Avengers of the Wastelands #1
Written by: Ed Brisson
Art by: Jonas Scharf
Cover Art by: Juan Jose Ryp
Marvel Comics
2020
A NEW STORY FROM THE WORLD OF OLD MAN LOGAN!
In a world where most of the super heroes fell at the hands of the RED SKULL over fifty years ago, a new force rises in the Wastelands! DANI CAGE wields the mighty Mjolnir for the cause of peace, but when the brutal regime of DOCTOR DOOM forces DWIGHT (a.k.a. the owner of the surviving Ant-Man technology) to Dani and HULK in a last ditch effort to survive, the AVENGERS may ASSEMBLE once more! Spinning out of the saga begun in OLD MAN LOGAN, and following up OLD MAN QUILL and DEAD MAN LOGAN, this is the can’t miss premiere of Ed Brisson and Jonas Scharf’s magnum opus!
While I’m not a fan of the endless alternate worlds Marvel cranks out instead of just starting completely new stories, every once in a while one of them really hits on something special. Such is the case with the Old Man Logan timeline, in which Avengers of the Wastelands take place. It’s quite different than what most of us expect from our beloved super heroes, and it puts them exactly where super heroes shine the brightest – as underdogs trying to make the world a better place.
Coming into a series such as this, some more casual readers may have many questions – these are not the heroes you’re used to seeing in the movies, at all – but by the end of the first issue, everything is made pretty much clear and the real fun can begin. And best of all, I think this is about as close as we’ll ever get to a completely new story for these folks. Things are just that different from the start. The histories are different, the motivations are different, the stakes are different. Which does make me wish the names were different too, but let’s not get carried away – something has to be familiar or people might not buy the books.
Unless you’re still stuck on how any one but Bruce Banner can be the Hulk, or how Thor can be a woman, there’s really not much to complain about here. The art is fabulous throughout, with plenty of background details, consistent character models, and clear action in every panel. It’s everything we’ve come to expect from Marvel’s best. And the writing and direction is just as solid.
I can see why this huge change of direction many not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I’m enjoying it and looking for more. I like it when the chips are down for my heroes, and it doesn’t get much more dire than it does in these pages. There’s a whole new world just waiting to open up before us, and new characters to get to know. I’m excited for the future of the Wastelands.
Further Adventures in the World of Old Man Logan
In one of my favorites of the alternate worlds, Thor, Hulk, and Ant Man must try to survive against Dr. Doom. Nothing like what most of us will think about when we hear these names, but still an excellent read.
Brian Reed
Brian has been reading comics since January, 1987, when the death of Optimus Prime rocked his young world. Once a regular presenter on The Nerdstravaganza Podcast, Brian now writes for Florida Geek Scene.
