“Operation: Hydra” (20 pages)
Written by: Will Corona Pilgrim
Art by: Andrea di Vito
Colors by: Laura Villari
Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Covers by: Michael Ryan & Javier Mena; Jack Kirby; Jack Kirby, Dan Adkins & Tom Smith
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
[NOTE: The cover credits has one major flub! The writer is not Joseph Caramagna.]
In a blatant marketing ploy to raise public awareness and rake in more dough, comes this one-shot. This stand-alone story features the MCU’s version of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, I mean the Avengers Initiative.
Nothing to it in terms of how things come to pass. Black Widow overtakes a plane in Khartoum headed for Port Sudan. Hawkeye is training fervently since he wants to secure his spot on the team. He is the narrator of this tale. The other members are interrupted from their downtime to give Natasha a much-needed assist since she has landed smack-dab among a horde of hi-tech Hydra agents.
The antagonist is a Dr. Jensen. She is the leader of this particular tendril of the massive organization. She has uncovered an object of immeasurable power but we readers are left guessing. The Avengers arrive and wipe the floor clean of the assortment of agents, each showcasing his or her power set.
Dr. Jensen manages to turn the tide with her amped gauntlets. All the members begin to fall except Hawkeye, the ‘unlikeliest’ hero of all. With the release of a simple arrow, he disables the tech sported by Dr. Jensen. She lies in disbelief as the heroes stand above her.
Holy frijoles!! This is by far THE SHORTEST review I’ve ever done :0 Even I didn’t except the read to be so quick. If I were to view this at a Cineplex, I’d equate this to a five-minute scene at most. I’m an undying fan of the Avengers but I found this story falling short in several ways. I was disappointed at how little there is and that Hydra didn’t play a more prominent role (which is the way things are going in the comic-book universe).
Will Corona Pilgrim is the Creative Research Manager for Marvel Studios. He has written the preludes for Iron Man 3 and Ant-Man. The dialogue is extremely basic. There is no characterization. Perhaps this is because for those that have viewed all the movie masterpieces, heavy exposition, in-depth characterization, and subplots are unnecessary. I find this level of reading easy enough for a ten-year-old.
Andrea di Vito does his best to accurate capture the cinematic characters. The main cast look like regular people with a slight advantage in the looks department. Even the Hulk looks presentable despite his menacing frame. The only noticeable thing is Hawkeye’s new overcoat.
Laura Villari decently coordinates the spectrum. Each character is set apart. Hawkeye’s costume borders on opaque as the purple risks blending in with the brown (at times, instead of black).
Clayton Cowles is a seasoned veteran. He makes it a no-brainer especially when indicating Hawkeye’s P.O.V. thanks to the purple-tinged boxes. He also exercises a healthy dose of onomatopoeia.
This is a team effort. The three collaborators all work (or have worked) for Marvel Studios. It’s fair to say they are not comic book pros. As I previously stated, this is just a minor tie-in to the bigger movie landscape. I didn’t read the solicitations properly. Shame on me!
I give this two major thumbs down plus one more.
BONUS MATERIAL
Reprint of AVENGERS #16 – “The Old Order Changeth!” (20 pages)
Written by: Stan Lee
Pencils by: Jack Kirby
Inks by: Dick Ayers
Colors by: Stan Goldberg
Letters by: Artie Simek
The first of many changes to the roster!! A new line-up is revealed: Cap’s Kooky Quartet!!! What make this issue so significant are the additions of Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch. In relation to the last two, it’s no coincidence why this story was an extra addition. *hint* *hint*
