AVENGERS #65 - COIPEL's 1ST ISSUE

[MattBrady]

<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/Marvel/avengers_65.jpg" width="175" height="270" alt="Avengers #65 cover by J.G. Jones" align="right">From Marvel

Since August's issue #57, writer Geoff Johns has been injecting THE AVENGERS with a youthful, energetic approach to Earth's Mightiest Heroes, and beginning with March's AVENGERS #65, the new writer will be joined by superstar-in-the-making Olivier Coipel as the series' regular penciler, completing the transformation.

Cutting his teeth at the Distinguished Competition the last few years, with The Avengers Coipel is ready to breakout as not only a kinetic, master storyteller, but as one of industry's premier character designers.

<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/Marvel/AVEN065010_col.jpg"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/Marvel/AVEN065010_col_t.jpg" width="175" height="263" border="0" alt="page 10" hspace="2" align="left"></a>"Olivier is going to knock everyone on the ground," says series writer Geoff Johns. "His work is stunning, and his characters - some with new designs - are brilliant. Especially the underdogs like Jack of Hearts and Warbird. It's kind of like Travis Charest meets Humberto Ramos, with a powerful and dynamic twist to it all."

AVENGERS #65 begins Johns and Coipel's first story arc together, "RED ZONE". This harrowing story of a terrorist attack on the United States leaves the team changed in its wake.

"RED ZONE is the worst bio-terrorist attack in American history," explained Johns. "It begins at Mount Rushmore and spreads out from there. As the U.S. Army rolls in to try and contain it they come into conflict with the Avengers, who attempt to take jurisdiction. Through all the madness, new alliances and relationships will form, and a few of the Avengers will be taking on new roles elsewhere - some willingly, others not. No one is safe in the RED ZONE."

AVENGERS #65, a great jumping-on point for new readers, goes on sale March 26th and retailers are reminded its Initial Order Cut-off date is January 28th.</blockquote>

Click on the thumbnails for larger versions…

<center><a href="http://www.newsarama.com/Marvel/AVEN065011_col.jpg"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/Marvel/AVEN065011_col_t.jpg" width="140" height="210" border="0" alt="page 11" hspace="2"></a><a href="http://www.newsarama.com/Marvel/AVEN065012_col.jpg"><img width="140" height="210" border="0" alt="page 12" hspace="2" src="http://www.newsarama.com/Marvel/AVEN065012_col_t.jpg"></a><a href="http://www.newsarama.com/Marvel/AVEN065013_col.jpg"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/Marvel/AVEN065013_col_t.jpg" width="140" height="210" border="0" alt="page 13" hspace="2"></a></center>

[John Osen]

Thanks, Matt! I can't wait! :)

[SPEEDBOY]

I've never seen Olivier Coipel's art before----looks great. What did he draw at DC?

Oh yeah, and whoever colored those pages deserves a raise!

SPEEDBOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MattBrady]

[quote]Originally posted by SPEEDBOY:
<strong> What did he draw at DC?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Legion Lost and Legion

MattB

[tralfaz]

i already miss his work on Legion....

[dollman]

His work on the Legion was ok, nothing to get excited over. His samples on the Avengers look MUCH better.

[rtvu2]

Legion Lost was ok, however Oliver's Legion issues were the best. Especially his last few issues of all the Legion and the battles were fantastic. He was a great part of the Legion team and alot of fans will miss his dynamic, stylistic artwork from the Legion.

[kennyab]

Art looks great. I thumbed through an issue of Legion to see his stuff. I knew the second I saw Triad that he'd at least have Jan nailed.

As for Vision flying away holding the kid...I didn't think he should be able to do anything like that. Last I remember he flew by phasing, making it hard to hold things, especially a child. Is this a change that came out of his miniseries that I didn't read?

[Kevin T. Brown]

Wow. :eek: Great stuff! Now I'm excited about this book!

One question: Who's the inker???

[MikeD]

[quote]Originally posted by Kevin T. Brown:
<strong>Wow. :eek: Great stuff! Now I'm excited about this book!

One question: Who's the inker???</strong><hr></blockquote>

Andy Lanning, if I am correctly remembering the credit in the Avengers preview featured in last week's Marvel books. Looks like good stuff.

[Kevin T. Brown]

Thanks, MikeD!

[Absalom]

coipel + lanning + geoff johns + avengers = AMAZING TOTAL PURE JEWEL OF AN EXCELLENT AND SPECTACULAR TOP-SERIES !!!! :)

This new creative team will rock !!!! coipel rules !!!!!

[Fan4Fan]

Well, this is definitely better than I expected, but when I saw it in the pages of last week's books it left me cold (tho' I was just looking at the art and thought it to be something from an upcoming Captain America book... so that may have colored my opinion).

Also, Red Zone doesn't sound quite like what I'm looking for in an Avengers story... a bit too realistic for my tastes. Still, since the art is a step up from the last regular artist, I will definitely be looking in if/when the story piques my interest.

Thanks,
Fan4Fan

[J.C. Bakken]

[quote]Originally posted by kennyab:
<strong>Art looks great. I thumbed through an issue of Legion to see his stuff. I knew the second I saw Triad that he'd at least have Jan nailed.

As for Vision flying away holding the kid...I didn't think he should be able to do anything like that. Last I remember he flew by phasing, making it hard to hold things, especially a child. Is this a change that came out of his miniseries that I didn't read?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Where and when was this phasing-as-a-means-to-flying-thing established? I have never given it much thought, and I think I remember Vision carrying things while flying. Allthough don't know where, of course :rolleyes:

[Hunter Zero]

What I love about Copiels work is watching it develop as he has come along. If you look at his first work in the last issues of the previous Legion of Super Heroes and Legionares series, and compare it to his stuff now, it just blows you away. He has come a very long way in just a few years, and his style keeps getting better. I loved his work on Legion Lost and Legion, and am looking foward to seeing more of his Avengers stuff. Plus it's cool to see him and Lanning still working together since Lanning is the co-writter of Legion.
If DC had any brains they would get some trades out of his Legion work because this guy is just going to get hotter I belive.

[dgmagill]

[quote]Originally posted by J.C. Bakken:
<strong>

Where and when was this phasing-as-a-means-to-flying-thing established? I have never given it much thought, and I think I remember Vision carrying things while flying. Allthough don't know where, of course :rolleyes: </strong><hr></blockquote>

Yes, Vision has been shown carrying things while flying for a long time. As I understand it, he decreases his density to become lighter than the air but leaves his hands more solid to carry things and people. He cannot carry really heavy things, but a small boy (or the Serpent Crown, see v.1 #147 and 154) are no trouble.

What I am not certain about is where he gets his momentum from. He must have some control over his speed and direction, so chalk it up to his internal computers being able to guide and propel him.

As for my comments on the preview - not totally positive, but I can see some good things in it. Since Cap is the only Avenger we really see, I can't tell what the team will look like. However, the helicopter splash looked great, and the storytelling was clear, even without captions and dialogue.

In the words of Kurt and Tom, we shall "wait and see".

DGM

[spaz45]

maybe i won't be dropping avengers after all...

[comicsareliterature]

Hello.

Well, now I am really angry with Marvel! Damn them, I thought I could happily drop this title, and here they go and do this! Now I am forced to keep it. Sigh...they just keep fleecing me of my money...

I agree with the people who stated that Coipel started very rough, but has since developed quite nicely. This art is the best work of his that I have ever seen, and I have all of his Legion issues. Lol. Actually, it was due to his art, in the beginning, that I was considering dropping Legion. Now it looks like I will stay on Avengers BECAUSE of his art. That is quite a long way to have come.

[Burke 0011]

John's AVENGERS is some of the best stuff in that title in quite a while. Top notch stuff.

The only thing I wished was better was the art.... then I saw the above preview pages in the back of Marvel's latest issues..... holy %$#$#!!! This is EXACTLY the caliber of art the book needs - this art looks like Travis Charest to me.

Can't wait for Copiel's first ish!!

[lil bad boy]

Bet it's just a matter of time before he becomes an X-artist.

One thing I will say, though: it bugs me when we see Steve Rogers' eyebrows through his eye-holes. I mean, how many natural blondes are there out there? If someone suspects Steve Rogers of being Captain America, that certainly doesn't help.

[mayhem]

When I saw the sample in the back of the comics the other week I thought I was looking at the Cap Marvel Knights series, it was of such a more sophisticated mature style and quality that the Knights are famous for. When I read it was actually from Avengers I was surprised, as well as totally stoked. I expect we'll be seeing this guy doing projects like Max or Knights in the future.

[Hdefined]

Unfortunately, looks like we'll be seeing these images in every single Marvel book this month (and the next, with all their late books). I wish they could preview more than one book a month, or at least put the preview in the center or the book so it could be torn out . . .

[Boink182]

Imo, Coipel was one of DC's best artists along with Risso, Mahnke, etc...

I thought he'd bring a lot more fanboy attention to Legion, but DC didn't show his artwork everywhere (though seems as if Marvel knows better). I thought Wizard would have been all over Coipel as the second coming of Jim Lee or something. Yet, no Coipel Legion trades from DC. Little promotion or push for the Legion relaunch. Legion does DC numbers. DC lost a pretty awesome artist. Maybe this is why Marvel is destroying them in the top 10 (that and the talent on a Marvel book outsells the the DC book book the same talent is doing by a factor of 2-4).

So here comes Marvel and Avengers to show off Coipel's mad skills. Well, maybe this'll get Coipel into Wizard's Top Ten artsists or something. Good for Marvel. Good for Avengers. Good for Coipel. And does Johns ever get subpar artists? Only artist I was excited about that Johns was teamed with, all of a sudden seems to be doing much nicer stuff.

Anyway Johns/Coipel/Avengers = uber

[Mellow Doubt]

[quote]Originally posted by lil bad boy:
<strong>Bet it's just a matter of time before he becomes an X-artist.

One thing I will say, though: it bugs me when we see Steve Rogers' eyebrows through his eye-holes. I mean, how many natural blondes are there out there? If someone suspects Steve Rogers of being Captain America, that certainly doesn't help.</strong><hr></blockquote>

He already gave away his identity after he killed that terrorist leader on camera in Captain America 3.

Back to Coipel, it'll be interesting to see what OM makes of all this, seeing as he used to be Oliver's number one hater, several incarnations of this website back.

[Fazhoul]

I seem to be in the extreme minority here. I'm not a big fan of Coipel's art. As a matter of fact his art on Legion and Legion Lost was the deciding factor that prompted me to stop buying the Legion after 29 years. I didn't like the new story direction either so the art wasn't the sole reason. But, if I can tolerate Scott McDaniel's work on Nightwing to read Chuck Dixon's work then it won't be a problem to continue reading the Avengers.

[Hank Wirtz]

See, it's cracking me up to read all these people talking about how great Oli Coipel is, when I think back to, what, three years ago when he first started on Legion of Superheroes and Legionnaires, and the vast majority of the people on the now-effectively-maybe-officially-dead (the last digest I got was 3 months ago and it had 2 posts) LSH-L mailing list were decribing him as the antichrist.

I was one of the few defending him, but the vitriol against him was just impressive. People were citing classical artists and their styles to try to lend credibility to their "objective" asserstions that Coipel had the talent of a pile of road apples.

And now he's "hot."

Makes me feel vindicated, even if I'm bummed that he left Legion.

[OCM]

Actually, my critique of his artwork hasn't changed since his legion days. Very detailed work, esp. the helicopter, cars, background etc. Still, hate his people, esp. the faces.

Overall, his art is so-so to me. But, the colouring on this book helps raise his artwork to the next level! Of course, I can't help thinking what the same inker and colourist(s) could do with a better artist than Copiel.

Anyway, since I'm dropping Captain Marvel with the price increase, I might consider adding Avengers at least in trade.

[Elayne Riggs]

[quote]Originally posted by Hank Wirtz:
<strong>See, it's cracking me up to read all these people talking about how great Oli Coipel is, when I think back to, what, three years ago when he first started on Legion of Superheroes and Legionnaires, and the vast majority of the people on the now-effectively-maybe-officially-dead (the last digest I got was 3 months ago and it had 2 posts) LSH-L mailing list were decribing him as the antichrist.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Well, to some online Legion fans, anyone who isn't Jeff Moy is the antiChrist. :)

Coipel's always had good drawing ability but his rendering wasn't that pretty before. You could see that improve with every issue of Legion, and now he's really come into his own with Avengers.

I wish folks would give Mike McAvennie more credit for finding these tremendous people and nurturing their talent well before they're suddenly "discovered" on a book that's hotter than the Legion. He's done it almost a half dozen times now, and never received the accolades due him.

- Elayne (almost feels bad for poor OM biting his tongue)

[Dan Feeser]

[quote]Originally posted by Hdefined:
<strong>...or at least put the preview in the center or the book so it could be torn out . . .</strong><hr></blockquote>

Because having the preview in the middle of the story (a la that gawdawful Spider-Man don't do drugs story a few years ago) makes more sense than SIMPLY IGNORING THE LAST 4 PAGES?!?

Copiel's art looks really good (although something about Cap looks off to me) but I've already fell for this trick with Gary Frank's two-issue run. The story doesn't do it for me, so I'll pass.

[CylverSaber]

Hmm. Garney-esque.

[Hank Wirtz]

[quote]Originally posted by Elayne Riggs:
<strong>

Coipel's always had good drawing ability but his rendering wasn't that pretty before. You could see that improve with every issue of Legion, and now he's really come into his own with Avengers.

</strong><hr></blockquote>

See, and I don't even think he's necessarily "improved" so much as had a reson to draw prettier stuff. One of the gripes early on was that everything looked dirty. Well, in Legion of the Damned and Legion Lost, everything WAS dirty. The earth had been invaded or they were stranded on a crippled space station in another galaxy. When they got back to Earth, the art looked cleaner and everybody said "ooh, what a find!" when his basic style hadn't changed nearly as much as his subject matter.

I think if Coipel had done stuff for DC prior to Legion of the Damned, and he'd been able to draw the clean, bright 30th century (or was it 31st by then?) he'd have received a much different reception.

As it was, we couldn't really tell what his default mode was, and he just wound up looking like Paul Pope without the big lips.