Review: Fearless Defenders #1
Posted By Josh Flynn on February 9, 2013
Marvel Comics has a female problem. They just can’t seem to commit to the ladies. But Marvel, at least, is trying to rectify this problem. Their latest attempt includes the all-female team book Fearless Defenders.
Fearless Defenders begins with a very Indiana Jones scene. Misty Knight has infiltrated a ship full of thieves sailing through a stormy ocean on a boat filled with stolen artifacts. She’s briefly apprehended, which leads to a brawl and her discovery that one artifact is an armored skeleton. As Knight examines this discovery, a helicopter full of mercenaries scoops in and attack, stealing the skeletal remains and sending Knight diving into the ocean.
Knight takes the one artifact she manages to carry away to Dr. Annabelle Riggs, an archaeologist overseeing a Viking burial dig. Playing with a mysterious ancient artifact around the dead is never a good idea, and Knight finds herself once again in combat. Thankfully, the artifact also called Valkyrie, who gives an assist in battle.
At book’s end, we have the first part of this new Marvel team assembled, with more pieces—and trouble—to come in the future.
Judging the first issue of a new comic series can be challenging. Sometimes the story grabs you and makes you desperate for more. Sometimes it’s best to wait for the completion of the first story arc. Fearless Defenders may be the latter case. There is enough mystery and action in the book to carry reader interest to the next issue, but beyond that it’s difficult to say. What surprises creators Cullen Bunn and Will Sliney have in store next month will go a long way. Will it be more of the same or will the pace slow to allow true suspense and growth? And the surprises need to be bigger than a surprise kiss that readers will see midway through issue one. How that kiss is dealt with and what it means for those involved will be interesting as the storyline advances. At the time of its occurrence, the kiss was ill-placed—but more characterization, especially in regards to the kiss’s initiator, may help this subplot.
While Fearless Defenders may have been a mediocre debut, kudos to Marvel for trying. Marvel has always struggled to grab reader interest with books led by heroines. She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel have had some success. But Marjorie Liu’s excellent X-23 never caught on with readers. And Spider-Woman, Black Widow, Elektra have all had similar fates in recent years. Marvel has some of the most dynamic female characters in the realm of comics, yet they’ve never found their place as moneymakers as DC Comic’s female leads have. Wonder Woman has thrived for over 70 years. Birds of Prey have strong fan support. Catwoman is one of the most popular characters in comics and Batgirl may be one of the top books at the moment. But Marvel has never been able to find the same magic that DC has when in it comes to women-led comics.
It’s not like there isn’t an abundance to work with: Storm, Emma Frost, Rogue, Magik, She-Hulk, Black Widow, Jennifer Jones, Invisible Woman, Spider-Girl, Mockingbird, Sharon Carter, all the teen characters.
It was recently announced Marvel was heading in the direction of romance novels featuring Rogue and She-Hulk. There is a potential to pull in some new comic readers from this venture, and a decent mix of romance and action never hurt a heroine—just look at Buffy. But the need to pair those two aspects in prose instead of the realm of comics is strange. In the early 90s the Rogue/ Gambit relationship was a key subplot in X-Men (and even featured in a great cover for X-Men 24). Kitty Pryde and Colossus was a great romance storyline that stretched a couple decades. Dan Slott did a great job juggling Peter Parker’s love life with crime fighting (though Carlie over Norah? Really?) And a heartbreaking comic moment came from X-23 self-mutilating over Hellion and Surge’s kiss. Comics can be a great vehicle for romance, so why not stick with it instead of crossing over into novels?
At least Marvel is trying. Fearless Defenders, Captain Marvel, the female X-Men, Red She-Hulk—they are giving the ladies a chance. It’s up to readers to demand more with their wallets. Fearless Defenders may not give the cause the boost it needed, but there is potential here. Bunn and Sliney took the all-action path for the first issue. At some point the book will need to slow down a bit and focus on characterization. This was only the first chapter of the story arc, however. The creators have great characters to work with, characters who have strong histories but may not be as burdened with continuity as others and that could lead to some rich storytelling possibilities.
Give Bunn and Sliney a chance to find their footing and see where they take these ladies. Misty Knight, Valkyrie, and future team members may be starting a new era in Marvel Comics.
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