Every once in a while you come across a comic that’s just fun. It doesn’t take itself too seriously. It might recognize everything it riffs off of. But, those comics mostly just cut loose with crazy ideas and imagery you can only see on the page of a comic. Avengers: Tech-On #2 continues that type of series as the newly armored Avengers first take on a powered up Red Skull and then a powered up Venom. Its over the top images and ideas nail the manga feel it takes its influence from.
Written by Jim Zub, Avengers: Tech-On #2 continues the battle for the struggling Avengers. Red Skull has used shards of Infinity Stones to gain more power and stripped the heroes of their powers. This forces Iron Man to equip the team with their own suits of armor also powered by the same energy as the Red Skull.
Zub is mining a lot with the comic. There’s a clear manga influence in the action scenes and art but it’s the “tie-in” aspect that stands out. I grew up in the age that began toys having their own tv shows and comics to go along with them. G.I. Joe, Transformers, these were some of the pioneers of the 30 minute commercial. Avengers: Tech-On #2 reminds me of that in some ways with creations that feel like I should have action figures to recreate the scenes. And, that is happening in some ways with collectables based on the characters and armor comic. They aren’t cheap action figures but it recreates some of the “classic” product tie-in.
Zub also makes sure the comic is fun. There’s battles, lots of battles, each with their own style. But, the characters at the center of this all is what matters. There’s some conflict and questioning as the Avengers attempt to figure out what to do next and how to stop Red Skull. This isn’t a simple “go with the flow” type of story. There’s actual questioning of what Tony Stark has built for the team.
But, what really works for the comic is Jeffrey Cruz‘s art. With Travis Lanham on lettering, the art pops over and over again. The colors and style work so well that I felt like I was reading Marvel manga. There’s clear influences throughout the comic and every single one of them work. This isn’t some cheap knock-off manga, it feels like I should be reading this in a small digest format. The only negative is that we get so few pages compared to a volume of manga. I want more. The visuals are fantastic and you staring at the page long after finishing reading Zub’s dialogue.
Avengers: Tech-On #2 is a hell of a lot of fun. It doesn’t take itself seriously at all. It’s a comic that just throws crazy ideas out there and you run with it. The art is fantastic and just nails the tone and concept of the series. The designs are a hell of a lot of fun. It’s a comic to just sit back and enjoy, going along for the ride.
Story: Jim Zub Art: Jeffrey Cruz Letterer: Travis Lanham
Story: 8.3 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.45 Recommendation: Buy
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – Zeus Comics – TFAW
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Source: Graphic Policy
