To paraphrase an old saying, criticizing Avengers writer Brian Michael Bendis is like shooting fish in a barrel. And I am guilty as charged when it comes to his early work on the Avengers. How I cringed at the clumsy bombast of Avengers Disassembled. How I gagged at Yelena Belova, the second Black Widow, getting burned alive. How I laughed at Emma Frost and a cast of thousands trying to convince us that we should care about the Sentry. I could go on, but I won’t. That was then, and this is now. Bendis, to his credit, has shown a willingness to learn, to evolve, to improve. With all the truckloads of comics being sold on his name alone, it would have been all too easy for Bendis to rest on his laurels. But he has not. And if Avengers #1 isn’t proof enough (and readers can be forgiven for being thrown off by John Romita Junior’s love-it-or-hate-it art), then Avengers: Prime #1 should finally silence the naysayers. Yes, to paraphrase a famous quote, I am here to praise Bendis, not bury him.
There have been pre-release complaints about setting this storyline before Avengers #1, but I don’t see why. Whatever brokered a peace between Steve Rogers (the former Captain America), Iron Man, and The God of Thunder is a story that had to be told, and better in my opinion that it not be crammed expediently into a few panels.
Let us now take a look at "the Big Three" one at a time.
Bendis’s portrayal of Steve Rogers is no longer the uptight martinet of those early New Avengers issues. This is a confident and relaxed Steve Rogers, but one that will still not suffer fools gladly, as we see in a tremendous fight scene halfway through this issue.
Bendis’s Iron Man is more troublesome, but it’s not entirely the writer’s fault. I admit I gave up long ago on the never-ending arc in Iron Man’s solo book which, if I recall the spoilers correctly (and readers, feel free to correct me if I’m wrong), climaxes with Tony Stark essentially rebooting his mind and personality to the pre-fascist, pre-monumental screw-up Tony. In Avengers: Prime #1, we have a rather petulant and defensive Tony Stark arguing with Steve Rogers about whether he even deserves to keep his armor. I know we’re living in the anti-recap/anti-footnote age of comics, but something to that effect would have been greatly appreciated.
Finally, we come to Thor, a character Bendis has yet to write completely convincingly. The good news is,: Bendis is getting better at it. This Thor is a simmering volcano, appropriately taciturn for one who has witnessed the destruction of the home that he held most dear. And if, like me, you have a personal preference for Thor talking in cod-Shakesperian English, remember that Bendis is not to blame for Thor no longer doing so, but rather former Thor writer J. Michael Straczynski is.
Straczynski is also indirectly responsible for something good about this issue,: a cliffhanger featuring the thrilling return of a beloved character whom Straczynski had banished from Thor’s title for not being "mythologically accurate enough," or some nonsense like that. This character is, I admit, a favorite of mine, and I am exhilarated by this development.
The main story of this issue has the Big Three investigating the ruins of Asgard when they are swept up by an inter-dimensional tornado of sorts and are each cast into one of the nine realms of Asgard. Bendis’ pacing and use of action shows considerable improvement from his early efforts, and he achieves a great sense of "What happens next?"
Keeping stride with Bendis every step of the way is Alan Davis, one of the most influential and beloved comic book artists working today. Davis can draw absolutely anything and do it not only beautifully, but, more importantly, convincingly. And his innate mastery of traditional storytelling makes him a natural collaborator for a minimalist writer like Bendis. There’s no reason to complain about a recurring lack of words when the pictures, to coin a cliche, tell a thousand words a piece. You always get your money’s worth when Alan Davis is the artist. And the bi-monthly schedule assures that his work will be the very best he’s capable of.
Finally, for some strange reason, the issue reprints a seven-page condensation of Avengers volume one #1 framed by a Loki flashback. It was originally published in the infamous Avengers #300, and there was no reason not to leave it un-reprinted, other than perhaps a last-minute need to fill pages. Better if we had gotten sketches from Davis, or interviews with Bendis and Davis, or up-to-date profiles of the Big Three.
Going by Avengers #1, Bendis has gone from improving inch- by- inch, to improving by leaps and bounds. After years of wanting to like Bendis’ unconventional sensibilities (for in my opinion, there is no Avengers duller than a regressive Avengers – I won’t name names though), I finally do find myself liking them. I am happy to give Avengers: Prime #1 four out of five stars, and I’m looking forward to the ride ahead.
