Are you not caught up on your comics? Do you have readers who have seen certain Marvel movies and want comics that go along with the movie cannon, as opposed to the current story arc in the traditional comics? Well, luckily for you, Marvel has created the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which connects their movies with comics. No more wondering about some random reference in the movie – that’s what these comics are for: providing much needed information on what happened before the movie started, as well as an exposition of things that happened off screen.
The latest comic installment in this Universe is Marvel’s The Avengers Prelude: Fury’s Big Week. Wondering what actions set Nick Fury into action? Want to know how all those Avengers got together? Well, this comic is for you, as it provides a much appreciated and fun-filled back story to show readers just how all those Avengers became one big, happy family. Avengers [get ready to] Assemble!
Nick Fury just can’t catch a break. Not only is someone telling him that Tony Stark is going to die in 72 hours (wha–?!), but the World Security Council is on his back to stop searching for Steve Rogers and get going on that Tesseract deal – I mean, that’s going to turn out perfectly, right? Plus, Dr. Banner is going Hulk on everyone in the city, Black Widow is just trying to get everyone to calm down, and poor Agent Coulson – Fury is having him go from one place to another, all while trying to stay alive in the face of some pretty nasty characters. This fun, fast, action-packed read is perfect for fans of the movie or those who haven’t watched it yet. No spoilers are included.
Christopher Yost and Eric Pearson do a great job of setting up the story for all different types of potential readers, be they new to comics or just new to the Avengers in general. The story is easy to follow and the ending perfectly aligns with the beginning of the movie, providing a seamless transition from book to visual. The comic strictly adheres to the movie story arc, making it perfect for those new to the Marvel world. Luke Ross does a great job on illustrating, too. I was afraid, since this is a prequel and separate from the current comics’ story arcs (and a book that will really only be popular if the movie is), that the art might be less than stellar. I was happily surprised to see great artwork to go along with the story. It’s colorful, engaging, and the panels are easy to follow. Each character is easily identifiable and, even though they don’t look exactly like their movie counterpart, the similarities are striking. The lettering and speech bubbles are clear and concise. The violence is on par with the movie — mainly “Hulk Smash” is the name of the game, but the other Avengers get a few punches and explosions in for good measure. I enjoyed that Black Widow plays a pretty prominent part in this comic and that Tony Stark (as much as I love that snarky genius) is relegated to a supporting part. All in all, this book was an entertaining read that dragged out my love for The Avengers movie for another hour or so. This book would be a great quick read for anyone who has seen the movie or wants to see the movie, and it will definitely move in any library setting.
Marvel’s The Avengers Prelude: Fury’s Big Week
by Christopher Yost, Eric Pearson
Art by Luke Ross
ISBN: 9780785163411
Marvel, 2012
Publisher Age Rating: T (13 and up)
