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| Cover Artist: Patrick Zircher |
Original Price: $2.99
Title: "Red Light Nation"
Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: Patrick Zircher
Letterer: Dave Lanphear
Colorist: Andy Troy
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Editor in Chief: Axel Alonso
SYNOPSIS
Captain America and Hawkeye are in Bagalia, an Eastern European country that is a "red light nation", meaning it is a haven for crime where anything goes. The two Avengers are there to rescue an American senator that is targeted for assassination, all while not being seen to avoid a diplomatic incident. When they locate the senator, Hawkeye rushes in an sets off a trap, where the senator is actually a walking suicide bomb. They manage to escape the trap, and while he admonishes Hawkeye for his tactics he admits that he is testing his ability to lead the Secret Avengers. Cap knew they were walking into a trap and wanted to see how Hawkeye handled it, which causes Hawkeye to storm off in anger. Before Cap can stop him, he is ambushed by Vengeance, the self-proclaimed "Spirit of Pollution" who attempts to turn the Avenger's corruption back upon himself. When it doesn't work, the other two members of the Masters of Evil, Whiplash and Princess Python, step in to subdue the hero.
Hawkeye hears about Captain America's capture as he's leaving the country by train, while the Masters of Evil have him captive in a skyscraper. The new Masters, and indeed the whole country, is being controlled by Max Fury of the Shadow Council, and he plans to use Captain America's invasion of Bagalia as a way to ensure the country's freedom. Hawkeye, using a SHIELD camouflage device, has infiltrated the guards and quickly disables the Masters of Evil while rescuing Cap. The two heroes escape using a rocket arrow, reaching their plane above the city, and Hawkeye agrees to lead the covert team.
Hawkeye hears about Captain America's capture as he's leaving the country by train, while the Masters of Evil have him captive in a skyscraper. The new Masters, and indeed the whole country, is being controlled by Max Fury of the Shadow Council, and he plans to use Captain America's invasion of Bagalia as a way to ensure the country's freedom. Hawkeye, using a SHIELD camouflage device, has infiltrated the guards and quickly disables the Masters of Evil while rescuing Cap. The two heroes escape using a rocket arrow, reaching their plane above the city, and Hawkeye agrees to lead the covert team.
ANNOTATIONS
This incarnation of Vengeance is Kowalski, who last appeared in Ghost Riders: Heaven's On Fire (2009) # 6. He will appear next alongside the rest of the Masters of Evil in Secret Avengers (2010) # 29.
REVIEW
Rick Remender begins his run on Secret Avengers, utilizing a forgotten Ghost Rider as part of his new Masters of Evil.
I was a huge fan of Remender's run on Uncanny X-Force, so seeing that he was taking over Marvel's other covert super-team book had me really excited. Secret Avengers was a series that hadn't really clicked for me by this point, though I had really enjoyed the six-issue run by Warren Ellis immediately before this issue, so I was hoping that Remender would really come in guns blazing to give the series some much needed direction. While his run on the book wasn't mind-blowing or even up to par with Uncanny X-Force, it was still a pretty good series that had its high points (and it's low ones, like the dire "Avengers Versus X-Men" tie-in arc).
What I definitely didn't expect when I picked up his first issue was to see freaking Vengeance, of all characters, show up. The Masters of Evil are a well-known Avengers staple, with a rotating membership as deep as the Avengers themselves, but Remender really dug around for some interesting new blood for his version of the team. Vengeance was not only brought back as one of the core members of the villain team, he's also given a really interesting revamp that I loved. He maintains the visual design given to him by Roland Boschi in the "Heaven's On Fire" mini-series (and yes, this is Kowlaski, though it's not said in the comic itself, interviews with the creators around this confirmed the identity), but the flames have been colored a bright green. It makes the character even more striking, while also separating him from Ghost Rider. Also different is the character's "Spirit of Pollution" angle, which gives him some great dialogue as he attacks Captain America. "Suffer the Pollution Stare of Vengeance! Magnifying your corruption until it consumes you!"
The artwork in the issue is by a Marvel veteran, Patrick Zircher, who turns in a really great looking comic. He has a straight-forward superhero style that's also appropriate for the dark world of covert spy business. His action scenes are easy to follow and the characters all move naturally across the panels. His two-page introduction of Vengeance are amazing, it makes the character out to be an immense threat even against Captain America. I really dislike Hawkeye's costume from this era, but that's not Zircher's fault, he does what he can with what he has to work with.
Remender won't pick up this storyline again until eight issues later, when the Avengers return to Bagalia to confront the Masters of Evil. Vengeance will continue to be a major threat during that arc as well, and I still think it's great that Remender dusted the character off. While it's certainly not a "must read" for Ghost Rider fans, it's definitely worth picking up.
I was a huge fan of Remender's run on Uncanny X-Force, so seeing that he was taking over Marvel's other covert super-team book had me really excited. Secret Avengers was a series that hadn't really clicked for me by this point, though I had really enjoyed the six-issue run by Warren Ellis immediately before this issue, so I was hoping that Remender would really come in guns blazing to give the series some much needed direction. While his run on the book wasn't mind-blowing or even up to par with Uncanny X-Force, it was still a pretty good series that had its high points (and it's low ones, like the dire "Avengers Versus X-Men" tie-in arc).
What I definitely didn't expect when I picked up his first issue was to see freaking Vengeance, of all characters, show up. The Masters of Evil are a well-known Avengers staple, with a rotating membership as deep as the Avengers themselves, but Remender really dug around for some interesting new blood for his version of the team. Vengeance was not only brought back as one of the core members of the villain team, he's also given a really interesting revamp that I loved. He maintains the visual design given to him by Roland Boschi in the "Heaven's On Fire" mini-series (and yes, this is Kowlaski, though it's not said in the comic itself, interviews with the creators around this confirmed the identity), but the flames have been colored a bright green. It makes the character even more striking, while also separating him from Ghost Rider. Also different is the character's "Spirit of Pollution" angle, which gives him some great dialogue as he attacks Captain America. "Suffer the Pollution Stare of Vengeance! Magnifying your corruption until it consumes you!"
The artwork in the issue is by a Marvel veteran, Patrick Zircher, who turns in a really great looking comic. He has a straight-forward superhero style that's also appropriate for the dark world of covert spy business. His action scenes are easy to follow and the characters all move naturally across the panels. His two-page introduction of Vengeance are amazing, it makes the character out to be an immense threat even against Captain America. I really dislike Hawkeye's costume from this era, but that's not Zircher's fault, he does what he can with what he has to work with.
Remender won't pick up this storyline again until eight issues later, when the Avengers return to Bagalia to confront the Masters of Evil. Vengeance will continue to be a major threat during that arc as well, and I still think it's great that Remender dusted the character off. While it's certainly not a "must read" for Ghost Rider fans, it's definitely worth picking up.
Grade: A
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