“THIS IS THE VERY END…”
The Illuminati shatters under an exploding planet.
The Good
Art- This month we have an artistic shift as Kev Walker takes over. It’s a different style yet perfectly suited to the emotional high-end drama that takes place this issue. Welcome Kev!
Emotion– Namor and T’challa exchange not just physical blows but words that may leave an even deeper scar on each other’s egos and souls. When T’challa says that every breath Namor draws is a gift from him it cuts Namor deeper than any sword. With pride wounded Namor lashes out emotionally and verbally to hurt T’challa in the very same manor. This exchange and the hate that seethes to the surface is venomous and acidic all at the same time. It’s primal, visceral and raw
Who was right- As many fans voiced at the end of my review of last issue there is the question of just how far one would go to ensure the safety and survival of their people. When do you stop being their protector and become something darker. Adolf Hitler was all about the protection of his people above all else. First it was about getting rid of the Jews who owned most of the businesses at the time to later expanding their empire to ensure their survival and the destruction of those who were deemed as inferior. Muslilini did terrible things to the Ethiopians to expand his empire and ensure his people’s survival. When do you become a monster? Namor’s behavior this issue makes him seem simply bloodthirsty and cruel but it begs the question, what would you do to protect your own? What is acceptable and what isn’t? When do you stop being a protector and instead become “something else”?
Action- This issue presented a well choreographed all out brawl between T’challa and Namor. The entire book was about this simmering just beneath the surface tension that just explodes from these two one time friends and really puts into perspective for the rest of the Illuminati what they were doing
Payoff– This is it. This is the moment that we have all been waiting for since this series began. The Illuminati collapses under the weight of the “price”, of protecting the world. Everyone is left holding the pieces. Everyone has doubts (Except Namor that is).
Death of Friendship– It’s heartbreaking to see just how far Namor and T’challa’s friendship has been irrevocably fractured. Namor fought with and was friends with T’challa’s Grandfather Azari the Wise. Namor’s friendship with his father T’chaka, his onetime friendship with T’challa, how he betrayed T’challa to Dr. Doom (Black Panther [2009] #1 & Black Panther [2009] #2) and set in motion the events which lead to Doomwar, then his recent destruction of Wakanda’s capital. Namor should evoke a raging inferno of emotion from continuity buffs and Black Panther purists. Watching this friendship disintegrate has been very entertaining but also very painful when you realize that Namor was once an ally of Wakanda dating back three generations.
The Bad
The Other side– It would have been a good touch to add the perspective of the people from the destroyed earth. Just a few panels showing them screaming or bursting into flames would have added some level of reality to what had just taken place. By showing just what took place on Earth 616 we lost a ground level view of just what the reality of the destroyed earth would be like. Just a nitpick.
Art- A few panels were off here and there with elongated faces and a few off emotions were off on others.
The Ugly
Overall New Avengers (2013) manages to provide enough dram to tug on your heart-strings, cut out your heart and leave you gasping for more. Emotional, exciting and utterly captivating. This book is a must read 5/5
“Adolf Hitler was all about the protection of his people above all else.” Are you kidding? Expansionism isn’t about being protectionist. The two are completely different animals, and to imply otherwise is just plain crazy. Namor, like Hitler, is a sociopath based on this review and should be put down like a rabid dog.
The art looks like a lot of head shots from the three pages shown. Not saying this Kev guy won’t grow to being a great artist one day but he’s not there yet. At best a 3 of 5 stars.
Hey,
I really enjoyed this issue. These men are really wrestling with their decisions and the writers are portraying the emotional roller coaster extremely well. Hickman and crew are really going in on a deep human and spiritual level, asking these characters to confront the best and worst of themselves. Bravo!
This interpretation of Panther is also very good and refreshing, he has voice, he is center stage and hanging with the big boys and in many ways out shining his compatriots.
Extra: I have read #23 and it was awesome. Panther, whoa!!!!! Can’t wait to share my comments.
I would like to share few thoughts
Regarding the first part of the story .in which Namor defends his decision to destroy the other world .To my mind he comes off being so childishly arrogant that I can not believe he acted the way he did to save this world or both universes . He looks to be incapable of caring about what happens to any one or anything else.
In that first part of the story Namor said he always knew it was come down to this ( Having to destroy another world) and that he and the others were able to this because ” This who we are” . I understand the character to be saying that they are not heros or kings or monsters but gods .and thus conveniently as such they are beyond human morality or good and evil, implying that what ever they do is right simply because they do it . All that is needed is the strength to /courage to do the deed and only he had that courage . In his mind that makes him better than all the other, especially T’challa( who finally realized that there could be no justification for he what he was about to do and made the right choice)
.And I believe that self perception gives Namor tremendous satisfaction( like a punk teen ager glorying in appearing tough).
Then in next part of the story when Reed ( behaving like a grown -up ) tries move things along so that at least this will not happen again , Namor throws things off track revealing that it was he who sent the Black Order to Wakanda and caused all that massive destruction and loss of life .( he says that he did so to save his people , but I believe that is patently untrue since a creature as arrogant as he has shown himself to be , is incapable of such feelings . I think it was a juvenile thirst for simple revenge – the Wakandans had damaged his property and he wanted pay back. ) Thus he goaded T’challa into trying to kill him and also breaking up the meeting .
I t was as if he could not stand not being the center of attention ( like a brat at another child’s birthday party ) and so did what ever it took to put every one’s eye’s back on him.
T’ challa reacted predictably and surely would have killed Namor had not the other held him back and sent the Atlantean away
I have to say that the story has has really but a big burden on our fave hero and so for me at least it was a little difficult and disconcerting to see him put the emotional wringer again.
But I do like that story, over all has shown him to be the better man
This might not be the ideal place but I would like to include a few thoughts about the next issue( New Avengers #23 ) The issue has been on the newsstand for quite awhile so I do ntr think I am giving any thing away here
But in case I am you should stop reading now,
In this issue the earth will soon be destroyed and we get to see how the heroes spend their last night on Earth
My words here only concern the Black Panther
I really like that he did go to Wakanda but inside elected to visit Storm once last time His words imply that he was finally doing what he wanted to do and not what duty demanded of him .
Unhappily it does not work out for him
Storm literally turns her back on him and rejects him outright and says” We weren’t supposed to be together ” and asks him to leave .She is done with him
The writer is really grinding our faces in it with these lines
Has I understand it we are being told ,in effect that the Marriage was a bad idea and a wrong idea and is over for good and all .
The Black Panther wind up standing awkwardly in the shadows being ignored
The writer allows our hero no solace , even at the end of the world.
I do note that Ororo’s rejection and dismissal of T’challa neatly echo’s and reflects his callous tossing aside of her.
That does create a certain symmetry.
I understand that the characters belong to the company and they have to perfect right to present them in any way they choose
But I am pretty much done with Marvel