The King is Back!
I apologize if you thought Jack Kirby rose from the dead to haunt us with some amazing pencils. I was referring to a certain Joe Madureira. One of my favorite artists of all time. His fluid pencils and stylized poses alone are enough to get me to read the book. If a braindead chimp was hammering out the script by seizing on a typewriter, I would still pick up this book if Joe Mad was the one penciling it. And have I ever mentioned how much I love that he doesn't use an inker? I think there are very few artists that can pull off that look and Joe Mad is the best in the business.
The story starts with a bit of a hook; A seemingly innocuous page with a little inner monologue from our Friendly Neighborhood Wall Crawler, and then BAM! Joe Mad knocks it out of the park with a beautiful, dynamic spread full of Avengers in action, quips being quippy, and more character than one of those encyclopedias filled with characters. This is why I love comics: Amazing artwork, but also, the subtle play between the character's dialogue and the artwork portraying it. The expressions, both facial and body, really bring Zeb Wells' words to life. He seems to really understand the character and his incessant need to quip even ((and especially)) in the face of danger.
The story is driven and compelling enough to leave me wondering what the next issue will bring, but it's really the interplay of words that interest me. It's always refreshing to read a book where the writer has really studied the character and really made an effort to produce the "quintessential" version, but infused with their own flair. So far, this presentation has been aces in my book.
With so many fantastic issue ones out there in the wild right now, this may be just "another first issue," but I guarantee that this will be a fantastic read and more than likely a welcome addition to your monthly stack of comics. I enjoyed this issue immensely I recommend you give it a shot as well!