Avengers the Initiative

[Dread]

Bah. Tantalizing stuff now that we know the Avengers franchise is shifting radically after Siege ends. I want to know what happens already.

A series of relaunches, most likely. Bendis will get the core AVENGERS book (although AVENGERS ended at #503 and even if you add all the NEW AVENGERS issues and annuals it doesn't reach #600; if they added in MIGHTY AVENGERS and DARK AVENGERS they would overshoot #600), and hopefully Gage gets this relaunched with a new title, whether AVENGERS ACACEMY or NEW WARRIORS: THE GOOD EDITION or whatever.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Whatever happens, I hope something like A:TI still exists after the Avengers shake-up. It's been great having a comic dedicated largely to the second-stringers and below of the Marvel universe. There's been a lot of great characters in A:TI's run that would probably never have been touched again if not for A:TI.

 

[NightBeetle]

Avengers: The Initiative #32 Preview

SIEGE BLOCKBUSTER TIE-IN!! After Civil War, the members of the Initiative were recruited with promises of glory... fame... wealth... redemption. But all things come with a price - and now it's time to pay in blood as the entire Initiative find themselves fighting for their lives in an all-out war against Thor and the Asgardians! With the Dark Avengers as their allies and immortal gods as their enemies, the most brutal event in Marvel history is about to ignite, and these Avengers are caught in the middle! And for some, this will be their final stand.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Man, what a fantastic summation in those first few pages of why Taskmaster is awesome. He's the ultimate slacker.

That said, Thor had better totally f*** him up. Getting decked in like 2 pages by a half-dozen villains was bad enough; I don't need to see him lose to f***ing Taskmaster.

 

[MMMMM...Pancakes]

Ha ha, Taskmaster is so F***ed!!

 

[Dread]

Yeah, Gage really gets Taskmaster. I don't expect him to beat Thor, but he'd better beat someone. He hasn't even fought any decent hero to a draw since 2002. I really don't think anyone quivers because he beat Stature quick. And beating Skrullowjacket doesn't count; anyone can beat a Skrull. Aunt May beat some Skrulls once, probably.

Whatever happens, I hope something like A:TI still exists after the Avengers shake-up. It's been great having a comic dedicated largely to the second-stringers and below of the Marvel universe. There's been a lot of great characters in A:TI's run that would probably never have been touched again if not for A:TI.

I agree. A:TI has been a wonderful book for that quality, and Gage fits it like a glove. I hope to see it continue under some form or title.

 

[NightBeetle]

Avengers: The Initiative #33 Preview

THE STORY:
The Initiative faces its own CIVIL WAR as Taskmaster, Constrictor and Diamondback join the Dark Avengers in the Siege of Asgard...and come face-to-hammer with Thor! Meanwhile, Justice, Tigra and the rest of the Avengers Resistance assault camp H.A.M.M.E.R., aiming to bring it down once and for all — but the Hood is ready for them! It's all-out war on two fronts — and one side won't be here when it's over! Rated T

IN STORES: February 24, 2010

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I wish they'd let Bandit keep his dreads. He looks too much like Dwayne with the same haircut and everything.

 

[Dread]

Donyell wouldn't be able to fit into that helmet with dreads (although Wolverine fits into that mask with his ridiculous hair, but whatever). They wanted him to look more straight laced as a hero than when he was an anti-hero. Plus, that was up to the last NEW WARRIORS series more than here.

Besides, we should be happy he isn't bald.

I am curious how this will "add" to SIEGE #2 since Thor pretty much did manage to get up and help someone who went out to save him, which Diamondback wasn't sure of last issue.

 

[RockSP]

Besides, we should be happy he isn't bald.

Heh heh. Just what I was about to say...

 

[Dread]

Heh heh. Just what I was about to say...

Bishop has seemingly gone through all the phases of African American accepted hair-styles in Marvel comics. I'm frankly stunned he didn't go with green hair when Dennis Rodman was popular.

It also is amusing how the yellow bits on the wrists and ankles of the Scarlet Spider suit have become gloves, which look better than...whatever they were when originally designed.

 

[THANOSRULES]

I never really thought of taskmaster as a slacker..i mean his name kinda says it all.He works hard at what he does, which is train others , and he has been perfectly content to stay in that niche, despite his obvious potential to be somthing better, like a Deathstroke.It has been cool to see him developed.It's also cool to see Gage take Donyell seriously as a character...I'm liking what is going on there. I hope he keeps true to the warriors..he's already learned this lesson from the last New Warriors series. (which wasnt that bad as a de facto "night thrasher" book)

 

[NightBeetle]

Siege: Second Front

Meanwhile, in AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #34, writer Christos Gage and artist Jorge Molina pit Taskmaster against Captain America, a battle that comes on the heels of the villain's involvement in taking Thor down."As we'll see, Norman doesn't let Taskmaster's thrill of victory over Thor last very long," remarks Gage. "That leaves Taskmaster feeling like he needs to prove himself more than ever, and Captain America is the perfect target!"


Meanwhile, Justice and the Avengers Resistance have seized on the opportunity to destroy Camp H.A.M.M.E.R., but as they'll soon find out it won't prove that easy.
"There will still be a strong complement of H.A.M.M.E.R. troops as well as a number of the Hood's super-powered Initiative operatives-magically enhanced by the Norn Stones-defending Camp H.A.M.M.E.R.," explains Gage. "So it'll be far from a cakewalk. But this is still the best opportunity Justice and the Avengers Resistance will have. They know it's now or never."


The other members of the Initiative-both heroes and villains-will have to come to terms with some major changes very soon, as the tide of battle in Siege begins to shift."We'll be seeing exactly that in upcoming issues, as well as [in] SIEGE itself and other books like the SIEGE: CAPTAIN AMERICA one-shot on which I'm collaborating with Federico Dallochio," says Gage. "That's right, I'm shameless, but it's true! As for how the heroes who are still part of the Initiative will react, that's a key part of our story."Much like MIGHTY AVENGERS, AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE will reach its finale in April with issue #35.


"Everything is coming to a head," forewarns Gage. "The end of the Initiative as we know it is coming and nothing will ever be the same!"

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Wow. Kind of a spoiler about Donyell there. But I guess we all figured he'd ultimately come down on the heroes' side anyway.

Also, is it just me or do those pages look more like Clayton Henry's art than Jorge Molina's?

 

[Dread]

For all we know, Night-Thrasher could be hitting Hood to make the "show" more believable. I mean, Hood literally outed him right in front of his team-mates. They obviously know there was some sort of deal when he was captured now. But, to be honest, I would be surprised if Donyell completely sold out his team, especially given his experiences with his last one. Seeing a future that even with Dwayne alive and in charge, wasn't pretty.

I'd be thrilled if Tigra is allowed to take down the Hood for real. Who else deserves to but her?

 

[Colossal Spoons]

I kinda wanted NT to side with Hood, just so I could see this supposed "soul transplant" go down. That's if he would make good on his promise at all.

 

[Dread]

Maybe he learned the lesson Peter Parker didn't; why trust the word of a villain over that of super heroes? If there's a way to save Dwayne, there are other sources to go to than some mobster that Dormammu empowered with a bed sheet he magically soiled, or whatever.

 

[T'Jai]

[FanBoy]Why is Dwayne wearing Donyell's costume???[/FanBoy]

 

[Dread]

Um...Donyell is wearing Dwayne's Night-Thrasher costume to honor him and take up the mantle after he was killed in CIVIL WAR #1. He took over the Taylor company and organized a team of New Warriors that were made up of depowered former X-Men/Generation X members and gave them advanced technology to be heroes. But he was secretly having them steal items of power from villains to try to resurrect Dwayne. One method was time travel, in which he and the team went to a future where Dwayne had not died, and became a worse despot than Tony Stark was. Donyell then disbanded his team and joined up with Justice and the rest of the "old" New Warriors in forming the "Avengers Resistance". Since Donyell was willing to do underhanded things before to try to steal means to bring back Dwayne (such as picking a fight with Machinesmith just to steel a machine from him), Hood offering his desire, one would imagine, it a tempting one.

Technically, he is the adopted uncle of Rage, as well as Microbe, who also died in CIVIL WAR #1.

 

[T'Jai]

Um...Donyell is wearing Dwayne's Night-Thrasher costume to honor him and take up the mantle after he was killed in CIVIL WAR #1. He took over the Taylor company and organized a team of New Warriors that were made up of depowered former X-Men/Generation X members and gave them advanced technology to be heroes. But he was secretly having them steal items of power from villains to try to resurrect Dwayne. One method was time travel, in which he and the team went to a future where Dwayne had not died, and became a worse despot than Tony Stark was. Donyell then disbanded his team and joined up with Justice and the rest of the "old" New Warriors in forming the "Avengers Resistance". Since Donyell was willing to do underhanded things before to try to steal means to bring back Dwayne (such as picking a fight with Machinesmith just to steel a machine from him), Hood offering his desire, one would imagine, it a tempting one.

Technically, he is the adopted uncle of Rage, as well as Microbe, who also died in CIVIL WAR #1.

ummm you have me backwards and I guess I should have phrased it better

(been reading the titles so I'm aware of the sequence of events)

Why in the flashback scene (where Donyell beat Dwayne) is Dwayne wearing the Armor design that Donyell currently wears? Whereas in the original sequence Dwayne was wearing one of his own designs of said Armor something that would have been easy to research for reference...

 

[Dread]

ummm you have me backwards and I guess I should have phrased it better

(been reading the titles so I'm aware of the sequence of events)

Why in the flashback scene (where Donyell beat Dwayne) is Dwayne wearing the Armor design that Donyell currently wears? Whereas in the original sequence Dwayne was wearing one of his own designs of said Armor something that would have been easy to research for reference...

Either an art error, or Gage missed one detail.

 

[THANOSRULES]

I dont think it would be splashed out like that without being significant Good for Donyell...I'll tell ya a couple of those blacked out images from Secret Avengers could pass for Night Thrasher.I was dissapointed when I found out Dwayne was really dead, but Ive really liked what has been done with Donyell ever since.

 

[Dread]

Part of me thinks Gage will keep Donyell and most of the old New Warriors for "AVENGERS ACADEMY" or whatever it next after A:TI.

 

[Dread]

Promotion for the long rumored sequel series to A:TI, "AVENGERS: ACADEMY" by Christos Gage and Mike McKone, has begun at Newsarama!

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/Avengers-Academy-100308.html

Last week, Tom Brevoort revealed to us that Avengers Academy is on the way. The book, written by Christos Gage with art by Mike McKone has been rumored for months, and now gets its own official week-long reveal.

First up is a bit of a surprise character, Veil. The first Veil showed up back in 1991 as a member of an Iraqi superteam called Desert Sword. With her chemically-based powers (hey, it was Desert Storm time, afterall), she could mask her movements in smoke. A Veil showed up during the Skrull war, but it was purposely ambiguous about whether or not this was the same character

This Veil has an unravelling costume that reveals her arms seem to be missing. Her tagline, "I know my powers will kill me, if I live that long" could indicate that the original Veil's chemicals are turning in upon her. Of course, with bright red hair and a quite light complexion, it's liklier that this is a new character with a familiar name.

More Avengers Academy at this link throughout the week.

My first reason is: YAY! After months of rumors, it is official!

The next question; will any of the instructors of this Academy be revealed in promotions, or just new characters like this new Veil? And what about the original characters of the last volume, such as Melee (who never did much), Komodo, Hardball, and of course Butterball? I'll sure stay tuned!

 

[Colossal Spoons]

I have no feelings towards this "Veil". Though at first glance, she looks better suited for the GLA