THE AVENGERS IN THE VERACITY TRAP (MARVEL ARTS)

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!

FANTASTIC FOUR: FULL CIRCLE (Abrams Comic Arts/MARVEL COMICS)

Welcome to an all new edition of Parlay Points, the complementary comic book blog to the ODPH Podcast! For this entry, we’re taking a look at the first project from Marvel Arts, which is a partnership between Abrams Comic Arts and Marvel Comics. FANTASTIC FOUR: FULL CIRCLE #1 by Alex Ross (legendary artist of “Marvels” and “Kingdom Come”), Josh Johnson, and Ariana Maher is the debut graphic novel from this venture. If graphic novels sound a bit familiar, they were a staple of Marvel in the 1980’s (One notable one was X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills which was the inspiration for “X2 X-Men United” movie). To bring them back, it has to stand out at the comic shops and deliver. There is a tremendous amount of hype behind this project. Let’s take a deeper dive and see how this new project shapes up, shall we?

FANTASTIC FOUR: FULL CIRCLE #1 - On Sale Sept. 6th

Creative: Alex Ross, Josh Johnson, and Ariana Maher

Credit: Marvel Arts (Abrams ComicArts/MARVEL COMICS)

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***

Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic). Sue Storm (The Invisible Woman), Johnny Storm (The Human Torch) and Ben Grimm (The Thing) comprise one for the most legendary teams in all of pop culture fandom. No adventure is ever normal and the one happening here fits the mold perfectly.

The story opens up on a rainy evening with Ben making the most of his evening in the Baxter Building. A midnight snack gets interrupted by Johnny. The playful banter that has been long associated with the first family of Marvel gets stopped when a mysterious figure appears. The intruder’s identity turns out to be someone who tried impersonating Ben in the past tying into Reed’s first adventure into the Negative Zone. However, before they can really examine why he has returned, mysterious creatures start flying out of his mouth, basically using his body as a Trojan horse to attack the family.

After the creatures are subdued, Reed goes to work breaking down what has happened. The creatures gave off negative energy. That is a trademark of what readers might have already suspected but it was confirmed: The Negative Zone and it’s ruler Annihilus looks to be prime suspect. The team suits up and makes their way into the every-dangerous environment.

Once they arrive, they start tracking down the source of the creatures. When they come across what’s happening, it’s a sight they’re not ready to expect. What do they see, better yet WHO do they see? The story begins an epic journey into the unknown as readers are taken on a roller coaster ride of imagination. How will this story unfold from here? Readers will have much excitement to enjoy as this book brings out the strengths and charm of Marvel’s First Family in a vintage tale for everyone.

FANTASTIC FOUR: FULL CIRCLE #1 - On Sale Sept. 6th

Creative: Alex Ross, Josh Johnson, and Ariana Maher

Credit: Marvel Arts (Abrams ComicArts/MARVEL COMICS)

FANTASTIC FOUR: FULL CIRCLE #1 - On Sale Sept. 6th

Creative: Alex Ross, Josh Johnson, and Ariana Maher

Credit: Marvel Arts (Abrams ComicArts/MARVEL COMICS)

What a fantastic read! Ross takes themes from Fantastic Four #51 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (1961) and introduces them to an entire new fan base. Ross steps away from his traditional painted art storytelling style to really hone in on the Kirby energy for this book. The scenes pop from page to page. Take a look at the incredible preview art for this book. When anyone can give the visual impression of recapturing “The King’s” magic, it is one of the highest complements someone can give (IMO). Ross nailed it out of the park. The story felt like a throwback but not losing any appeal to modern readers who might not be as familiar with the early days for the FF.

The story itself was one that carried itself with wonderment. Diving into the world of the Negative Zone can be tricky yet, was pulled off flawlessly here. Tying in other elements of the FF’s world (The banter between Ben & Johnny, Reed’s quest for knowledge) presented excellent moments throughout. At no point did this book feel dated to where it lost interest. It reminded older readers why the Fantastic Four was a staple at the comic shops since the 1960’s. It also catches new readers with how unique it looks and reads. It’s quirky, vibrant and engaging. It’s a fantastic experience all around (pun intended). Great work.

FANTASTIC FOUR: FULL CIRCLE #1 - On Sale Sept. 6th

Creative: Alex Ross, Josh Johnson, and Ariana Maher

Credit: Marvel Arts (Abrams ComicArts/MARVEL COMICS)

FANTASTIC FOUR: FULL CIRCLE #1 - On Sale Sept. 6th

Creative: Alex Ross, Josh Johnson, and Ariana Maher

Credit: Marvel Arts (Abrams ComicArts/MARVEL COMICS)

Overall, Fantastic Four: Full Circle #1 is an excellent story with mind-blowing visuals throughout. Ross takes a risk going away from his traditional style which fans come to expect and wins the gamble. The experience is nothing short of a memorable read that comic fans need to make a point to check out. Don’t miss this book at the comic shops this week.

Hit me up on Twitter and let me know what you thought of Fantastic Four: Full Circle #1. Thanks for reading.