Atlas Does a Good King Kong
Better late than never, Wonder Man's rebellion against the Avengers with his team of Revengers concludes and serves as a surprisingly strong prologue to the current saga with Norman Osborn's return. It's a story that would have been much better had its parts come out in a timely manner, but the delayed pace doesn't completely rob it of its dramatic impact.
As of the latest New Avengers Annual, Wonder Man's Revengers have stormed Avengers Mansion and defeated the New Avengers. Now, the Avengers respond. Brian Michael Bendis gives us a well done confrontation between the two groups that plays out pretty much exactly as it should play out. Yes, that is exactly what Iron Man should have ready for this fight. Yes, that is what should happen to a ragtag group like the Revengers when they piss off the big league Avengers. So while I may not serve to give a big epic battle, it does serve the purpose of the story and make the most sense. Besides, I don't think I could have taken an epic battle against the Revengers seriously.
From the start, the sudden change in direction for Wonder Man's character didn't really seem unjustified to me. I mean, Simon Williams was never the most rational or stable guy in the first place, and the guy has suffered some major personal trauma from Avengers Disassembled through Dark Reign. But Bendis really narrows in on Williams' mental state in this issue to a really chilling effect. He brings it home by remarking on Wonder Man's most recent resurrection by the Scarlet Witch, and looking at it from that perspective, there's no way I could really blame the guy for going over the edge and having his views of the world and himself so dramatically shaken. I think what I love the most about this take on the character is how genuine it feels. The idea that a guy who has gone through all that Wonder Man has gone through could be the kind of normal and unremarkable guy he is usually portrayed as never felt right to me. This is a guy who should have serious issues, and Bendis really sells that here.
We also get a little insight into the members of the Revengers, as they are each given the opportunity to quickly lay out their reasons for backing Wonder Man. It is a nice variety of motivations, including one unlikely one that I almost suspect is foreshadowing a cosmic story Bendis has in mind for later.
The timing really hurts this story, though. This perfectly builds up to the current crisis with Norman Osborn and the new Dark Avengers, but we're only getting this story finished now when we are several issues into the Osborn story already. This, and not Fear Itself, is the story that creates the anti-Avengers rumblings that Osborn is now capitalizing on. This is also a story that has been brewing since the first issue of the Avengers relaunch. It's ridiculous that it had to be dragged out of Marvel with two widely spaced out annuals.
For my money, Gabriele Dell'Otto is a better cover artist than interior artist. I generally love his covers while being underwhelmed by his interiors. That still holds true, but the storytelling and clarity of his interior art in this issue is definitely an improvement from what I am used to seeing. The art does look like it was a little rushed, but that may have actually paid off when it comes to the storytelling, not allowing time for some of the murky, painted colors that sometimes takes away from the sequential art.
I do still hate his Atlas, though.
Avengers Annual shoots itself in the foot by telling its story months too late, but it is at least still a good story. This has been one of the most interesting Wonder Man stories I've ever read, ending on a nicely chilling note. It also solves my main problem with the current Norman Osborn story playing out in Bendis' two Avengers books, namely that the anti-Avengers sentiment present in it seemed like it came out of nowhere. This would have been an excellent issue had it come out when it should have. As it stands, it remains a pretty good story.
