In 2022, a new joint venture from Abrams Comic Arts and Marvel Comics made a fantastic debut. Under the imprint name “Marvel Arts”, they ushered in a new era of Marvel Graphic Novels. Having the legendary Alex Ross involved made a huge statement. This lead to his non-painted story “Fantastic Four: Full Circle”.
The project was a smash success. Seeing how Ross paid homage to the classic Stan Lee/Jack Kirby era was a delight to behold.
Three years later and the imprint has another offering for fans. This time, the spotlight belongs to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. It also isn’t your average story.
“THE AVENGERS IN THE VERACITY TRAP” by Chip Kidd & Michael Cho takes the classic superhero team into a whole new world outside their comprehension.
Let’s take a closer look at what is happening here.
“THE AVENGERS IN THE VERACITY TRAP” by Chip Kidd & Michael Cho (Marvel Arts - (Abrams ComicArts/MARVEL COMICS)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
This is Kidd’s first time writing for Marvel, but he’s no stranger to tackling huge characters. Kidd helmed writing duties on Batman: Death by Design. With the god of mischief running wild, the Avengers arrive to stop his moves. Readers see the classic lineup of Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Giant-Man, and the Wasp take over. The dialogue is very fitting for the 1960’s era they are in. It feels like a throwback when stories were simpler. Fortunately for the readers, that isn’t the case here.
After defeating Loki and his horde of monsters, Thor is thrusted into a portal. When he returns, everyone is stunned with his revelations. This pushes the story into a very creative narrative. Readers watch as the lines are blurred between Truth and Fiction. Kidd injects some fun awkwardness into the every-evolving tale. It never lets go of the vintage superhero feel. The interactions between characters are priceless.
Even when the final act begins, the story never loses its charm. Kidd leaves readers with a greater sense of what makes these characters legendary. They serve as a reminder of where imagination can take simple dreams. Events conclude in the only fashion they can. There won’t be too many readers walking away from this one without a smile on their face.
Cho brings the Kriby mystique to life with this saga. Loki with his army of monsters gets a full page image to start things off. Following a gorgeous team image, Cho delves into a timeless look. The “Marvel Masterwork Pin Up” is a solid win. Highlighting the squad via full page shots gives a more grand feel. There are plenty of bold action pages to compliment this sequence. Cho even features in the trademark “Kirby Crackle” into the mix. Once the story crosses worlds, it takes on a new look.
Readers see how the other side deals with the crossing over of events. There is a fun half page shot of the Avengers visiting the new world. This leads into a fun two page splash where the unlikely pair heads into the Avengers time. Seeing the reactions when a monster is coming takes on new life.
Cho locks in on the quirkiness of the situation, giving readers a light-heartened laugh while moving forward. This spins events into the final act. Watching a thought translate into an amazing two page splash become a game-changer. It leaves the characters reactions etched into the fabric of the story’s meaning. Another full page image lands soundly to lead into the fun final page. There is much to rave about the art in this novel.
OVERALL GRADE: 9
“Veracity Trap” Takes one party Kirby era storytelling and mix it with some fourth wall hijinks. The result is a truly entertaining glimpse into a forgotten era. Kidd’s writing navigates a much deeper message through the conflict at hand. Cho mesmerizes readers with each beautiful page of art. This one packs quite the punch that readers won’t want to miss.
Let me know your thoughts on “THE AVENGERS IN THE VERACITY TRAP” in the comments below. Thanks for reading!