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perk9600
04-29-2004, 10:00 PM
Marvel Comics
Avengers Volume 3, Volume 3 TPB
The Search for She-Hulk

Writer: Geoff Johns
Art: Steve Kolins, Steve Sadowski, Andrew Currie


This is the latest edition of Geoff Johns run on Avengers and actually I believe it is his last. I've read all three volumes that he has scribed and frankly not been as impressed as I felt I should be based on what I had been hearing. This however is the low point, but to be fair I'll start from the begining.

The first issue of the trade(and I only know this because they put in the covers from each issue to break it up) seems terribly out of place. It is as if it is only there because it didn't fit in the last trade and they didn't want to skip it. There is some reference to domestic violence between Ant-man and Wasp which I can only assume is a reference to something that happened in Avengers prior to me reading it. But that asside I wasn't really impressed with how it was handled and the whole thing just seemed very akward.

Moving on to the main part of the story they are "Searching" for She-Hulk who bolted during the Red Zone TPB. Johns has essentially turned her into Bruce Banner and instead of being She-Hulk all the time she goes back and forth between forms using fear as a catalyst rather than anger. The comparison is so great that she is even in the Stereotypical purple bra and underwear as opposed to Hulk's shreaded purple pants. The search doesn't last long and the actual hulk gets involved at which point there is...wait for it...a huge fight(now who saw that coming?).

Johns did build up the death of a character in this volume and as far as I can tell it did actually happen, but not very dramatically as far as I'm concerned. Nor is it anyone that anyone will miss or will have a big affect on the future of the Avengers. In fact, the end is a whole other issue that doesn't seem to belong in this trade either.

The akward begining and ending makes the book not flow very well and it feels like 6 issues that were simply slapped together for a trade more than an actual story arc. Now I'm not usually critical of this, but in this case it just didn't work.

Grade : C+

Note: The story is set up off of the previous volume Red Zone. So if you are the type that likes self contained stories or have not read Red Zone you will either want to pass on this or read that first. However I'd recommend you pass on it anyway as it is a forgetable arc.

A breif comment on the art. Art is not a huge deal to me and as long as it isn't obtrusive I tend not to notice. In this book however it is pretty good and the colors are nice. The only real problems are with Hulk and She-Hulk themselves. The best part is actually the covers. I don't know who did them and they are mixed in to the trade, but they are spectacular.

That about wraps it up.

Okay guys lets hear it!

perk9600
04-30-2004, 05:48 PM
Okay, am I the only one that read this book or is my review just that bad?

YDLM
04-30-2004, 09:32 PM
In one word............HORRIBLE. Kolins shouldnt be allowed within ten feet of an Avengers title. The artwise the characters lack any substance.Colorwise, even though I am usually a huge fan of Soto, this was just garish. She Hulk didnt have an inch of beauty or sexuality to her even though Kolins tried with rendering of her bra and panties. The Hulk just look like a steroided monster which is far differnet from the force of nature that artist like Garney,Keown,Deodato, and others have portrayed him to be. This comic looks more like coloring book than than a flagship book.The story didnt do anything to stand apart from the art. Hawkeye came off just as overcompetent jerk and all the character development that the character has gone through since Tbolts and AWC had been shelved in efforts to old school with the character. I did like the interaction with Antman and Jack of Hearts though, it was really fresh and intriguing to me.I give it a D.

perk9600
05-03-2004, 01:16 PM
I agree on Ant-man and Jack of Hearts. That was the only part that intersted me as well.

Fazhoul
05-04-2004, 03:36 PM
As much as I like Geoff's work on Teen Titans, Flash & JSA I didn't like his work on the Avengers. I was unimpressed with the Red Zone storyline and I absolutely did not like the Search for She-Hulk. I'll just stick to reading JSA each month instead.