And it’s not bad!
To start off, the creative team is pretty solid. I always like Jeff Parker’s work, and Manuel Garcia is pretty solid on pencils. Part of what makes this freebie work is that for most of the issue, the only product placement is some of the Avengers tooling around on Harleys. And let’s be honest, Captain America and Black Widow look pretty sweet patrolling around some ruins on those things.
What really made me excited about this book was the great list of villains in Baron Zemo’s updated Masters of Evil. You’ve got Zemo, who always rocks, but he’s backed up by Taskmaster, Mr. Hyde, Tiger Shark, and Whiplash! That’s a pretty decent rogues gallery! The action is solid, with Thor being a particular favorite. When Cap needs some help, Thor doesn’t let it distract him from whomping on Mr. Hyde; he does a no-look toss to give Cap a hand.
The cliffhanger is that Zemo (who is a bit more evil than in current comics, I think) has made a pact with a bunch of demons from the Negative Zone. I don’t remember the Zone’s inhabitants looking quite so devilish, but hey, why quibble about a free comic?
Garcia delivers solid work, as always. I don’t love his faces, but man, he does a nice job on the monsters and the masked folks. There are tons of great moments scattered through the book, including Hulk talking while Tiger Shark gnaws on his shoulder.
I think the next issue, with the arrival of the “Road Force” will push the boundaries a bit more. I’m sure they’re Harley-approved/created heroes who will give the Avengers a hand. As the product placement becomes more front-and center, it may be hard to take, but hey, this book is free.
For those of you waiting to sample digital comics, this is a great first try for you! Available on the core Comixology app and the Marvel one.
Good (because it was FREE!)
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