It was an easy sale to get me to pick up Marvel’s Iron Man 3 Prelude #1. I got it for free for The Marvel Comics App. I like free, free is good. I like Iron Man,Iron Man 2, and The Avengers, they are good. So clearly, I was destined to enjoy this as I prepared to see Iron Man 3, which I will have seen by the time of posting and assume I will have thought was good. Sadly, despite my excitement, I was found wanting in this issue.
Marvel’s Iron Man 3 Prelude #1 is written by Christos Gage and Will Corona Pilgrim with pencils by Steve Kurth. The tale intertwines itself amongst the events of Iron Man 2 and The Avengers. The real main character is Rhodey (James Rhodes) as he follows the leads to track down a terrorist named The Ten Rings, which has supplied terrorists with weapons globally. You will also remember them as Tony Stark’s kidnappers in Iron Man. The issue ends with a cliffhanger as Rhodey in his War Machine armor may have gotten too close to The Ten Rings!
Okay, so I do really enjoy the tie-ins to several Avenger Initiative movies. This issue, for example, does an excellent job at explaining why War Machine did not join the Avengers in New York. And it addresses that Rhodey stole his first armor and shows Stark handing over an updated armor to Rhodes. We also see a glimpse of my beloved Agent Coulson in the background. Additionally, The Ten Rings is a clear foreshadowing of Iron Man 3 and the Mandarin. So I do feel like those who are only fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe could pick up this issue and instantly understand all of the background without comics. Co-writer Pilgrim served as a researcher for Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger, so he knows this version of the Marvel universe.
But, I do have two criticisms. First, they did not go all in. Rhodey looks like a buff handsome super hero, which is noticeably different than Don Cheadle's more unstated body type. Instead, he does look like the Rhodey from the comics. And even though Iron Man is in the title, this is really a War Machine issue and I wish that either this was highlighted in the title or that Stark had less of a supporting role. Second, I wish they would have given me the full story in a single comic. The purpose of this comic is to make me more excited about a movie that I am already planning to see (or will have actually seen when you read this!). This title did not change my impression either way, so charging me $2.99 for the second half or $7.99 for a print version with the whole 40-some pages seems like overkill. Especially since the story did not have enough action for me to choose to purchase the next half. I already know that Rhodey makes it to the movie!
Sadly, I did feel a lack of excitement for Marvel’s Iron Man 3 Prelude #1. I felt very vanilla about it. It is the type of story I would expect kids who devour movie tie-ins to enjoy. But adults will probably not find the strands of a story that will get them excited
I have been waiting years for the fulfillment of a promise. In Iron ManSamuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury told us he was looking to get the Avengers together. Now Marvel and Disney have paid off on this promise, and most fans will not be disappointed. If you like action films, if you enjoy things going boom, and if you love superheroes, The Avengersis probably going to be a hit for you. Here are my initial thoughts about the film after a very early morning viewing (as spoiler free as possible):
·Laugh-o-Gram: I underestimated how funny this movie was going to be. Quick quips, puns, and fun dialogue are traditional comic book tools. And we have seen some humor in the past films. But in The Avengersthe fun lines are ramped. I really should have expected this because Joss Whedon wrote the story and screenplay. Overall my experience with his work is limited. But the one franchise of his that I love is Firefly which shares this type of witty dialogue. I quote Fireflylines all the time! I cannot really tell you all of the lines that clicked with the audience because I missed some payoffs because everyone was drowning out the audio laughing. I do think Whedon gave the best lines to Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man who continues to shine in this role.
·Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.: We have been introduced over the years to agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. including Nick Fury, Phil Coulson, Black Widow and Clint Barton/Hawkeye. These agents have also been support but never the stars. In a film with heavy hitters like Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and Hulk the characters that get the most development are these agents along with the newest member of S.H.I.E.L.D. Maria Hill. With the big guys we have seen them developed in their own films, so it honestly fells like these are the characters who should be built out further. Honestly, these are the characters you will probably look forward to the most in the future.
·Reality Check: So villain wise this is probably the most ambitious of the non-human villains to date, therefore a ton more of CGI. Yet I still felt like these alien invaders fit within our world and were believable. I think an element that works to help establish reality are heroes with basic earthly weapons. Having Black Widow and Hawkeye with guns and bows sprinkled throughout scenes with CGI villains and heroes helps to ground the image in our world.
·Fearless: The Avengersbreaks the expected conventions. So be prepared for a ride. In The Incredibles we get an education on some of these clichés, like monologuing for example. In The Avengersthe story breaks these clichés. Characters do the things that you would want to do in the real world. If this was a horror movie, somebody on the screen would say “hey don’t be foolish and walk into the woods unless you want to die first.” And the story takes risks. I had done a really good job avoiding spoilers and I am glad I did because within the first 15 minutes something I had not expected had happened and changed what I thought of the story rolling out in front of me.
As a side note, The Avengersis not really a Mousey Movie except for links to the other films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But I will not be pointing fingers. There is a lot happening in this film and I would not ask for them to force in hidden Mickeys just to impress a Disney fan! No, I will take The Avengersas it is a popular and growing Disney franchise that we will love for years to come. I am sure many of you will be assembling with your fellow avengers at a theater near you, maybe even for a second or third time.
I’m really excited about The Avengers. I wonder if you noticed! This is a Disney blockbuster that is easy to get behind, but it should be high quality and successful enough to promise us more. I have been preparing for The Avengersrewatching the Avenger Initiative movies and watching Ultimate Spider-Man and following Clark Gregg on twitter. Yeah, I’m pumped. For my final preparation I decided to go back to the beginning, to visit 1963 when the Avengers assembled for the first time.
To do this I picked up a copy of Marvel Masterworks Presents The Avengers. The graphic novel collects the first ten issues of The Avengersfrom September 1963 to November 1964. All ten stories are written by the legendary Stan Lee, the creator must have a legendary cameo in this movie. Mr. Lee provides an introduction to the collection, noting that in the heyday of Marvel’s renaissance in the 1960s they realized that team-ups were profitable, leading to a permanent team-up book in The Avengers.The first 8 stories are drawn by legend Jack Kirby with the last two being drawn by Don Heck. Instead of providing an overview of every tale I want to give you my observations from this read and how they may link to The Avengers movie. I apologize for spoilers, but these tales are nearly 50 years old! Did Stan Lee even have a mustache back then?:
·Original Sin: From The Avengers trailer we know that Thor’s brother Loki is a primary villain this May. This is so appropriate as it was Loki that originally brought the first Avenger team of Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Ant-Man and Wasp together. It’s a great throwback to the first story that many fans won’t know about.
·What’s in a Name: Most of us know the alter ego of the Incredible Hulk as Dr. Bruce Banner. Though some of us may remember Bruce Bixby playing Dr. David Banner on television during our formative years. Hulk goes by three different names in these original stories. They use the familiar Dr. Bruce Banner often. But he is also referred to as Dr. Bob Banner. Now this one through me since I had not heard it before. Now technically he is Dr. Robert Bruce Banner, so Bob does pass the sniff test. But in one instance a friend calls him Dr. Donald Blake. Now this is an instance where an editor was needed since Dr. Donald Blake as we know from Thor is not Hulk but Thor. Clearly this was a mistake where an editor failed to pick up on the goof. But it is right that Hulk struggles with his true identity. In The Avengers a third actor in three films will be taking on the role. Mark Ruffalo takes over from Edward Norton who followed Eric Bana as Banner. The Avengers simply continues 50 years of identity confusion for the green avenger.
·Return of the King: Marvel warns you in the opening pages of issue 4 to treat the edition as a collectors’ item, because it features the return of Captain America and his addition to the Avengers. In 1954, Atlas Comics, which would later become Marvel Comics, cancelled Captain America and Cap’s days of fighting the Axis in Europe was over! In 1964, Mr. Lee and Mr. Kirby (who had drawn Cap) brought the Boy Scout hero back from the dead and publication limbo as a member of the Avengers. Of course, it’s not easy to have been gone for such as long time. Therefore, Steve Rogers has to battle with the demons of such a long time on ice (pun intended). In one scene he actually has a physical confrontation with his new partner Rick Jones as he attempts to model himself after Cap’s old deceased partner Bucky. And I expect in The Avengerswill see Captain America dealing with being suspended for over 50 years in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
·The Weaker Sex: I am a dad of a girl. And the female heroes in Marvel Masterworks Presents The Avengersare not the role models I am looking for. The Wasp is well, shallow. She cares about looks, commenting constantly on how handsome men are or what they could do to be more attractive. And she is very concerned with her looks. And the other females in the first 10 stories are not much better. Susan Storm from the Fantastic Four in her one frame is too busy to discuss a pressing issue, she has a fashion show to go to. They are pretty much the opposite of the strong and smart Black Widow I believe we will see in The Avengers. She may be properly accessorized, but she’s does not seem afraid to get her hands dirty!
·The Greatest Enemy: Throughout these tales the Avengers continually fight a reoccurring opponent, themselves. Often the Avenger to get piled on by the rest of the team is the Hulk. Poor Hulk, he wants to be a hero but when you express yourself through smashing you are often misunderstood. And he is not the only Avenger who gets into a fight with one of his teammates. Let’s just say if we see Thor and Iron Man getting into a fist fight, or anyone trying to smack down the Hulk from the Avenger team the tradition simply continues.
·Silly Rabbit: Reading an old comic book is an adventure! Stories were not as tight and slang is used that can lead to an unintended chuckle decades later. The stories here have points that make 21st century man laugh. One of my favorites is Captain America’s arch enemy Baron Zemo has had a hood stuck to his head for nearly 20 years after a World War II battle with Cap. It’s only in his latest struggle that he realizes he may want to search for a solvent, not just revenge, which could actually remove the hood. He declared he never thought of the idea! In another scene Wasp uses the phone to call the police. She’s in her miniature Wasp form not her standard height. I wonder if she had to scream and sounded squeaky to those on the other end of the line. Can I be honest, I could use a silly scene or two in the new movie.
Marvel Masterworks Presents The Avengers is a great way to get yourself into an Avengers state of mind! In
these pages you see the first meeting of the Avengers, the stories that started
it all. They are an adventure written and drawn by comic book legends and well
worth the read as you prepare for May 4th.
Throughout the Avengers Initiative there has been several connective themes that tie the movies together. First, Samuel L. Jackson has consistently appeared as Nick Fury, the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. And Clark Gregg has consistently portrayed Agent Coulson. But another actor has appeared throughout, just not as the same character. That master thespian has been Stan Lee, who has played a cameo role in almost every movie containing a Marvel character.
Who is Stan Lee? In many ways Stan Lee is the Walt Disney of the Marvel universe. In 1941 a nineteen year old Stan Lee was made Interim Editor of Timely Comics, which would later become Marvel Comics. His job before this was an assistant who was in charge of making sure the inkwells were filled! For the next 6 decades Lee served as editor, publisher, writer, and creative force within Marvel Comics. He co-created characters such as Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, The X-Men, Thor, Iron Man and many more. During these years he helped transform Marvel from a small publishing firm to a major corporation spread across several media platforms.
Lee has never been afraid to perform to support Marvel properties. For me I was first introduced to Stan Lee as the narrator of the cartoon Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. He brought the tales of the web slinger into my home and the homes of other true believers every weekend, and it was wonderful. If you want to get my attention, add Stan Lee to the mix!
As Marvel expanded into movies he began to make cameo roles. Some were somewhat anonymous, such as his first cameo as a juror in the TV-movie The Trial of the Incredible Hulk. Other cameos were established Marvel characters such as postman Willie Lumpkin in Fantastic Four. Others have honestly been odd, playing celebrities. One thing is common with every one of these cameos, they make you smile and you fill with pride as you spot Lee’s appearance.
Now Lee is not Marvel’s John Ratzenberger. Unlike the Pixar lucky charm, Lee has not appeared in every Marvel film. For example, Lee is not present in X-Men: First Class due to scheduling issues. But if Marvel can work it in, Lee will be added to the cast.
The following are the Stan Lee cameos in the Avengers Initiative to date:
·Iron Man: Stan Lee appears as Hugh Hefner? Actually Tony Stark confuses Lee for Hefner, but Lee is playing himself. Lee as Lee really does make more sense than Lee as Hefner, but this is not the last time he will appear as an elderly celebrity.
·The Incredible Hulk: Mr. Lee drinks a bad soft drink, one infused with Bruce Banner’s blood. As expected, Gamma radiated blood will make one ill!
·Iron Man 2: Lee appears at the Stark Expo as Larry King! Yet again Lee shows his versatility playing another celebrity.
·Thor: I have to admit this is my favorite cameo. Lee plays a good old boy trying to use his pickup truck to pull Thor’s hammer Mjolnir out of the ground. Does truck or hammer win?
·Captain America: The First Avenger: Lee plays a World War II general. Finally Lee receives a role that is suitable for a man of his stature.
For your viewing pleasure, this montage contains all of Lee’s cameos in major Marvel films including the Avenger movies.
Who do you hope Stan Lee plays in The Avengers? I am pulling for President of the United States. After being a general he can only go up! Whatever role he plays, you can pretty much guarantee that Lee will make his presence known when The Avengers premiers!
With John Carter behind us we move onto Disney’s guaranteed blockbuster, The Avengers. Disney you say, why yes, yes it is. Though we find Marvel characters and rides in Universal Studios Orlando, Disney owns the Marvel universe. If you question whether or not the Avengers or Marvel is part of the Disney family, prepare yourself for an Avengers monorail wrap much like we saw with Tron Legacy. Disney may not be able to host Iron Man or Captain America meet and greets in the parks due to the Universal contract, but the Marvel presence is soon to be evident in our favorite vacation spots. Bob Iger at the 2012 Annual Meeting stated that there are plans to introduce Marvel characters into the theme parks.
Captain America is Ready to Meet You, But Not at Walt Disney World!
As a kid who grew up reading The X-Men, The Amazing Spiderman, and the occasional Avengers I have been excited about what I have informally referred to as the “Avengers Project” for over five years. And after Disney bought Marvel after the project kicked off, my interest went straight through the roof.
Development of The Avengers actually started in 2005, years before Disney purchased Marvel Comics. So in many ways, Disney inherited a string of blockbusters. The concept was to release several Marvel hero movies and then have then all wrap together into one movie that included the stars of the previous films. The connective tissue was a initially minor character, Nick Fury. Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson in the Avenger movies, is the longtime director of S.H.I.E.L.D. (The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division) a government agency working to ensure the overall security of the United States. S.H.I.E.L.D. would appear first in 2008’s Iron Man in Agent Coulson, brilliantly played by Clark Gregg, but Fury would not appear until a short interaction with Tony Stark after the credits! Though the role of Nick Fury was expanded in some future offerings, especially Iron Man 2, Fury has largely been a secondary plot point which guided viewers forward to this year’s The Avengers. The following are quick summaries of the movies to date leading to The Avengers including which major characters key to the plot of The Avengers are introduced, as we know it to date:
·The audience is introduced to billionaire playboy and arms manufacturer Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr. Kidnapped in a foreign land the genius Stark develops the Iron Man suit of armor. Stark struggles with balancing his own personal failings with becoming a public superhero and fights to save his technology and company from falling into the hands of his business partner and mentor turned bad.
·S.H.I.E.L.D. comes out of the shadows to discuss with Tony the implications of his technically advanced suit of armor. Agent Phil Coulson is charged with investigating the Iron Man technology. The unintimating Coulson proves to be more than a man in a suit but an ally in Stark’s struggle to control his invention.
·Nick Fury after the credits visits Stark on a recruiting visit to work with S.H.I.E.L.D.
·In this semi-sequel to the 2003 Hulk, Doctor Bruce Banner, played by Edward Norton, struggles with overcoming the Gamma radiation poisoning that turns the bookish scientist into the mindless and destructive Hulk. Norton taking over the role from Eric Bana, plays a more cerebral Banner and is a character more familiar to fans of the 1970’s Bill Bixby The Incredible Hulk, than a smash everything brute.
·A cameo from Tony Stark after the credits notes that a team is being put together.
·Honestly this is the one Avengers movie that I have never watched more than once. So I think many forgot its role in moving forward the Avengers story.
·Norton is replaced as Bruce Banner/Hulk by Mark Ruffalo in The Avengers. In my opinion, Ruffalo’s appearance appears to be in the brainy Banner mold, not the hunkish and rock hard action hero.
·Iron Man 2was released after the Disney acquisition of Marvel and was promoted heavily by the Walt Disney Company as seen by the merchandise found in places like the Disney Store.
·Tony Stark returns and seriously loses his mojo as he faces death due to a heart defect. He is also confronted by business rivals and a new villain that insists that Stark’s business and personal life should be his own.
·Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, with the aid of Agent Coulson put Stark on a path to hopefully restore Tony’s groove. Fury does question if Stark is able to cooperate with others and be material for the team he is assembling.
·Another S.H.I.E.L.D. agent The Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson is introduced. The Black Widow is a martial arts and espionage expert assigned by Fury to keep a watchful eye on Stark and will return as a member of the Avengers.
·Coulson is called away to a situation in New Mexico. After the credits, Coulson calls back to report he has found something. This scene leads us into the next Avengers themed movie.
·Many prefer the first Iron Man movie to the sequel but as a Disney fan this is my favorite due to its Mouseyness. The parallels between Howard Stark, Tony’s father, and Walt Disney are impossible to miss.
·This film introduces another member of the Avengers team in the Norse god Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth. Thor due to a poor decision making is thrown out of his home of Asgard by his father Odin. Thor must find himself and his power again during a busy weekend in New Mexico. As he finds himself, he struggles for control of Asgard and with his brother Loki, brilliantly portrayed by Tom Hiddleston.
·A post credits scene with Nick Fury hints that Loki will return. The trailers for The Avengers confirm that Loki returns as a major villain.
·It is revealed that the item Agent Coulson has found in New Mexico is Thor’s mystical hammer Mjolnir. S.H.I.E.L.D. has a major presence in the story, guarding and investigating Mjolnir.
·Another Avenger is briefly introduced. As Thor attempts to steal back Mjolnir from S.H.I.E.L.D. he is under the watchful eye of Clint Barton or Hawkeye played by Oscar nominated actor Jeremy Renner. Hawkeye is a sharp shooter whose weapon of choice is a bow and arrow.
·Captain America: The First Avenger is the last piece of The Avengers puzzle at it introduces World War II era hero Captain America played by Chris Evans. Lightweight Steve Rogers fails in his attempts to be inducted into the Army to fight the Axis powers. Noticed by a government scientist he is selected for a program that gives him superhuman strength. Under the name Captain America he fights a faction of Nazi scientific elite called HYDRA under the command of the Red Skull.
·The ending of the movie, sorry for any possible spoilers, transitions to the modern day as Nick Fury introduces an unaged Steve Rogers to the modern world. After the credits, Fury returns to ask Rogers about joining a team he is putting together.
Setup your Netflix queue or visit your local Redbox because you have your homework to finish before May 4th. The Avengers, unlike one of my favorites of this year John Carter is sure to be a hit for Disney. And as a Disney fan we are sure to be seeing much more from the Avengers team and these individual superheroes to come. Follow-up movies from Marvel Studios have already been announced including an Iron Man 3, Thor 2, and Nick Fury. Superheroes are going to be supported by the House of Mouse for years to come!
