BY
      SEAN
      MCQUAID
     
    

    
     
      1993
      WAS
      THE
      THIRTIETH
     
     
      anniversary
      of
      Marvel
      Comics’
      Avengers
     
     
      Series,
      spawning
      a
      host
      of
      spin-offs
      and
     
     
      celebratory
      promotions-
      so
      it
      seemed
      that
     
     
      an
      apt
      way
      to
      start
      the
      new
      year
      would
      be
     
     
      to
      review
      the
      Avengers
      family
      of
      titles-
      the
     
     
      core
      book,
      and
      some
      of
      the
      related
      titles
     
     
      and
      spin-offs.
      One
      could
      devote
      an
      entire
     
     
      magazine
      to
      reviewing
      all
      the
      titles
      featuring
     
     
      past
      and
      present
      members
      of
      the
      Avengers,
     
     
      but
      for
      the
      purposes
      of
      this
      column
      we'll
     
     
      touch
      on
      some
      of
      the
      recent
      highlights.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Thunderstrike
     
    

    
     
      (New
      ongoing
      series)
     
    

    
     
      Creative
      team:
      Writer-
      Tom
      Defalco;
     
     
      Penciller-Ron
      Frenz;
      Inker-
      Al
      Milgrom
     
    
   
   
    
     
      PREMISE:
      THOR,
      GOD
      OF
      THUNDER
     
     
      and
      all
      around
      swell
      guy,
      decides
      to
      leave
     
     
      Earth
      and
      his
      fellow
      Avengers
      behind
      so
     
     
      that
      he
      can
      devote
      more
      time
      to
      his
      role
      as
     
     
      prince
      of
      Asgard
      and
      kick
      some
      cosmic
      butt.
     
     
      Before
      leaving,
      though,
      Thor
      passes
      on
      a
     
     
      facsimile
      of
      his
      hammer
      (and
      along
      with
      it,
      a
     
     
      facsimile
      of
      his
      powers)
      to
      his
      mortal
      friend
     
     
      and
      ally
      Kevin
      Masterson,
      whom
      Thor
     
     
      charges
      with
      protecting
      Earth
      in
      his
      stead.
     
     
      Masterson,
      obligingly,
      sets
      out
      to
      do
      just
     
     
      that,
      using
      the
      costumed
      alias
      of
     
     
      Thunderstrike
      (actually
      his
      hammer's
      name).
     
    

    
     
      Appraisal:
      It’s
      better
      than
      you
      might
     
     
      expect
      it
      to
      be,
      though
      there
      are
      obvious
     
     
      flaws.
      Tom
      Defalco
      sustains
      his
      love
      affair
     
     
      with
      corn
      by
      continuing
      to
      emulate
      the
     
     
      worst
      writing
      flaws
      of
      Marvel
      founder
      Stan
     
     
      Lee-
      overdone
      thought
      balloon
      soliloquies,
     
     
      abominably
      melodramatic
      narrative
      captions,
     
     
      more
      cliches
      than
      you
      can
      shake
      a
      hammer
     
     
      at,
      and
      dialogue
      that
      too
      often
      sounds
     
     
      contrived
      (especially
      long-winded
      speeches
     
     
      or
      witty
      repartee
      in
      the
      midst
      of
      heated
     
     
      fight
      scenes).
      Still,
      Defalco
      has
      written
      far,
     
     
      FAR
      worse
      things
      than
      this,
      and
      the
      endearing
     
     
      Kevin
      Masterson
      character
      seems
      to
      bring
     
     
      out
      the
      best
      in
      him.
      As
      was
      the
      case
      in
      Thor
     
     
      and
      Avengers,
      Masterson
      retains
      a
     
     
      refreshingly
      unique
      man-on-the-street
      view
     
     
      of
      the
      bizarre
      and
      sometimes
      ridiculous
     
     
      world
      of
      super
      heroes
      and
      villains,
      emerging
     
     
      as
      an
      ordinary
      and
      gosh-darn-it
      likeable
      guy,
     
     
      with
      an
      appeal
      that
      not
      even
      Defalco
     
     
      (Masterson’s
      creator,
      surprisingly)
      can
     
     
      wholly
      stifle.
      Visually,
      the
      series
      is
      more
      or
     
     
      less
      passable.
      Penciller
      Ron
      Frenz
      comes
     
     
      across
      as
      a
      competent
      Jack
      Kirby
      derivative
     
     
      with
      a
      sense
      of
      action
      if
      nothing
      else,
      while
     
     
      inker
      Al
      Milgrom’s
      blunt,
      scratchy
      finishes
     
     
      are
      unattractive
      but
      do
      help
      solidify
      Frenz’s
     
     
      work
      and
      prevent
      it
      from
      becoming
      too
     
    
   
   
    
     
      oe
     
    
   
   
    
     
      xX
      is
     
    
   
   
    
     
      1
      4
      Sp
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Qe
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      slickly
      Kirbyesque.
      Ona
      final
      visual
      note,
      it’s
     
     
      hard
      to
      look
      at
      Thunderstrike’s
      costume
     
     
      without
      snickering,
      especially
      if
      you're
     
     
      familiar
      with
      Thor.
      The
      pseudo-spandex
     
     
      Asgardian
      garb
      just
      doesn't
      mix
      all
      that
      well
     
     
      with
      the
      leather
      jacket,
      ponytail,
      and
     
     
      earring
      (!).
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Spider-Woman
     
    

    
     
      (4
      issue
      limited
      series)
     
     
      Creative
      team:
      Writer-
      Roy
     
     
      Thomas;
      Penciller-
      John
     
     
      Czop;
      Inker-
      Fred
     
     
      Fredericks
     
    
   
   
    
     
      PREMISE:
      DIVORCED
     
     
      mother
      Julia
      Carpenter
      gains
     
     
      Spider-like
      abilities
      (enhanced
     
     
      strength/speed/agility,
      the
      ability
     
     
      to
      cling
      to
      any
      surface,
      and
      the
     
     
      ability
      to
      weave
      “psychic
      webs”
     
     
      of
      tangible
      mental
      force)
      in
      a
     
     
      secret
      government
      experiment,
     
     
      and
      after
      a’
      brief
      career
      as
      a
     
     
      government
      operative,
      she
      goes
     
     
      rogue
      after
      disobeying
      orders
     
     
      as
      a
      matter
      of
      conscience,
     
     
      becoming
      an
      independent
     
     
      adventurer
      and
      eventually
     
     
      joining
      the
      Avengers
      (West
     
     
      Coast
      division).
      As
      Spider-
     
     
      Woman,
      Julia
      tries
      to
      juggle
      the
     
     
      contradictory
      obligations
      of
     
     
      superheroics
      and
      _
      single
     
     
      pach
      ve
      ne
      hoor.
     
    

    
     
      Appraisal:
      It’s
      okay,
      but
      that’s
     
     
      due
      as
      much
      to
      the
      character’s
     
     
      appeal
      as
      anything
      else.
      Veteran
     
     
      writer
      Thomas
      (an
      old
      favourite)
     
     
      turns
      in
      a
      competent
      and
      artful
     
     
      story,
      but
      as
      is
      his
      wont
      it’s
      also
     
     
      a
      bit
      turgid
      in
      the
      scripting
     
     
      department.
      Plot-wise,
      points
     
     
      of
      interest
      include
      Julia’s
     
     
      aforementioned
      parental
      dilemma
     
     
      (complicated
      by
      the
      return
      of
      her
      own
     
     
      parents)
      and
      themenace
      of
      the
      scary
      spider-
     
     
      styled
      trio
      of
      villains
      known
      as
      Death
      Web.
     
     
      Czop’s
      artwork
      is
      moody
      but
      often
      sloppy
     
     
      and
      sparse
      on
      detail,
      a
      situation
      exacerbated
     
     
      by
      the
      inadequate
      inking
      by
      Fred
      Fredericks.
     
     
      The
      two
      do
      manage
      to
      provide
      some
      nice
     
     
      atmospheric
      action,
      though,
      as
      in
      the
      first
     
     
      skirmish
      between
      Julia
      and
      the
      grotesque
     
     
      man-spider,
      Therak
      (not
      for
      the
     
     
      arachnopobic).
      Good
      characterization
     
     
      combines
      with
      an
      interesting
      protagonist
     
     
      and
      some
      compelling
      plot
      threads
      to
      save
     
     
      this
      poorly
      illustrated,
      lacklustre
      script
      from
     
     
      being
      a
      waste
      of
      time
      and
      money.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Scarlet
      Witch
     
    

    
     
      (4
      issue
      limited
      series)
     
    

    
     
      Creative
      team:
      Dan
      Abnett
      and
      Andy
     
     
      Lanning-
      Writers;
      John
      Higgins-
     
     
      Penciller;
      Mark
      McKenna-
      Inker
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cover
      to
      Scarlet
      Witch
      #3
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      PREMISE:
      WANDA
      MAXIMOFF,
     
     
      longtime
      Avengers
      member
      and
      mutant
     
     
      sorceress
      whose
      probability-altering
     
     
      “hexes”
      cause
      unlikely
      and
      bizarre
      things
      to
     
     
      happen
      at
      her
      command,
      emerges
      from
      a
     
     
      long
      period
      of
      traumatic
      ordeals
      and
      a
     
     
      mental
      breakdown
      to
      become
      the
      leader
      of
     
     
      the
      Avengers’
      West
      Coast
      division
      (long
     
     
      story).
      Struggling
      to
      find
      herself
      and
      restore
     
     
      her
      shattered
      self-confidence,
      she
      is
      now
     
     
      plagued
      by
      strange
      dreams
      that
      warn
      of
      evil
     
     
      mystical
      powers
      stalking
      her
      for
      as-yet-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _unknown
      purposes.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Appraisal:
      This
      is
      unquestionably
      the
     
     
      WORST
      of
      the
      Avengers
      spin-offs,
      and
      one
     
     
      of
      the
      worst
      comics
      to
      come
      down
      the
      pike
     
     
      in
      a
      while.
      In
      fairness
      to
      the
      writers,
      they
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      x.press
      javildty
      elevErith
      1994page
      IZ"
      "|
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      didn’t
      have
      all
      that
      much
      to
      work
      with.
      Like
     
     
      X-Factor’s
      Havok
      and
      Polaris,
      the
      Scarlet
     
     
      Witch
      is
      one
      of
      those
      characters
      who
      has
     
     
      been
      so
      thoroughly
      and
      so
      frequently
     
     
      transformed
      by
      a
      succession
      of
      writers
      that
     
     
      whatever's
      left
      bears
      no
      discernible
      identity.
     
     
      After
      stints
      as
      a
      reluctant
     
     
      terrorist,
      a
      veteran
      super
     
     
      heroine,
      a
      housewife,
      a
     
     
      deranged
      villainess,
      a
     
     
      comatose
      pawn,
      a
      powerless
     
     
      shrinking
      violet
      and
      a
      super
     
     
      heroine
      again,
      the
      Scarlet
     
     
      Witch
      emerges
      from
      her
     
     
      convoluted
      and
      sometimes
     
     
      contradictory
      past
      as
      a
     
     
      character
      in
      search
      of
      a
     
     
      personality-
      in
      the
      eyes
      of
     
     
      both
      herself
      and
      the
      reader.
     
     
      Her
      emerging
      personality
      is
     
     
      one
      of
      strength
      and
     
     
      determination
      undermined
      by
     
     
      understandable
      self-doubt,
     
     
      but
      it’s
      not
      enough
      to
      engage
     
     
      the
      reader,
      and
      Wanda
      often
     
     
      comes
      across
      as
      a
      rather
     
     
      whiny
      and
      __
      pathetic
     
     
      protagonist
      (i.e.
      screaming
      like
     
     
      some
      horror
      movie
      bimbo
     
     
      when
      confronted
      by
      the
     
     
      spooky
      Master
     
     
      Pandemonium).
      The
      scripting
     
     
      is
      poor,
      the
      plotting
     
     
      unremarkable,
      and
      the
     
     
      average
      reader
      may
      have
     
     
      trouble
      getting
      the
      full
     
     
      impression
      and/or
      significance
     
     
      of
      Wanda’s
      checkered
      past.
     
     
      For
      that
      matter,
      don’t
      even
     
     
      attempt
      to
      figure
      out
      where
     
     
      this
      story
      fits
      into
      the
     
     
      continuity
      of
      the
      Scarlet
      Witch
     
     
      and
      the
      now-disbanded
     
     
      Avengers
      West-
      the
      errors
     
     
      in
      portraying
      the
      West
      Coast
      team
      are
     
     
      legion,
      and
      besides,
      the
      Avengers
      clutter
      up
     
     
      the
      story
      and
      distract
      from
      the
      already
     
     
      weak
      main
      character,
      anyway.
      For
      that
     
     
      matter,
      the
      portrayal
      of
      Wanda
      herself
     
     
      seems
      inconsistent
      sometimes,
      depicting
     
     
      her
      hex
      power
      as
      a
      sort
      of
      all-purpose
     
     
      mystical
      zap,
      for
      instance.
      To
      top
      it
      all
      off,
     
     
      Higgins
      and
      McKenna’s
      art
      is
      barely
      a
      rung
     
     
      or
      two
      above
      Archie
      comics
      on
      the
     
     
      evolutionary
      ladder-
      sparse,
      slick,
      poorly
     
     
      laid
      out
      stuff
      that
      makes
      the
      story
      look
      even
     
     
      more
      insubstantial.
      Scarlet
      Witch
      attempts
     
     
      to
      mix
      elements
      of
      superheroics,
      sorcery,
     
     
      and
      science
      fiction,
      but
      succeeds
      on
      none
      of
     
     
      these
      levels--a
      fluffy
      fiasco.