Saturday 18 August 2012

Libraries are your friend! Avengers: Prime

Brian Michael Bendis and Alan Davis

It is a universal truth that certain artists bring out the best in some writers, and so it is with this collaboration between Brian Michael Bendis and Alan Davis.

Bendis is not particularly useful at infusing his comic books with any drama, so Davis, an artist that can tell a whole story within a single panel and knows how to keep a comic book moving, brings a much needed extra dimension to Bendis’ script and one-note dialogue. Something that can’t be said for some of Bendis’ other collaborators (I’m looking at you Michael Gaydos).

Bendis’ brief here is to reunite three old friends, who have been torn apart by their actions during Civil War, Dark Reign and Siege. This he does by unleashing their inner fratboy (poor Patsy Walker, what did she do to deserve being cast as the Avengers bike?) and allowing Captain America, Iron Man and Thor to recall the good times they’ve shared, all while fighting Hela, the Asgardian Goddess of Death.

Bendis’ dialogue is what you’d expect, and if you like that sort of thing, then this thing is what you’d like. One exchange, though, summed up nicely what I don’t like.

Iron Man: She didn’t bring Thor’s hammer.
Captain America: I don’t see it.
Iron Man: That’s what I’m saying.

Bendis would do well to note the old adage less is more.