Review: Avengers - The Serpent Crown

When Hawkeye goes missing, Thor and new Avenger Moondragon must travel into the past in order to recover their arrow-slinging ally. There, they must confront the villainous Kang as he schemes yet again to conquer Earth. Back in the present, the remaining Avengers duke it out with the Squadron Supreme after uncovering a plot by the corrupt Roxxon Oil Corporation.

Avengers: The Serpent Crown collects Avengers #141-144 and #147-149, written by Steve Englehart and illustrated by George Perez.

With the superstar talent of Englehart and Perez behind it, The Serpent Crown stands as one of the most notable collection of stories from the early Bronze Age Avengers. Set during the Beast’s probationary period with the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, this trade collects two concurrent storylines involving the Avengers’ conflicts with Kang the Conqueror and the Squadron Supreme (AKA Marvel’s “tribute” to the Justice League). It’s a tightly written, dynamically drawn seven issue arc that is packed with character development and incredible action. Englehart’s scripting sets the tone by creating an electric chemistry between the characters and sticking to a set theme of corporate corruption, while Perez’s pencil work fills each panel with expressiveness to match.

There are a lot of developments in The Serpent Crown, which is perhaps what has marked it for collection purposes above many other story arcs for the Avengers from the 1970s. Notably – Captain America re-joins the team after a lengthy leave of absence, Hawkeye departs from the Avengers to pursue a (mostly) solo career out west, and Patsy Walker makes her debut as the superheroine Hellcat. As mentioned previously, it’s also set during the Beast’s early days adventuring with the Avengers, which itself is important as it’s shortly after he turned his iconic blue hue. In fact, it is the interplay between Hellcat and Beast that makes this arc as interesting as it is. The habitually bickering duo is at odds with one another, which adds a layer of humour to their dynamic. Beyond all of that, Englehart and Perez seem to be setting new precedents for the portrayal of women in comic books.

Aside from a questionable line in which Hellcat declares that she’s no “women’s libber,” The Serpent Crown seems to be concerned with the pursuit and control of power when wielded by women. Newcomer Moondragon is unashamed and confident in her incredible psychic gifts. She employs them with a mastery that was often unseen amongst female characters in comic books. In fact, she seems to consider herself an equal to Thor and even questions why he (and by extension her) is “slumming” it with the mortal Avengers. Similarly, Scarlet Witch is seen embracing her status as a true witch and her power set seems to have grown exponentially as a result of this. A key scene in this collection involves Wanda becoming the caretaker for the Serpent Crown and must use her formidable willpower to free herself from its evil influence. Though Vision tries to intervene and “rescue” her, it’s clear that Wanda needs no one but herself to save the day. It’s an internal battle that is portrayed earnestly through Perez’s art and is a moment that is not to be overlooked, though it might be easy to do so given the incredible physical feats accomplished by the men in this book.

As much as we see Moondragon and Scarlet Witch embracing their fierceness, the slightly dippy Patsy Walker still has a ways to go. In fact, The Serpent Crown is very much her story and focuses on her rapid maturation from silly romance heroine to sassy superheroine. Much is made early on about how burdensome Patsy is as she accompanies the Avengers, with some members laying blame on her for their predicament when they are captured by the Squadron Supreme (namely, Vision). Through flashbacks, we see that Patsy lived a relatively unfulfilling life in a small town and that her marriage was disastrous. We learn that she’s always dreamed of being a hero and that she’ll do anything it takes to be one. By the time she finally dons the Cat costume, she’s adamant about dedicating her life to heroism. It’s admirable and her spunk is infectious, though the disdain from her male cohorts (and concern – on Captain America’s part) looms heavily over her. Thankfully, she does appear to prove herself and she’s shown to be quite fearsome in battle (though it’s implied that the suit may be doing most of the work for her).

The Serpent Crown is an enjoyable – albeit dated – read. Englehart and Perez make for a great team, one which suits the tone and aesthetic of the Avengers. As with his previous work on the title, Englehart always adds an angle of social relevance to the book and taps into themes that can be related to even today. His dialogue is satisfactory, though verbose at times, and he has a good grasp on the characters involved. I’m also rather impressed by how he handles the many women present in this collection. It also goes without saying that Perez’s pencils are gorgeous to look at. Given that this represents some of his earlier work, the art is not quite as defined or detailed as it would be later in New Teen Titans or Wonder Woman. There are minor issues with proportions and perspective every now and then. If anything, The Serpent Crown represents a strong showing from an era oft forgotten by comic book fans. Plus – it’s got Hellcat and Moondragon in key roles!

RATING: B