Thursday, May 13, 2010

Siege #4 (of 4)

This is what you could call an "old school" Marvel comic.

That's because Siege doesn't mince words, it doesn't dance around the issues at hand, it's loaded with action and it actually has a satisfying ending (along with a shock or two).

What you have here is the equivalent of two boxers standing toe to toe and beating the hell out of each other. The toughest guy wins.

Is it a bit simplistic? Does it skim over the war between HAMMER and Asgard? It is all wrapped up a little too easily? Sure.

But it also offers (for the first time in far too many "events") an actual conclusion and a clear direction for the future of the Avengers from here.

The writing is Brian Bendis at his best - lean, funny and clever every step of the way. His work is well matched with artist Olivier Coipel and inker Mark Morales, with Laura Martin's colors. Power erupts from each page, and there are a few poster-worthy splash pages to boot.

The whole thing does feel a bit rushed - perhaps another issue or two would have made this wrap-up to the distasteful Dark Reign series a bit more fun - but there's no arguing with results.

The Marvel Universe has been placed back in its proper position, and I'm anxious to see where it goes from here. "Back to the basics" works for me!

Grade: A-

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