Review - Avengers: Assault on Olympus

In the aftermath of the Masters of Evil’s assault on the Avengers’ Headquarters, a comatose Hercules is spirited away to Olympus at the behest of his father. Zeus chooses to blame the Avengers for the condition his son is in and declares war on Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Faced with doing battle against actual gods, the Avengers must find allies within the pantheon itself in hopes of surviving the wrath of the Olympians.

Avengers: Assault on Olympus collects Avengers #278-285, written by Roger Stern and John Buscema, with additional work done by Bob Harras and Bob Hall.

Assault on Olympus picks up where Under Siege left off. Some of the Avengers are in critical condition following their battle with the Masters of Evil, with Hercules in the most precarious position. The Wasp has resigned and the Avengers must elect a new leader. Issue 279 focuses largely on Captain Marvel, who has been offered the position. She consults her parents on the subject and then proceeds to aid in the Avengers in a rescue effort. It’s a gorgeously written (and drawn!) love letter to Monica Rambeau as it summarizes much of what makes her such an intriguing, multi-dimensional character. Her interactions with her parents, which emphasize the warm and open dynamic they have, help to distinguish her from other heroes who have either strained relationships with their parents or been orphaned. We also get to see her insecurities and vulnerability as she struggles with accepting the fact that she’s truly a great hero, while the cave rescue sequence cements her as a symbol of hope and as a hero who can be depended upon. This singular issue stands up well and is mandatory Monica Rambeau reading.

The bulk of this collection, however, focuses on Zeus’ abduction of the Avengers and his plot to eradicate them for their perceived culpability in Hercules’ comatose state. Much like Under Siege, this arc sees the Avengers facing seemingly impossible odds and it forces them to get creative in their approach to defeating their enemy. In this case, it’s decided that they must turn the Olympians most likely to disagree with Zeus’ actions to their side. It’s a brilliant choice on their part. It’s a storyline filled to the brim with fantastical action and it takes our heroes through various mythical locales, which gives John Buscema plenty of room to show off his skills as a veteran sword and sorcery artist. With that said, it’s a little light on character work. Aside from the occasional shady thought bubble from Doctor Druid, this arc doesn’t do much to develop the characters. It’s a bit of a shame considering it’s Captain Marvel’s first big hoorah as the leader of the Avengers. It’s a fantastic “The Avengers kick ass” read, but it’s not as soapy or dramatic as it could be.

Avengers: Assault on Olympus is yet another victorious collection of stories from the superstar team of Roger Stern and John Buscema. The majority of the stories are perfectly tailored to Buscema’s style and we get to see some of his best work on the Avengers in those issues. From his portrayal of the Olympian Gods to the various mythical realms we get to see, it’s packed full of fantastical imagery. Issue 279 is a standout for me and is quite possibly the best story within this trade, but what follows is exciting and bursting with action. It’s a worthy of any Avengers essential reading list that’s for sure.

RATING: A-

Review - Cardcaptor Sakura (Manga)

Upon awakening the mystical beast Cerberus, fourth grader Sakura Kinomoto learns that she possesses the magical abilities necessary for capturing the enchanted Clow Cards that have been unleashed on Tokyo. With the help of Cerberus and her best friend Tomoyo, Sakura must capture all of the cards so that she may become their master. 

Cardcaptor Sakura is a manga series written and illustrated by CLAMP, originally published in 50 chapters in the pages of Nakayoshi from 1996 until 2000.

At its core, Cardcaptor Sakura is a simple magical girl series that approaches the genre with just the right amount of cheekiness and sincere innocence. It is divided into two arcs, with the first focusing on Sakura’s pursuit of the Clow Cards and the second detailing her mastery of them. Our titular heroine is tested throughout, constantly having to think and act creatively in order to capture and control the cards. This is emphasized by their unique abilities and the variety of personalities each seems to possess. CLAMP smartly approaches each capture differently and the vast majority are done while Sakura is dressed in insanely cute costumes (designed in the story by her best friend Tomoyo). They’re also to be commended for the mythos behind the Clow Cards and the gorgeous designs for each, fusing western with eastern aesthetics.

In a rather genius twist, CLAMP opt to focus on the interpersonal relationships rather than the magic and action of Sakura’s Clow Card adventures. This helps to relieve the narrative of any predictability. Rather than building each chapter around the capture or mastery of a Clow Card, CLAMP will often treat such an action as a subplot or even forego it altogether. Instead, they explore the complicated relationships that young people engage in while in school. For instance, the second arc spends a lot of time devoted to Syaorang’s love for Sakura and his many attempts to confess his feelings to her. There are also chapters that focus on Sakura’s attempts to win over or impress her crush Yukito. What is most fascinating, however, is the way in which CLAMP involve taboo themes into Cardcaptor Sakura without passing judgment on them. Queer relationships and feelings figure into the narrative through Tomoyo’s love for Sakura and the relationship between Sakura’s brother Toya and Yukito. There’s also the engagement between Sakura’s classmate Rika and their much-older teacher. CLAMP’s emphasis on personal relationships helps to create an intimate and relatable narrative, thus distinguishing it from other works in the magical girl genre.

There’s no denying that Cardcaptor Sakura is an essential read and is almost without peers. However, it has a significant chink in its armor. The magical girl genre had been redefined in the years leading up to the publication of Cardcaptor Sakura, drawing it away from the childish plots in the vein of Sally the Witch to action-oriented superhero stories pioneered by Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. Since Cardcaptor Sakura features a preteen heroine whose adventures lack a distinctive antagonist, it leaves the series with very little direction to the story. Tension often takes place when new characters are introduced and their motives remain a mystery – as with Syaorang, Mizuki-sensei, and Eriol – but is often deflated once we learn the truth. As such, it leaves the reader with very little payoff. Even the ending is bound to leave readers disappointed depending on their feelings towards the pairing of Sakura and Syaorang. If your favourite character is Tomoyo like she was for me, there’s a sense of dissatisfaction when (SPOILER!) it becomes clear that her feelings for Sakura will remain unrequited. She is unwaveringly loyal and understands Sakura better than Syaorang does, which makes her seem better matched. Unfortunately, CLAMP plays it safe and leave Tomoyo hung out to dry.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Cardcaptor Sakura. It is a breezy and entertaining series that calls back to a more innocent time. The art is breathtaking too. From Sakura’s costuming to the Clow Cards’ designs to the recurring visual motif of flowers, CLAMP delivers an absolutely stunning series that is arguably unmatched in the manga industry. This goes beyond the superficial elements as well, since they are able to set the tone of each panel with their art and successfully orchestrate the reader’s emotions through a variety of expressive reaction shots and epic action sequences. What further elevates Cardcaptor Sakura is its rich mythology that remains iconic within the genre and a narrative that dares to explore taboo subjects through an almost-objective lens. While I found the ending a bit contrived and anticlimactic, and wished there had been some kind of antagonist, Cardcaptor Sakura kept me engaged from start to finish and left me wanting more.

RATING: A-

Review - Avengers: Under Siege

Assembling a new incarnation of the Masters of Evil, Baron Zemo leads a devastating assault on the Avengers’ headquarters. As most of the Avengers fall at the hands of the Masters, the responsibility of stopping Zemo and his henchmen falls squarely on the pint-sized shoulders of the Wasp.

Avengers: Under Siege collects Avengers #270-277, written by Roger Stern and illustrated by John Buscema.

Often hailed as one of the greatest Avengers storylines of all-time, Under Siege is an absolutely brutal arc that is best known for portraying the crushing defeat of the Avengers at the hands of the Masters of Evil. The calculating and conniving Baron Zemo concocts the perfect plan to bring the heroes down. Upon putting together his team, he storms the Avengers Mansion while the heroes are away and methodically picks them off one by one as they return to their headquarters. It’s a visceral narrative that includes a lot of intense action and is unusual in its depiction of how easily (and pitilessly) the villains overcome the heroes. In some ways, it’s a precursor to what we’d see in the ‘90s with events such as The Death of Superman and Knightfall.

What is most impressive about Under Siege isn’t just its action, but rather its remarkable character work and its ability to weave it into the mayhem. The Wasp is arguably the star of the show. At the time of this storyline, she is the leader and chairwoman of the Avengers. This has caused some tension within the team, particularly from Hercules. He feels emasculated by the Wasp’s orders and childishly refuses to acknowledge her authority. His lack of respect for the Wasp ultimately plays right into enemy hands. Similarly, Black Knight’s apparent unrequited feelings for the Wasp make him an easy target for the Masters. Despite feeling inadequate as a leader and uncertain of her capabilities, the Wasp proves herself in a spectacular conflict against Titania and the Absorbing Man. With the help of Ant-Man (spoiler… I guess), she manages to take them down and this drastically turns the tide in the war between the Avengers and the Masters. Another character who stands out is Captain Marvel. Though she’s detained for a good chunk of the arc, once she manages to escape (on her own I might add), she returns to the fight with a fury and loses her cool as she chases down Moonstone. It’s a rather small moment, but it’s an important one. Thus far, Captain Marvel had been amongst the most levelheaded members of the team, so this brief spate of anger shows that she is as infallible as her teammates. On the subject of Moonstone, she too receives some attention when it comes to development. While most of the villains are fairly one-dimensional, Moonstone is notable for her attempts to undermine Zemo’s authority. It sets her apart as one of the more independent and intelligent members of the Masters.

John Buscema’s art is top-notch in Under Siege. Given the severity of what is going on story-wise, he manages to create really evocative panels. He errs on the side of subtlety during the more gruesome moments of the narrative (i.e. the scenes where the Masters assault Jarvis and Hercules). The action is superb as well, especially the sequence where the Wasp and Ant-Man take down Titania and Absorbing Man. However, what I recall most is the really gorgeous work that is put into depicting the emotions of the characters involved. Buscema really captures the fury and toxicity of Hercules’ character each time he bristles at being seen or treated as subordinate to the Wasp. Captain Marvel’s fury-filled pursuit of Moonstone towards the end is another great example of this emotiveness. However, the panel that is forever seared into my mind is the close-up of the Wasp after she’s taken down Titania and Absorbing Man. With her steely gaze and slight sneer, she declares that the Avengers will have their revenge on the Masters of Evil for what they have done. It’s absolutely chilling and my hat goes off to Buscema for creating such an unforgettable shot.

Of the Avengers storylines I’ve read, Under Siege is quite possibly the best of the bunch. It’s got everything you need – an epic (and brutal) battle between heroes and villains, intricate character work, and outstanding artwork. It’s also surprisingly quite accessible. You don’t need to have read every Avengers issue in existence to understand or enjoy it. Beyond that, it also puts its female characters front and center. The Wasp, Captain Marvel, and Moonstone (even Titania to some degree) all get to be multi-dimensional individuals who play crucial roles in this arc. Of course, as a Monica Rambeau fan, I’ll always be biased towards anything that features her.

RATING: A