4 Clip: Stuck in the Realms (Hulk, Black Panther, Iron Man)
V4 Clip: What Needs To Be Done (Giant Man, Ultron, Iron Man, Hulk)
So after a few weeks of daydreaming and being all cutesy-wootsie, I figure it’s about time I stir the pot a little. Let me get behind this wire mesh wall, force field, and don some protective gear. There. Safe and secure. Ahem…
Marvel’s female superheroes suck.
Don’t believe me? OK. Name the first few Marvel superheroes that come to mind. I’ll give you a minute. Who did you say…Spider-Man? Thor? Captain America? How about Iron Man? Hmm. No double X chromosomes there. The last big event to revolve around a woman? Oh yeah! House of M. The one where Marvel showed that a chick who ain’t barefoot and preggers goes crazy and resets the universe at will. Now there’s a feather in a feminists’ cap.
When I say “important women of Marvel,” aren’t they are always the yin to the yang of a more powerful man? Pepper Potts. Sorry Matt Fraction, you can put a repulsor in her chest, you can give her a code name, but she’s still just Tony’s secretary. Mary Jane Watson-Parker-Watson-by-way-of-a-retcon? Face it tiger, she’s just there to fall off buildings. Maria Hill? Nick Fury’s assprint hadn’t even cooled off before she was ousted back down to who-cares-ville. And when we open the discussion to those ladies who carry the hero badge? It doesn’t get any better.
Sue Storm, the matriarch of the Future Foundation. The soul of the Fantastic Four. Completely boring and useless without her husband. The best writers of Sue have always pegged her as a strong and independent woman. But take her away from Reed, Ben, or the children and the only bullet point left on her resume is part-time booty call for Namor.
Black Widow: slut with guns. How about Ms. Marvel? I’ll be completely honest. I don’t know a thing about her. Best I could tell? She was brought in because Marvel has no Wonder Woman, so they threw her on the Avengers. Beyond that I assume they keep her around because cute girls can show off their butts by cosplaying as her. What of the X-Men? Well, Jean Grey has died only 17 times, and has changed names to various permutations of “Phoenix,” all to what effect? She’s Cyclop’s gal. She maybe did Wolvie in a closet while Slim was waxing his car. And in the Ultimate Universe, maybe she did Charles too.
Let’s not forget Storm. She was married off to Black Panther so they could make super-black-babies that will invariably land on some future iteration of the X-Avengers. Not because they’ll be well written mind you… but they will add that “affirmative action” flavor John Stewart was used for back in the JLA.
I say this obviously not just to be cranky. I openly yell to the heavens for someone to come in and make the women matter again. Joss Whedon put Kitty Pride and the White Queen front and center in his amazing run on Astonishing X-Men. More than that, he made them more than worthless eye-candy in butt floss. He gave them dimension, and class. They weren’t in peril for perils’ sake.
Given Whedon’s pedigree for good female characterization, it didn’t come as a surprise. Whedon aside, other Marvel writers certainly have the know-how. Matt Fraction, Brian Michael Bendis and Jonathon Hickman are all amazing writers who know the ins and out of nuance. They’ve each made the females in their books (yes that includes Pepper in the aforementioned Iron Man series) very potent. But my gripe remains the same.
It’s not enough to write a woman as powerful, smart, and put-together. It’s the act of writing them as such that they are more than decoration. Throughout Marvel’s recent history, it’s been a literal boys-club. Civil War? Captain America and Iron Man fighting in the sandbox. Secret War? An excuse to make Norman Osbourn king of the playground – until sales dipped, and people stopped caring. And now we have Fear Itself, which as far as I can tell is only an excuse to half-kill Thor, and dress everyone up in Tron-stripes.
I yearn just once to have a female character in any of these situations stand up and set the world straight. Not to say it’s happened in the DC ever… but I actually believe Marvel has the smarts to actually do it. In this day and age where the DCnU turns Starfire and Catwoman into sultry sluts with no character trait beyond their cup size… I look to the House of Ideas to set the industry right.
When DC was making up Kryptonite and the color yellow the ultimate weapons against its heroes, Marvel figured out that debt, responsibility, and a guilty conscience was far better. Let us hope that in the coming times, they take the next step and realize that women are more than tits and tiny costumes. They are the fairer sex, the stronger characters, and perhaps the last untouched resource for superior fiction.
Don McGregor‘s elderly mother and other family medical emergencies have forced this fine man and fierce writer of the Black Panther, Killraven, and Detectives Inc., to put his personal collection of art (from stories he wrote) on the selling block.
I will be representing Don McGregor’s personal collection of artwork–original pages from stories that he wrote for Marvel.
I am not taking a commission from Don. All monies will go directly from you to him and he will ship directly to you; I am just sitting in the middle because Don is a wonderful and kind man who has never been about money (imagine that) and I don’t want him to get a dime less than he deserves or might otherwise get.
When a man like Don McGregor sells cherished art that was gifted to him by the artists that drew his beautiful stories, you know it’s painful for him. Don loves this art and it should go to people who love it, too. It’s being sold because he needs the funds. Ain’t that America.
I won’t allow art dealers to steal these from him. And I am not expert enough, despite the posturing, to know what these pieces are really worth. So here’s the deal: Some friends of mine and I going to bid on Don’s art while spreading the word far and wide. We are hoping you’ll beat our bids because we want Don to get top dollar. We hope that you will help spread the word. The bidding can end at any time (when Don says, “That’s a fair price; I’ll take it!”) But let’s not let this drag out too long, chums. Let’s pretend we actually learned something from those superheroes we grew up reading when Don was still writing them.
What else can you do? If you’re an artist, a small drawing would be nice. Black Panther, Killraven…something that Don worked on for sentimental reasons. I’ll be the first bidder and I’ll bid generously…and then I expect others to do the same. Let’s make the world go round.
Contact me if you’re genuinely interested in buying art from Don at fair market value. And spread the word to other art collectors. This is a rare opportunity, and you will have my gratitude and Don’s. And you will have Gene Colan’s gratitude where he rests in the World of Truth.
Current bid on the piece you see on this page: $1750.
Following the events of Secret Invasion, darkness has fallen upon the Marvel Universe, and the great Nation of Wakanda will never be the same again. When his Majesty, the King of Wakanda, T’Challa, the Black Panther, falls in the line of duty, a new Black Panther must rise—but who is she?
Before Black Panther #1 hits stores this February, learn the character’s history in Black Panther Saga, a free feature available at Marvel’s digital comics website.
BET Networks and Marvel Animation announced that Djimon Hounsou will be the voice of the Black Panther on the animated series coming in February.
The Oscar-nominated actor Hounsou.joins a production that largely adapts the first six issues of the Reginald Hudlin-written Black Panther series, “Who is the Black Panther?”
"BET is thrilled to have Djimon Hounsou join us as the voice of The Black Panther," said Denys Cowan, Senior Vice President, Animation for BET Networks. "He is a talented, compelling actor who will be the perfect voice for such an important super-hero in the Marvel universe and such a moment in this historic environment."
"Having Djimon Hounsou voice the lead character in this new series speaks to the power of the character and the partnership between BET and Marvel Animation," adds Eric Rollman, President of Marvel Animation. "The Black Panther animated series is Marvel’s entree into prime-time animation and Djimon raises the bar for all involved as we bring the best in the animation business together to execute on that vision."
"It’s a blessing for African Americans and minorities to have a super-hero they can identify with," said Hounsou. "While the Black Panther is a powerful force for good, he is also a respected world leader who takes pride in his African heritage. He embodies the past and future of his culture, demonstrating the endless possibilities of an Africa that is truly free."
The series comes at a time when Marvel is changing Panthers, seemingly killing off T’Challa and replacing him with an unidentified woman according to a story in the Washington Post.
The Washington Post, this morning, broke the news that Marvel intends to cancel Black Panther and reboot the series with someone new in the totemic Panther outfit. This time, though, it will be a woman.
The timing of the relaunch is clearly tied to Black History Month, February 2009, and current writer, Reginald Hudlin, will be back. No artist was named.
Hudlin told the Post, "Over the course of 40 issues [over three years], we … really defined the character in a way that hadn’t been done before. … Having done that, you go: "How do we up the stakes?" Marvel is great about doing really shocking changes to their character — they don’t believe in just keeping everything as status quo."
Introduced by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Fantastic Four #52 in 1966, T’Challa was the first prominent black character in the Marvel Universe and was a popular supporting player until he received his own series in Jungle Tales in the 1970s. The current title was first written for the Marvel Knights imprint by Christopher Priest before Hudlin took over.
Under Hudlin, the Panther married Storm from the X-Men and has defended his country of Wakanda from foreign and intergalactic invaders.
He has been challenged to be the Panther in the past but this time the change appears more than cosmetic. "There will be another after him," Hudlin said of T’Challa. "In the same way that he became the Black Panther because his father was assassinated and died before his time, the same could happen to T’Challa."
Marvel’s editor-in-chief, Joe Quesada, told the paper, "It was a very cool idea. Especially thinking about the legacy of the character," he says. "The fact that this is sort of a part of the Wakandan religion, and their royal family. It was a neat approach to the Black Panther, and I think it will add a wonderful twist to everything."
"Honestly, my entire run on the series has been controversial. Which is great," Hudlin added. "All the writers I admire are hotly debated online, and I feel like I’m always in great company in that situation. But more importantly, it means that people care about the book."
"That’s one of the goals I set: to broaden and diversify the comic book audience," Quesada said. "We’re breaking that gender barrier." Of course, this is far from the first time a prominent hero has been replaced by a female version dating back to the 1980s.
T’Challa will live on in animated form as his series remains scheduled to air on BET, where Hudlin recently resigned as head, in 2009
Marvel Comics sent out a press release this morning announcing that production has begun on a new animated series, The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
Film Roman (King of the Hill) has begun working on the 26 30-minute episodes which will air on television in 2011, in the wake of The First Avenger: Captain America and The Avengers live-action films scheduled for that summer. Ciro Nieli will produce the show for the studio. He’s no stranger to action considering his work on Super Robot Monkey Team Hyper Force Go! and Teen Titans. Christopher Yost will be script editor and his credits include Iron Man Armored Adventures and Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes.
As a result, there’s little surprise that the line-up resembles the film properties and the very first line-up of the team from 1963: Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man (called Giant Man in the release but clearyl wearing the cybernetic helmet), Wasp, and Hulk. Captain America joined the team with the fourth issue but will be here from the outset.
"The addition of The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to our quickly expanding animation slate continues our plan to complement each of our tentpole live action features with an animated series," said Eric Rollman, President of Animation. "This new ensemble series tracks perfectly with our highly anticipated ‘road to the Avengers’ strategy which includes some of Marvel’s biggest and most beloved characters, and which kicks off with two Avengers’ themed feature films in summer 2011.”
While the super-team has been seen on countless Marvel-related series in the past, this will be the first series they can call their own. Previously, Lionsgate released two animated direct-to-DVD releases based on The Ultimates although branded as Avengers.
Marvel is making major inroads into animation after years of little production. BET will have the Black Panther in early 2009 while later that year Nicktoons will air Wolverine and the X-Men and Iron Man: Armored Adventures. Also coming is Marvel Super Hero Squad, whatever that is.
If you read Part 1 of my report on "Secret Invasion so far", you know I have found a lot of faults with the main series of this Marvel crossover and the tie-ins written by Brian Michael Bendis.
Now, any major crossover these days has tie-ins with other titles. It’s a good marketing idea because it gets readers to check out characters and books they may not have already been reading. And it helps give the story an epic feel when you can show how its effects are felt in various other parts of the Marvel Universe and how other folks are forced to get dragged into it.
A lot of times, these tie-ins are unnecessary and fairly forgettable unless you were already a fan of those books. Imagine my surprise when I found that a lot of these tie-ins were actually enjoyable and greatly enhanced the crossover for me. Frankly, I think some of these tie-ins could have replaced a few issues of the main series.
BET entertainment chief Reginald Hudlin, who helped guide original programming at the channel that was first known for music videos and reruns, is leaving the company. According to a press release, Hudlin is returning to his “entrepreneurial roots” as an independent producer. Hudlin garnered his fame by producing the House Party movies and his credits range from directing the Everybody Hates Chris pilot, producing Adult Swim’s The Boondocks to writing the Black Panther comic book series, as well as supervising an BET original animated series based on the Marvel superhero.
There is currently no word on how this will affect Hudlin’s run on the comic, but when asked about how this will affect the planned animated program, a source stated that Hudlin’s decision will not effect the animation division. The series (trailer below) is currently slated for a late 2008/early 2009 pilot.
CR Review: Avengers #19
Following the events of Secret Invasion, darkness has fallen upon the Marvel Universe, and the great Nation of Wakanda will never be the same again. When his Majesty, the King of Wakanda, T’Challa, the Black Panther, falls in the line of duty, a new Black Panther must rise—but who is she? 
BET Networks and Marvel Animation announced that Djimon Hounsou will be the voice of the Black Panther on the animated series coming in February.
The Washington Post
Marvel Comics sent out a press release this morning announcing that production has begun on a new animated series, The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. 
