"It was a Dark and Stormy Night..."
Writer: Ty Templeton
Artists: Ig Guara(p), Norman Lee & Jay Leisten(i), Val Staples(c)
Publisher: Marvel
Ty Templeton is no stranger to the Avengers or the all-ages subgenera of super-hero comic book. Templeton wrote the fun Avengers: United They Stand, which was based on a short-lived woeful Avengers cartoon. Templeton also has been from day one involved in ushering the Bruce Timm Batman to the comic book world. To say that Batman fans owe him a debt of the deepest gratitude is a gross understatement. Given the pedigree, nothing short of a blow from a ball peen hammer could have altered Ty Templeton's state to produce inferior work. I'm detecting no lumps.
Templeton combines several ideas from the Avengers past episodes to produce something fresh. Originally, Roy Thomas reintroduced the Vision, an extradimensional character from the Timely forties. John Byrne in The West Coast Avengers emphasized a single line to rework the Vision as a bleached, ghostly hero that was free of Simon Williams' brain patterns. In Marvel Adventures: Avengers Templeton recreates the Vision through coincidence and cause and effect. He evolves a Vision that does not rely on Ultron, the original Human Torch or Wonder Man. Templeton at once simplifies the Vision and gives him a new and in fact more satisfying origin.
Templeton opens the book with Storm and Wolverine on the roof of Stark Tower. Storm isn't portrayed here as a simple mutant. Instead, Templeton through her dialogue and behavior, which is perfectly bottled by artists Guara, Lee and Staples, characterizes her as a goddess of the elements. Templeton also expands on Ororo's sense of humor and her youthful vibrancy established by re-creator Jeff Parker. The characterization and opening scene in addition foreshadows the conclusion.
Templeton next takes the reader to Bruce Banner and Giant Girl. He draws upon an insight into how super powers appear to defy physics, and he brings up a commonality in the two characters that I never thought about before. As Templeton sheds light on the Avengers' inner workings, interactions and the introspection of their daily lives, he builds on the suspense. Part of the expert manipulation is due to the timing of the scenarios. They're just the right length to explore the characterization and take a step leading toward the Vision. For once the cover to the book doesn't spoil the story. We know the Vision will manifest. We don't know when, why or how, and each scene where Templeton seems to be at first glance just producing a staccato of enjoyable vignettes, he's actually whetting the appetite.
From Banner and Jan, Templeton draws the reader into a sparring session with Spidey and Captain America. This is incidentally the only comic book where a recognizable Steve Rogers alive and well can be listed in the ranks of the Avengers. Spidey and Cap engage in some snappy repartee as they face down the typical robot foes cobbled together to give super-heroes a work out. One must notice the dialogue between the two that gives the reader an impression that he is a fly on a wall erected in a super-hero universe. At this point Iron Man broadcasts that he's about to upgrade the systems, and he'll have to shut down the arena.
After a particularly heavy bolt of lightning that Storm simply smiles at and absorbs into her body, a sensual and powerful scene, the lights go out, and the Vision arrives. He looks like the classic, but he behaves the way the Byrne's Vision would have behaved had Byrne completed the spectral illusion. The Vision intones:
"Leave my house!"
The Vision exhibits the classic powers. As well, Templeton instills a ghastly Halloween themed spin by way of the heroes’ reactions. According to those who claim to have seen ghosts, coldness follows in their wake. When the Vision sifts through the Avengers, Templeton recapitulates that lore. The artists must also be commended. Guru, Lee, Leisten and Staples make the encounters with the Vision look painful, and by removing the glowing Kirby dots, they create an eerier effect. The red emergency lights that blanket the heroes and the setting alter the atmosphere. The result is that you can believe that the Vision has roots in the supernatural.
Templeton inexorably brings the vignettes into contact and through the passage of time reunites the team to combat this "menace." Given the current state of the Marvel Universe, it's impossible to ignore the differences in the way the writer and the artists direct the heroes’ behavior. The moment where Iron Man beats on the door and calls out to Spider-Man is particularly stirring. Here is a heroic Iron Man who genuinely cares about Spidey and all of his team-mates. The Avengers recognize the Hulk as an equal, and they don't jump to the conclusion that he's on a rampage. Rather Templeton makes all the heroes as smart as they should be. Storm observes that there's something wrong with the Hulk. Wolverine confirms her observations through the interpretation of his hyper-senses. This is a different, friendlier Marvel Universe that's smarter than the continuity proper one. By employing the intelligence and cleverly implementing teamwork, Templeton easily crafts a supremely entertaining stand-alone issue of Marvel Adventures: Avengers, and while the artists may not be readily known to the reader, they combine forces to give their best.
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