Today’s Comic> Marvel Adventures Super Heroes #21

Only one of these characters are actually featured.

Marvel Adventures: Super Heroes #21

Marvel Comics Worldwide, Inc.

Really, that’s what it says in the indicta: “Published Monthly by MARVEL WORLDWIDE, INC, a subsidiary of MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT LLC.” Whatever happened to “Marvel Comics”, and when did I miss the change?

WRITER: Paul Tobin

ARTIST: Esdras Cristobal

COLORIST: Sotocolor

LETTERER: Dave Sharpe

COVER: Clayton Henry & Wil Quintana

PRODUCTION: Randall Miller

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Michale Horwitz

EDITOR: Nathan Cosby

As Captain America, the Vision, Iron Man, and Thor deal with a titan trying to woo a volcano goddess, Nova, Black Widow, and Sue Storm meet with Sun Girl, who asks for the Avengers help with her friend, Gary Gaunt, who requires a serum to keep from turning into Hulk-lite. The serum has been stolen, and the girls must get it back, while Nova sits around listening to reports from the other teams, and talking with Gary about his situation and his days in World War 2.

What they got right: Individually, either story would be interesting. Tobin goes with Nova’s learning from Gaunt, and that part works out well, finally getting past the whole “emotions out of control” stories he was doing.

What they got wrong: Unfortunately, that means that we really don’t get any connection between the previous stories, making them all one big coincidence. What’s worse, unless the whole “volcano goddess” subplot was to get the heavy hitters (sans Nova) out of the way, what was the point? I also don’t like how manipulative Tobin’s Sue is with Nova (not to mention Cap joining in). It’s more like Malice, her evil persona. However, the biggest problem with this finale is the art. The art is bad. Not horrible, just…bad. Sue and Sun Girl look so much alike that if it wasn’t for their outfits and hairstyles, I’d never tell them apart. All the character models look like someone tried to give normal features to a Sergio Aragones art style, and it suffers for it. Facial expressions (when there are any) don’t seem to match the dialog, and “camera angles” don’t always work, either. And since the art on the cover is rather good (they should have gotten *those* artists), it makes the in-comic art look even worse.

Recommendation: I’m starting to think, between this and Marvel Adventures: The Avengers that Paul Tobin never ends with a decent artist, or on a good note. (And they’re both connected to World War 2, as I recall.) At least this one has it’s good points, and is at least worth a read.

Tomorrow’s Comic: The Phantom: Ghost Who Walks #8