Siege #1
I don’t like the current Marvel universe, one bit, so I was really looking forward to this series. With one simple straightforward story everything could be set right or at least be put on the path to being set right. Now, after reading the first issue the only thing I can say is, what a disappointment.
I don’t really expect a story written today to maintain continuity with a story written thirty years ago. I do, however, expect a story written today to maintain continuity with a story written last month. I’ve been reading the regular Thor series and as of the most recent issue almost all of the Asgardians are in Latveria not Oklahoma. As for Volstagg, he is in Broxton running a dinner not out running around Chicago. SPOILER WARNING Then there is the little problem of Steve Rogers showing up on the last page of the story wearing his Captain America uniform. I’ve been reading Captain America Reborn as well and in that series Steve Rogers isn’t even back among the living yet. END SPOILER WARNING I don’t think these mix-ups are really continuity mix-ups as much as, I think, they are the result of scheduling problems. I think, the events in Siege are meant to be taking place after the conclusion of Captain America Reborn and the “Latverian Prometheus” storyline in the Thor series. The editor could have covered himself and helped the reader make sense of everything by putting in a little editor’s note, at the beginning of the issue, stating when these events take place. Alternatively, Marvel could just make things easier on everybody by getting their books out on schedule and in the proper order.
I had several other complaints about this issue, aside from the continuity or scheduling problems. SPOILER WARNING First off, the story may end with that page showing Captain America but the issue continues on. END SPOILER WARNING The reader, who shelled out $3.99 for this issue, is then treated to three full pages of “CupO’Joe”. Lucky us, three pages of Joe Quesada trying to convince us that everything that has happened since the beginning of “Avengers Disassembled” has all been part of a huge preconceived plan. After we get done with our “CupO’Joe” we get a text piece “Ares War Plan Transcript”. Marvel has done this type of text piece in other series and they can be very useful for providing necessary background information. In this case, we are not quite getting all the information we should since the dialog from the first page is printed again on the third page. I hope we didn’t miss out on anything to important. Seriously, someone does proof read and edit this stuff, right? Once we are done reading about Ares’ war plans we get a six-page preview of Hulk #19. Regardless of how you may feel about the current Hulk series, Siege is the story that is suppose to reshape the Marvel universe, how about giving us more of that story. Siege has a lot to accomplish, in just four issues, so it really needs to have all its pages devoted to the actual story. Besides, for $3.99 an issue, at the very least, the reader deserves to get the story they paid to read.
Overall, the storyline gets off to an OK start, although what was going on with Volstagg at Soldiers Field? SPOILER WARNING I know Bendis wanted a major incident to kick-off this story but come on. Volstagg deflects two energy blasts and it kills everyone in the stadium, that was way over the top. END SPOILER WARNING I’m still going to read this series, because I really want to see the Marvel universe get straighten out. I just have to hope that Siege gets better. Based on issue #1 it has a lot of room for improvement.
Keith Forney