Title: The Avengers Prelude: Fury’s Big Week
Genre: Graphic Novel
Year: 2012
Pages: 100
Origin: Read online during Xmas 2012
Nod Rating: 1 nod out of 5
2012 was the year Marvel cleaned up at the box-office. Their block-buster of a film – The Avengers (or, as rather cumbersomely marketed in the UK as Marvel’s Avengers Assemble) – saw on-screen action of what Stan Lee once billed, “The Earth’s mightiest heroes.” Its success appears to have changed the formula of “franchise” (and the Worm squirms at typing such a word) movies in Hollywood: now the likes of DC and the new owners of the Star Wars brand are frothing at the mouth and rubbing their hands together in the hope of repeating such success.
2012 was also the year of a little known cash-in (ahem, the Worm means tie-in) comic book series: Fury’s Big Week (or, again, to give a rather cumbersome title: Marvel’s The Avengers Preludes: Fury’s Big Week). Printed to prepare fans for the forthcoming movie, its few issues saw a story set within the film-time-line between Iron Man 2 and The Avengers in what is now widely known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The series follows the adventures of Captain Nick Fury (that’s Samuel L. Jackson to those who have watched the films) and his number two, Agent Coulson. The pair put out the fires and dampen the mayhem caused by the marauding heroes, in the hope of tying up loose ends for eager, panting fans. However, a major problem cannot be overcome: the reader who wants to find out more of their comic book heroes is subjected to the administrative process of clearing up their mess. Therefore, there is little consequential action. Furthermore, for anoraks the process can be rendered null and void by the film studio simply ignoring such material; all of which renders the comic series rather pointless. Pointless, that is, apart from stuffing the already overflowing pockets of Marvel studios.
Yes, it is simply a movie tie-in; there to make money, rather than entertain. All of which is a shame, as there was the opportunity to make a bigger, longer lasting impact. For a start, the predictable plot and uninspired dialogue could have been erased and replaced with something that enthused and got a Marvel-fan on the edge of their comic-reading seats. Of course, such a route may have meant a different team given more time to create.
One Marvel website notes how the series is ‘punchy, suspenseful and funny’; all of which is a rather large lie. It is none of these things, and therefore is a comic book run best left well alone. For fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, please await the next instalment in this “franchise” to get your kicks. The wait will be worth it.
Buy it here
