From THE CHAMPIONS to THE ORDER

[Kirk Langstrom]

Is that the Grey Hulk?

Yes. You can tell 'cuz his skin is grey.

 

[GNR]

Funny that so many people are complaining about the costumes.Is it really that important in a book like this?I don't think so.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

What kind of comic book would the costumes be important in if not one about superheroes?

 

[The Question]

I don't really see a problem with the costumes. They're perfectly fine team uniforms. They're no worse than any of the X-Men's looks.

 

[Kitsune]

I don't really see a problem with the costumes. They're perfectly fine team uniforms. They're no worse than any of the X-Men's looks.

The real question is "Will we care about any of these characters five years from now?"



Lets consult the magic 8 ball:

 

[THANOSRULES]

Yeah.. I just dont know...

why does this need to be a new team of "generic" type heros when the Marvel U is so deep with characters lost in limbo....

What about a team with characters OUT THERE with similiar powers or possibilty...

 

[GNR]

What kind of comic book would the costumes be important in if not one about superheroes?

I'm just saying,people are being so nitpicky with the costumes.I couldn't care less if the team showed up in elmo pajamas since the whole idea of having one year to save the world is more intriguing to me than what these guys are wearing.Besides,Kitson would make it look cool anyways if they did.

 

[Darthphere]

I'm just saying,people are being so nitpicky with the costumes.I couldn't care less if the team showed up in elmo pajamas since the whole idea of having one year to save the world is more intriguing to me than what these guys are wearing.Besides,Kitson would make it look cool anyways if they did.

Dude, that is so much bull****.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I think it would be ballsy to have a team wear Elmo pajama uniforms. They could be called the Elmites or something and worship Elmo like Scientologists worship L. Ron Hubbard.

 

[PWN3R]

Dude, that is so much bull****.

lol it lets you say bull ****?? Since when? lol wtf? Does **** work? ****?

EDIT:/

 

[TheCorpulent1]

That happened to me a while ago. I edited and changed it to "crap."

 

[Specter313]

The real question is "Will we care about any of these characters five years from now?"



Lets consult the magic 8 ball:

Considering that they're forced to quit after a year, that's kind of a given.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

The costumes aren't great but they're far from the worst I've ever seen.

I'll pick up the book and see what its about.

 

[GNR]

awesome first issue,sad to see Athena and Artemis go so quickly,but the new team looks equally solid

are those russian super-soldiers I see?

 

[Dread]

May as well bump my own topic with my own reposted review. Heavily spoilers!

THE ORDER #1: Or, THE BOOK FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE CHAMPIONS, EVEN THOUGH IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THEM AND MARVEL JUST WANTED TO TAKE THE LAZY WAY OUT WITH A FRANCHISE TITLE. Honestly, giving an original franchise an original name that doesn't confuse people by connecting it to a prior one it has no connection to should seem basic, but Marvel essentially needed legal threats to have common sense. That aside, this is Fraction, writer of PUNISHER: WAR JOURNAL and co-writer of IMMORTAL IRON FIST launching a new series from the basis of the 50 State Initiative. The cover gives the impression that this will be another collection of stock characters, but so far displays more intelligence and humor than one may have expected.

Spoiler

Enter Henry Hellrung, a former actor who played Iron Man in films who became alcoholic and sobered up years before the actual Stark did, and helped him through AA. Now he is Anthem, one of the new team of metahumans being made under Stark's orders. They stop a rampaging "Infernal Man" and save California, but Fraction very quickly burns through some of the designs Millar & McNiven introduced by having them get fired for night-time drinking binges; these "created" heroes sign a clause not to drink or do drugs, which hampers their judgement. The technology that artificially produces super-powers only lasts in their bodies for a year before the strain gets dangerous, thus the "1 year gimmick" to the title (4 years in real time, perhaps). Pepper Potts is remade as "Athena", who cybernetically moniters their progress; it makes sense that Stark would trust people he knows with his plans. The issue also makes very clear that SHIELD's initiative is NOT the same as the U.S. government's machinations, and sometimes they do step on each other's toes. The explaination as to why Ares doesn't mind the takeoff on the Greek pantheon was very funny. The new team assembles and their first threat appears to be an assembling of some Cremlin adversaries, who at least appear to look a lot like Gargoyle, Crimson Dynamo, Iron Maiden, Ursa Major, et al. But aren't some of those dead? Guess that waits until next issue. This was actually a solid effort; Fraction accomplishes the rare task of inserting a retcon without it seeming terribly jarring; Henry weaves into Stark's backstory rather well, and as Stark usually tries to keep his personal demons unseen, makes sense why we've never heard of this guy before. The rest of the cast and their powers are explained, and they look alright enough; I expect the next few issues to flesh them out more.

A solid start to a rare thing for a Marvel title; a book that introduces a new franchise with new characters. Let's hope it is rewarded with better sales than these sort of things due to being hooked into THE INITIATIVE push. I feared this would come off as a ripoff of X-STATIX, but it doesn't, and the one-year gimmick at least is a gimmick that was explained right out and doesn't seem too unrealistic. I feared that making the one-year limitations mandatory as some government paranoia thing would lead to bitterness and whatnot, but it being a limit of the empowerment process flows better with the genre. What WOULD someone do if they were given superpowers for a year and a task to defend their home state from evil & disasters? Guess we'll find out. Consider me aboard.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Ripping a page from Dread's book:

The Order #1

Very good debut. I'm glad Marvel's following through with the Fifty State Initiative concept. People are always complaining that everything happens in New York and while that's still largely true, the Marvel Universe feels more expansive now than it has in years.

I'm guessing we'll be seeing a lot more death and character development in this baby since its Fraction's little corner of the Marvel Universe and quite honestly that's a great attraction on a team title. Fraction goes out of his way to show this is not New York, its California, so expect something new. Firing a third of the team was brilliant, honestly, I wasn't feeling the first roster and it was good to see that was intentional.

Looking forward to the scuffle next month.

5/5

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

I actually enjoy the reason it's a one year deal. Makes sense.

 

[GNR]

Fraction made Hellrung into a very believable and complicated character in one issue.If that guy bites it anytime soon,I might shed a tear.

 

[PhotoJones]

Fraction made Hellrung into a very believable and complicated character in one issue.If that guy bites it anytime soon,I might shed a tear.

That's not saying much. Every time I look at you, you're either crying or about to cry.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

First issue was much better than I thought it would be. It's Young Avengers all over again; I'm actually interested in this series now.

 

[Darthphere]

Don't do it Pepper.

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

Don't do it Pepper.

It's been like...two months? Plenty of time to get over the man you've been married on and off with for the past ten or so years while deeply in love with him.

 

[Darthphere]

It's been like...two months? Plenty of time to get over the man you've been married on and off with for the past ten or so years while deeply in love with him.

On the other hand, it would be cool to see how Tony would react to it. Seeing Pepper, his dead best friend's wife, hookup with his "apprentice". I'm sure Tony would hit him with some SPIN tech or something.

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

Or just hit him.

Then bang Pepper, "Never settle for imitation Tony."

Then we can have a whole new wave of Tony hate.

Then Happy can come back as Captain America.

 

[Darthphere]

Or just hit him.

Then bang Pepper, "Never settle for imitation Tony."

Then we can have a whole new wave of Tony hate.

Then Happy can come back as Captain America.

****, I'd buy 2 copies of that.