The Defenders (USA) di M.Fraction

[Azrael]

The Defenders #5
Matt Fraction (W) Mitch Breitweiser (A)
Cover By Terry Dodson
Variant Cover By Walt Simonson
I Am A Defender Variant Also Available
• Who Are The Nereid, And What Secret Are They Keeping?
• How Does Namor's History Intertwine With... Captain Nemo?
• The Mystery Of The Concordance Engine Grows!
32 Pgs./Rated T+ ...$3.99

[Azrael]

Preview: The DEFENDERS #3

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[Azrael]

The Defenders finally face off against Nul, Breaker of Worlds, and have a choice to make: could we be seeing a slip in morality in some of the Earth's mightiest heroes?
The Good
The sequence with Red She-Hulk and Nul made me tip my hat to Matt Fraction, as he made me care about a character I had no intention of ever liking. The whole Red Hulk family left an extremely bad taste in my mouth, and I'm surprised that it's not so bitter any more.

The combat with Nul didn't drag, and it did enough to keep each member relevant (more on that later) without dominating the issue. There's a lot of SCIENCE (note the caps) in this issue, but there's some fisticuffs to balance it out.

The ending narration with the Silver Surfer is especially strong, as it establishes the Surfer's power; it also brings a weird sci-fi element to the ship barreling through space, with a somber "don't screw with the Surfer" message. Strong writing kept me interested, and smiling at the exposition.

The Bad
Despite a strong start, I feel like this issue was just tying up loose ends without any effective climax; the banishment of Nul just felt a little too "deus ex machina"-y for me, which is weird, considering the book features Doctor Strange, a walking deus ex machina.

Speaking of Strange, he did little in this book, alongside Iron Fist and Namor. While She-Hulk, the villain and Silver Surfer got top billing, the others seemed to fall by the wayside, cast a spell, throw a punch and generally stay quiet.

The Verdict
Despite the above, I think it's good that Fraction kept this arc from rolling on too long; the greater theme of this book is chaos, and it will be great to see what the Defenders can whip up with this new toy of theirs. The only problem is that I see one of the members leaving (don't ask me, I just have an intuition), which might send the book into a downward spiral.

However, provided it can keep the team solid and give each member the face-time to keep them interesting, this book should fill a "warriors of the weird" niche that I'm all too happy to push them into. These characters are tough to write on their own, and even more challenging to threaten as a team: if there's anyone who can do it, it's Matt Fraction.

This book is tough to rate, as it wasn't amazing enough for a four, but it didn't disappoint me enough for a three; this book is still worth your time, but this issue felt a little bit off.

3 su 5


Da CVine

[Azrael]

The chaotic composition of "The Defenders" reaches new heights in issue three, to the point where it's become apparent that the only ways to make sense of this book are in the micro and the macro. Focus on the small moments of scenes or panels or just lines of dialogue, while trying to see the broad strokes; everything in between will only get you turned around. And that's a big part of what makes this comic so entertaining: that veering back and forth between the little things like Red She-Hulk appreciating her sword or the Silver Surfer figuring out what's going on while no one else notices, and the large push of the series forward. Damn the logic and explanations.

So much is going on for a variety of reasons that it's a little difficult to sort things out. In some ways, the Defenders seem like helpless pawns in the thrust of the story, an idea that's thematically sound with what Matt Fraction has discussed in interviews about the title. What started as a 'simple' mission to stop and contain Nul, the Breaker of Worlds, has turned into an attempt to save the universe even as Prester John and the New Men give up and escape on a spaceship ark. It feels a little like the Defenders have stumbled into a story that's not theirs and is long into its telling, putting them and us at a seeming disadvantage.

At the same time, the members of the group give off the impression of action, yet do little of consequence. Their roles as bit players in a larger stories means that they look like bumbling fools, stumbling from one scene to the next, proclaiming their greatness and abilities only to fall flat on their faces. It's definitely an interesting approach, albeit one that might not convince readers to stick around too long.

The Dodsons pull off the demanding task of cramming every page full of characters and memorable drawings. The character they've clearly got the best handle on is Red She-Hulk. She exudes confidence and charm in every panel, loving everything about being a super-strong superhero. The way she rushes into a fight with Nul is sold more on her body language and facial expressions than Fraction's narration: she looks heroic and ready to throw down. The final third of the issue resonates and entertains because of the art. A crucial splash page is rendered perfectly by the Dodsons, stopping the issue dead.

The chaotic, unknown approach seen in "Defenders" #3 makes for an energetic comic. Fraction and the Dodsons utilize quick cuts and fragmentary scenes, building towards a rousing climax. In interviews, Fraction has said that this is the work-for-hire comic most like "Casanova." The way that both comics have that 'everything but the kitchen sink' approach to storytelling is never in doubt. Since the plot is so chaotic and muddled, it can best be seen from afar and, with each issue, that long view becomes clearer and clearer.

4 su 5

Da CBR

[Daredevil]

Preview: DEFENDERS #4



Variant

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http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=11627

[Azrael]

La prima variant me gusta 

[Corto Maltese]

La serie che più di tutte aspetto in Italia
Sono disposto anche a comprarmi Hulk pur di leggerla (che se non sbaglio cmq Hulk sarà scritto da Aaron, no? Quindi comunque vado sul sicuro )

[Deadpool]

La serie che più di tutte aspetto in Italia
Sono disposto anche a comprarmi Hulk pur di leggerla (che se non sbaglio cmq Hulk sarà scritto da Aaron, no? Quindi comunque vado sul sicuro )

Si, quando arriveranno i Difensori ci sarà sulla testata l'Hulk di Aaron e il Rulk di Parker 

[Corto Maltese]

La serie che più di tutte aspetto in Italia
Sono disposto anche a comprarmi Hulk pur di leggerla (che se non sbaglio cmq Hulk sarà scritto da Aaron, no? Quindi comunque vado sul sicuro )

Si, quando arriveranno i Difensori ci sarà sulla testata l'Hulk di Aaron e il Rulk di Parker 

Ok, allora un nuovo mensile Marvel da aggiungere del Rulk non me ne può fregare na cippa, ma i Difensori di Fraction e l'Hulk di Aaron m'ispirano assai

[Thanos]

Chiedo qui dato che c'è il topic. Si sa per caso quando e come dovrebbe arrivare in italia? Sentivo parlare di Hulk e i difensori...

Ma è proprio una serie regolare o una mini?

Qualcuno ne sa qualcosa?

[Fantomex]

Si sarà contenuta in quella serie, e mi pare che inizi a giugno.

[Thanos]

Grazie.

[Azrael]

"The Defenders" #4 is a slow down issue telling a self-contained Dr. Strange story while also calling back a seemingly unimportant peripheral character from the first issue. Matt Fraction takes his time on this installment and it works deceptively well. The story might not feel grand but on the micro-scale, there's more than enough here to completely enjoy.

For years now, comics have set the structure of major arc after major arc. It would appear these heroes only ever face massive world-ending threats and they dogpile one after another. This issue bucks the trend by telling a short tale and making most of it relatively inconsequential without being completely inconsequential or a waste of time. Strange's dalliance with Molly, a grad student majoring in bad decisions, from the first issue returns here to bring a tale of a girl, a boy, some sadness, a book and one very cocky street magician looking to make the next step. While focusing on the tiny and short lines, Fraction lets the Concordance Engine and the Prester Omega ideas steep in the background, bringing forth all sorts of new flavors and concepts.

You might need to read it twice but you'll quickly discover this issue is one hell of a character study for our mystical physician. In a mere 20 pages, Fraction paints an image of Strange beneath the bravado and attitude he paints. We see the depths of Strange's loneliness, intellect and mortal despair. This issue is a definition of a man and the understanding of the former Sorcerer Supreme as a character will help inform the title as it moves forward.

Michael Lark is a talent continually wasted by not being on a monthly title. He guest pencils on plenty of titles but it's not enough. It is thematically fitting the Dodsons brought us the initial 3-part arc in all its bright bubbly personality and here Lark gets to slow things down, showing us every universe spends its fair share of time in a grimy environment. Lark matches this journey of discovery by offering a portrait of Strange as a strained man. He is gaunt, haunted but still handsome.

It is also nice to see Lark draw Danny Rand, the Iron Fist, again as it reminds us of the salad days of Lark's collaboration with Ed Brubaker on "Daredevil." Even just a few panels warmed this reviewer's heart. This went doubly so when Fraction had one character describe Rand as "the third Winkelvoss."

"The Defenders" is the sort of comic you shouldn't define. Just when you think you've got it pegged, it does something excellent and opens up all sorts of genre possibilities. "The Defenders" isn't great yet but if it keeps up being really good, it certainly has the clear foundation from which to elevate. This evocative issue of "The Defenders" will make you laugh and stare in wonderment but by the end it'll also have you thinking and feeling.

4 su 5

Da CBR

[Azrael]

I've always considered that comics reverberated a certain vibe through the people that read them. This is mostly true of older comics. Depending on the writers and artists that someone liked, you could usually make reasonable assumptions about their character or mental state. Frank Miller fans could be dark and guarded. Stan Lee fans could be eternal optimists or worse yet, extremely affected by good salesmanship. Steve Gerber fans could be a little out there. (Not sure why I used all Daredevil creators here, but you get the point.) As superhero comics have begun to sell less, their publishers have begun to take a more standard approach to the kinds of books they put out across the board. This means less Kamandi and New Gods and more Deadpool books. So then the guy that reads Annhilators and the girl that reads Catwoman become ostensibly the same.

Defenders is a book that goes against that notion. It's a book that fans of Matt Fraction's work, perhaps most notably Casanova, will surely enjoy and eagerly try to enlighten their friends with. Sadly, those friends "won't get it" because the vibe that Defenders gives off is malcontent with the way any normal person, comic book character or not, thinks. It's meant for the obsessive, slightly paranoid, wholly romantic and incredibly hopeful kind of reader that wants to believe that Tom Waits wrote "Martha" just for Doctor Strange and that there's more out there because Neil deGrasse Tyson says there is.

Defenders #4 doesn't succeed because it tells a good story within the confines of twenty pages, though it does. It doesn't succeed because it narrows the focus of the entire "magic Avengers" team down to their enigmatic leader, though thankfully it does. It doesn't succeed because it can even make the most casual reader notice something is a little weird about this book and send the most obsessive one on wild, Google hunt through the Internet, though it can. It succeeds because it appeals to the most basic parts of our humanity (love, loss, longing, attraction) and it does so without booting up the hype machine for another round of "things will never be the same!" or "someone dies!" Someone actually comes back to life!

What's crazy is that there's more going on in the gutters of this book than is going on in the actual panels of most mainstream comics today; a line from "Martha" just before she first returns to Strange, the #concordance hashtag signaling a trend for the rest of the book, "Everything Connects." And truly everything does or can or might or might not! Even the story's title, "The French Drop," hints at something larger at play. That's the beauty of Fraction's work here. It's bigger than twenty pages. It bleeds into the rest of pop culture. It has been born from the work of Johnny Cash and Bill Hicks. It's a direct descendant of these things.

Michael Lark's artwork only intensifies the transcendent nature of the book. A definite change from the cleaner offerings from Terry and Rachel Dodson in the first arc, Lark with help from Stefano Gaudiano, Brian Thies and Matt Hollingsworth, delivers a moody interpretation of what really is a sad story. Doctor Strange and Martha's reunion is a huge moment but it's made bigger by the fact that the artwork is mostly muted and dark until that point. What's so telling as well is that Martha's return doesn't change the color palette. In fact, it's clear from the start that Strange knows what he must do and their time together is tinted blue. It's a shame that this team won't be sticking around.

Defenders is an example of what can happen when a creator is let loose. This book is the Ramones in '77. It is Cobain becoming a specter of teen spirit. It is the imagination of a madman married to the determination of tyrant. This is the moment when you realize the person you've been with your whole life is not the one and the one who was, is actually happier with someone else. This is running away to join the circus instead of getting a real job. This is putting your heart before everything. This is good comics, plain and simple.

9 out of 10

Da Newsarama

[Azrael]

DEFENDERS #7
MATT FRACTION (w) • TERRY DODSON (a/C)
• Strange and company find their way to Wakanda... and the Black Panther!
• The Black Cat takes the job of a lifetime. The reward? Anything she desires!
• John Aman, the Prince of Orphans, readies to defend his secret with his life!
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99