Hub 131 by Various

Author:Various
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, Horror, Fantasy
Publisher: Right Hand Publishing

To my enemies, ravagers of Citadel and tribe alike.

And they greeted me like saviour, with water from their eyes.

fin

REVIEWS

Siege Premiere Hardcovers

Siege by Brian Michael Bendis and Olivier Coipel, HC, 144pp, £18.99

Siege: Embedded by Brian Reed and Chris Samnee, HC, 112pp £14.99

Siege: Battlefield by various, HC, 120 pages £18.99

reviewed by richard whittaker

And so it comes to a close. Seven years ago, Marvel Comics started the biggest story arc imaginable: A cross-continuity revamp that began with Disassembled, turned into a fully-fledged family feud in Civil War and thundered through the Dark Reign. It was a simple reversal of the old rules: The Avengers, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, turn on each other and finally split asunder. Into the power vacuum, the villains become ascendant, but not by conquering: Instead, Norman Osborne, the O.G.G. (original Green Goblin), becomes the politically expedient option for the government to head up their new superhero initiative. Now Siege brings the whole endeavor full circle: Which, considering that the last few years have seen Captain America get shot, Iron Man re-boot his brain, and Thor rebuild Asgard in Oklahoma, is no minor feat.

The core of the story is collected in the Siege hardcover and, sensibly, Marvel has handed writing duties to the man that started all this trouble. Brian Michael Bendis emphasizes the idea that this is Disassembled in reverse: After their schism, the big three of Cap, Thor and Iron Man put their differences aside and bring every Avenger, past and future, together to take on Osborne’s deranged army of misguided heroes and opportunistic villains. It’s a massive and politically-loaded story: The decline into Civil War began when a bunch of civilians were killed in the middle of a super-powered fight, and now Osborne decides to replicate the disaster as an excuse to further crack down on the heroes. The titular siege is of Asgard: When Osborne declares war on the home of the Norse gods, it’s a huge challenge for Bendis, but of the kind at which he excels. Re-united with his House of M artist Olivier Coipel, the duo create a story of truly grandiose scale, a fight where even gods are shocked.

If there’s a problem, it’s that Siege fulfills its commitment to bring over half a decade of Marvel comics to a rewarding conclusion. There’s a lot of continuity to cram in, so when the Avengers come face-to-face with Osborne’s Dark Avengers, it’s real fist-pumping stuff, but it may leave the casual reader baffled (would the real Ms. Marvel please stand up?) However, Bendis’ sense of wonder, of having everyone realize that Asgard is a place of magic and legend that has somehow ended up in the Midwest, is remarkable. He manages to make gods both otherworldly and identifiable, and nowhere is that more impressively done than with Ares. Traditionally the poor man’s Hercules, Bendis made him into a suitably grim and violent replacement for Thor in his Dark Avengers title. His role here is absolutely pivotal, and adds a profound emotional core deliberately reminiscent of

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