Comic Vine Review

19 Comments

Uncanny Avengers Annual #1 - Martian Transylvania Super Hero Mutant Monster Hunter High School

5

Up next on Mojovision: Martian Transylvania Super Hero Mutant Monster Hunter High School! But first! A word from the dreaded Critic!

The Good

This book...this book...I thought it was going one way, it went another, and I couldn’t be happier about it. I thought we were going to get some expert monster hunting and traps along the way, but what Rick Remender instead delivers is one of the most piercing, hilarious satires that the industry has seen since Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E, though this one is much more a commentary on the modern rather than the past. Or is it??? This issue makes me want to give it one star just to show it who’s boss, but...then I’d be playing right into its hands! If this all sounds baffling, trust me, it’s all within the themes and tone of this book which takes a break from the brutally grim Avenging Earth storyline and takes us to a place where Mojo is simply struggling to pull in some ratings. So, of course, what’s hot right now? Supernatural teen drama. And the Avengers. So Mojo finds a way to combine the two and the results are...magical, to make a tired pun. Remender has written an issue that encapsulates and mocks so much: from media being intentionally obtuse with zero payoff (as long as viewers remain LOST and confused) to the reviewers who are too scared to admit they have NO CLUE what’s going on and over-analyze every screen grab for “clues” that may or may not exist. The book only gets away with it by being both hilarious and never truly mean-spirited about it. He tells the truth, but he’s never cruel.

Paul Renaud handles art from top-to-bottom and does a great job most all of the time, especially considering that he does it all. He has to redraw and reimagine these characters into some fairly bizarre forms, and both are equally compelling. I really can’t say enough but to mention the words “Geek Blade” and let your imaginations wander from there. The action is solid, but not really the highlight, the characters and their interactions are the highlight, and Renaud nails their body language perfectly.

The Bad

There’s a comedic device called “hanging a lantern on it.” This occurs when the characters/writing of a thing point out the absurdity or unlikeliness of events occuring, thus drawing attention to and acknowledging them. This issue is essentially a protracted exercise in that, and it works almost all the time, but the issue itself admits to meaning nothing and going nowhere.

The Verdict

This is still an annual and, rather than being a jumping-on point, this annual decides to fly the opposite direction and go completely mad. We get to see the roster we’ve come to know and love as well as a whole new Avengers group that may be a one-off, but I for one would love to see more of (even if it’s literally the least marketable group ever assembled). This book is, ultimately, a hilarious and, at times, frighteningly accurate satire of both the comic book industry and media in general, as well as the media surrounding the media and...if I keep going on like this, am I play INTO its narrative, or am I hanging a lantern on it?

19 Comments

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Meteorite

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There’s a comedic device called “hanging a lantern on it.”

Uh, no, it's called lampshading.

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ComicBookCoby

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YES! Such a great book. I love how meta it was and then it made fun of itself for being meta.

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Xanthos

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Edited By Xanthos

The issue was ok. It was entertaining .. but I didn't find it too funny ^^;

I'd give it a 3 or 4 / 5.

I got hype over the Supernatural Avengers.

hhmm. This book was nothing more but a satire. If you like satire pick it up.

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Burnout1212

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I loved this issue. Nuff said

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deactivated-5fbfd5d291164

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Apparently Remender doesn't know what subtle is.

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ghost_rider_888

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@longbowhunter: well it had to
if anything , as cap stated he is an A level thread , not even thor could hold him down

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eamon542000

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I was killing myself laughing with this issue!!!

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Wolverine008

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PapiNacho

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Yo! I heard you like some metatext, so I put some metatext in your metatext.

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BeaconofStrength

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I demand more of Thor and Wasp. Now.

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dondave

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Hilarious

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daredevil21134

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Edited By daredevil21134

I ship Johnny Blaze/ Wanda Maximoff

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micah007123

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Looking forward to reading it. Based on the comics I won't be disappointed.

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kidchipotle

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longbowhunter

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Edited By longbowhunter

This was pretty great. I cant wait to read the polarizing reviews people are going to give this. If I had one complaint its I felt the Ghost Rider battle in the latter part of the issue went on too long.

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CaptainMarvel4Ever

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Jonny_Anonymous

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Edited By Jonny_Anonymous

Yea this issue was confusing, weird and just kinda crap. I wanted to read about a new supernatural Avengers team but instead I got a book that rotates between taking the piss out of the very idea of one and making snide remarks about the comics industry.

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kidchipotle

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How much is a Marvel annual? because I know their books are usually more expensive.

4.99

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CaptainMarvel4Ever

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How much is a Marvel annual? because I know their books are usually more expensive.