Reviewer: Chris Delloiacono
Story Title: Avengers Forever: Part 1
Written by: Judd Winick
Penciled by: Jim Calafiore
Inked by: Mark Mckenna
Colored by: Transparency Digital
Lettered by: Dave Sharpe
Assistant Editor: Annie Thornton
Editors: Mike Marts and Mike Raicht
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Leave it to Marvel to fall so far behind on a book, that they eventually put a book out two weeks in a row. Now I complained about this whole situation in my review of Exiles # 30 last week, so I won’t repeat myself here. While I did enjoy Chuck Austen’s five-issue run on the book, as I read this issue it was blatantly obvious just how much I missed Judd Winick’s work.
Since Judd Winick is now a DC exclusive, Marvel has and will have to show enough creativity for the better part of the next year so Judd’s scripts don’t run out too soon. Austen brought some great elements to the book, including an interesting subplot concerning the bloodlust of the newest Exile, Magik. Yet the last three issues of his run took place in the “prime†Marvel Universe, and while well done the book was missing something. Sure it’s a cool one-time deal to see the group in the actual Marvel Universe, but in the end I love the weird places they get thrown into. That’s the key element that makes this book so much fun.
Much like “What If†stories, events on the various worlds the heroes are transported to in Exiles are very similar to our own, usually with one major change. This time Captain America is the “Vampire King†due to losing his classic battle with Baron Blood. Judd Winick always puts the group in interesting surroundings, and this is one of the best yet. Not only is Captain America a vampire, but also the entirety of the Avengers. It’s always cool to see Winick’s interpretations of classic characters. Giant Man, Falcon, Wasp, Polaris, and especially Hawkeye get their turn at chewing scenery with a malevolent grin.
Since Mike McCone left, for well deserved best selling status on DC’s Teen Titans, we’ve seen an artistic merry-go-round on Exiles. Jim Calafiore does an admirable job taking on the penciling duties for this two-issue arc. He brings our six heroes to life well, but does an outstanding job capturing the vampiric collection of Avengers. It’s a truly creepy last couple of pages as Mimic battles Captain America to a head jarring, but momentary standstill.
The funniest part of Exiles wacky schedule of late is that Marvel will be shipping the second part of this arc…next week. I hate to moan about it, but three weeks in a row for any book is just stupid. First the artist from Silver Surfer disappears, now Marvel’s scheduling is so screwed up they ship the same book three weeks in a row. The “House of Ideas†really needs to make deadlines mean something again.
