THE OLD & THE NEW
Defenders #4 Defenders #4 1973
Steve Engelhart and
Buscema.
Sal I
know what you’re thinking. Famous but not renowned
names in the field of comics. Yet,
they
produced some amazing runs. The early issues of the Defenders are testament to that.
Defenders #4 sees the first appearance of the Valkyrie. Kind of. Actually, Valkyrie was a character that first appeared in a women’s lib version of the Avengers (the Liberators). However, that was really the Enchantress in disguise.
This Valkyrie was a cross between a woman trapped in madness and an Asgardian enwrapped in amnesia.
We also have the Black Knight being turned into stone. A scenario that had later repercussions as it morphed into the Avengers/ Defenders War.
So, all-in-all, we have heavyweights in The Hulk and Doctor Strange, a new Defender in Valkyrie, the ‘death’ of the Black Knight and
powerful villains in the Enchantress and the Executioner.
Plenty of action. Plenty of intrigue. Defenders #4 2012
I was significantly less than enamoured by the latest issue of the Defenders.
Doctor Strange is the only Defender that makes any significant input to the issue. Iron Fist appears to be an idiot, rather than the Zen master he is.
Indeed, most of the issue is made up of a teenager being embarrassed about a sexual relationship with the Doc and a less than powerful teen magician wanting one of his books.
Namor appears at the very end to warn of a threat. And that’s it! A non-story to
advertise that next comic / TPB. The Upshot
The latest Defenders 4 doesn’t hold a candle to the original. Not only was the 1973 book exciting and packed with characters (it is a team after all); it also had ramifications for the Marvel Universe. The latest is simply an advert for the next book. I feel cheated.
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