Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - Is It Really That Bad? [Review]

[This review contains spoilers for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.]

 

Zack Snyder's DC Comics sequel Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has finally seen release this weekend after many years in production, only to find itself on the receiving end of some truly scathing reviews. This wasn't something I found particularly surprising; having suspected that the film would suffer similar flaws to its predecessor Man of Steel, I released a public service announcement over a month ago warning people not to raise their expectations too high. Needless to say that video was just a drop in the ocean of Batman v Superman coverage and so did little to prevent the heartbreak many DC fans felt this weekend. Many, but not all.

 

Indeed, some fans have left screenings of Dawn of Justice singing the film's praises which ended up leading me to purchase tickets for opening night, as I look for a place to stand on one of the most divisive blockbuster films since... well, Man of Steel I suppose. So the question is, is Batman v Superman really that bad? I would say no. While undoubtedly deeply flawed, Zack Snyder's two and a half hour epic isn't unwatchable -- whether or not that's a compliment is debatable, but frankly it's more than I expected.

 

 

The biggest problem with this movie is the same one present in every Zack Snyder production, and that's a bad case of style over substance. Snyder can undoubtedly create some visually arresting action sequences, but he struggles to understand the humanity in these conflicts. Something I couldn't help but notice was that many of the scenes in this movie failed to make me feel something -- anything in fact.

 

Whether I was watching Amy Adams'  Lois Lane be held at gunpoint, seeing a young Bruce Wayne struggle to come to terms with his parents death, or even witnessing the brutal "death" of Superman (one of the world's most beloved super-heroes, need I remind you), my general feeling throughout this film's runtime was one of indifference. I didn't care when I saw Superman impaled on a spike and that puzzles me.

 

 

I feel that perhaps the root cause of this problem is that the characters in these movies are lacking in something. I hate to compare the DC films to those produced by Marvel Studios, as that would suggest I'm implying all super-hero films should follow the same formula. I don't believe that for a second. However, it's hard to argue against the fact that the Marvel movies have well defined characters, each with a unique personality and it's because of this that they play off each other so well in the Avengers team movies.
 

The DC characters at present are severely lacking strong personalities. Henry Cavill's Superman comes across in this film as little more than a grumpy guy with super powers. Ben Affleck's Batman makes a similar first impression, as a grumpy guy without super powers. I think perhaps this is why I appreciated the presence of Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman quite so much: she was the only character in this film who genuinely seemed like she was having fun.

 

A smile during the overwhelming final battle. A fun remark about how Bruce Wayne has never met a woman quite like Diana Prince. These are miniscule things that go a long way in a film otherwise devoid of any comic relief whatsoever, and carrying an overall tone that is depressing enough to prevent all but the most dedicated DC fans from coming back for repeat viewings.

 

Wonder Woman isn't the only thing this film has going for it; given that her screen-time isn't huge, that would be rather dire indeed. But she is quite possibly the stand-out, which makes me optimistic that perhaps Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman solo movie coming next year could fare better than this film has with critics. Jeremy Irons and Holly Hunter are also worthy of praise, crafting characters with more personality in their relatively minor roles than arguably either of the two lead actors do in this film's entire run-time.

 

A figure of much disagreement has been Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor, who is indeed a drastically different take on Superman's arch-nemesis than we've seen before. I fall somewhere between the groups that love and hate this interpretation of the character, believing that while the performance was by no means disastrous it wasn't compelling enough to justify changing a character who was fine to begin with. Indeed, one can't help but wonder how different this film would be had the fan-casting of Bryan Cranston come to fruition.

Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor was an interesting but unnecessary experiment.

The plot of this movie also isn't entirely without merit. It's true that the premise of the film i.e. watching two characters who have no reason to fight each other doing just that, does feel forced and indeed I feel this film could have been stronger had it been focused on a team-up rather than a showdown between these two iconic characters. Additionally, this film does fall into the trap that many comic-book movies have found themselves in recently (The Amazing Spider-Man 2 perhaps the worst offender), of being more concerned with building a 'cinematic universe' than they are with telling a coherent story.

Cameo appearances from other DC super-heroes while fun for fans to see, do feel somewhat shoe-horned in to a story which really doesn't involve them in any way. Although that being said a certain Flash cameo has the potential to be very exciting if future films can successfully tie into it: that's a big 'if'.

However, credit should be given to screenwriters Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer for juggling all these balls and not ending up with an utter disaster on their hands. Dawn of Justice's plot may be messy but it isn't totally incoherent, and with the exception of a few moments here and there held my attention for the duration.

Batman v Superman perhaps isn't as bad as its harshest critics are claiming, but unfortunately it's too flawed to be called a success. Performances from Gal Gadot, Holly Hunter and Jeremy Irons combined with Snyder's dazzling action sequences provide this film's glimmers of brilliance, but ultimately aren't enough to save it from mediocrity. Having two lead characters with little in the way of personality certainly doesn't help matters, while the scattered story pales in comparison to some of the much more sophisticated work found in the comic-books from which this movie takes inspiration. As I stated earlier in this review, Batman v Superman is watchable but by no means is it the masterpiece many fans were no doubt hoping for.

 

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Review: 10 Cloverfield Lane

10 Cloverfield Lane made headlines when its first trailer debuted in front of screenings for Michael Bay's 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, not only for being connected in some way to the 2007 cult hit Cloverfield but also for how much of its production was done in secrecy; that's no mean feat in the era of information leaks. Fans hoped that the film would live up to their great expectations (let us not forget that a Cloverfield sequel has been wished for by many for some time now), and I'm pleased to say that 10 Cloverfield Lane truly is a fantastic film although perhaps not the one fans of the original were hoping for.

 

Indeed, if you were optimistic this film would shed light on the nature of the so-called Cloverfield Monster then you will be left disappointed, as producer J.J. Abrams insists that this film does not even take place in the same continuity as the found-footage sci-fi flick released nine years prior. But while you won't find answers in a screening of 10 Cloverfield Lane, what you will find is a well-written atmospheric thriller which deserves to be recognised as far more than just "Cloverfield's sort-of sequel," but as an impressive drama feature in its own right.

 

The film follows the story of Mary Elizabeth Winstead's Michelle who upon waking up in a doomsday bunker is left to wonder whether the world above her is quite as uninhabitable as her captor Howard (John Goodman) claims: and she's not the only person struggling to make her mind up. Throughout this movie I found myself trying and failing to unpick the true nature of this situation as we the audience are constantly being thrown to different conclusions for the duration of this rollercoaster story. This makes for a thrilling viewing experience, one that quite literally had me on the edge of my seat for almost the entirety of the climactic second half.

One must praise all three of the lead performances for being truly stellar; Winstead is compelling as the main protagonist, while Goodman consistently manages to expertly walk the line between caring and creepy creating one of the more complex characters of mainstream cinema so far this year. 10 Cloverfield Lane's unsung hero may well be John Gallagher Jr., who lacks both Winstead's screen-time and the mystery of Goodman's Howard but nonetheless plays a pivotal role here as Michelle's fellow captor Emmett.

Where 10 Cloverfield Lane has proven divisive is in its final act where a drastic shift in tone has left some scratching their heads. Personally, I enjoyed even this part of the film as I was so invested in Winstead's character by this point that little could have taken me out of this immersive story, however I can understand why some would see these final scenes as an odd change of pace.

In spite of this contentious finale 10 Cloverfield Lane remains a remarkably strong film, one that is without a doubt worth your time and money. Familiarity with the first Cloverfield entry is entirely optional as those with no knowledge of that experimental sci-fi feature will still find themselves wrapped up in the intense human drama this movie provides.

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PaleyFest: Scream Queens Season 2 Cast, Plot Revealed

Ryan Murphy's Scream Queens was something of a surprise renewal earlier this year, but even after getting the greenlight for a second season the future direction of the show was still uncertain. Would Murphy enlist an entirely new cast in the style of FX's anthology series Fargo, or would the stars of the first season return for another round of tongue-in-cheek scares?

(from left) Billie Lourd, Emma Roberts and Abigail Breslin in Scream Queens

Yesterday, the latter was revealed to be true as at the PaleyFest Scream Queens panel, co-creator Brad Fulchuk announced many of the shows cast members would be returning for the show's sophomore season. In fact, the only people absent from the panel were Oliver Hudson and Skyler Samuels who played the father-daughter duo Grace and Wes during the show's first year; given that neither names appear in a promotional video released by FOX yesterday (see below), we can probably assume that the pair will only appear in the second season in small roles if at all.

RT to welcome the returning #ScreamQueens cast! #PaleyFest pic.twitter.com/P75H7ULrJ2

— Scream Queens (@ScreamQueens) 13 March 2016 

 

Plot details were also announced as it was revealed the show's second season will take place in a hospital owned and run by Jamie Lee Curtis' Dean Munsch, who decides to move into the world of healthcare after being inspired by a trip around the world. Keke Palmer's Zayday Williams will have graduated to the position of trainee doctor under Munsch's watchful eye, but as things start going horribly awry once again Niecy Nash's Denise Hemfield (now an FBI agent) will be dragged in to get to the bottom of a new mystery.

 

Lea Michele's unhinged killer Hester and the now institutionalised Chanels (Emma Roberts, Abigail Breslin and Billie Lourd) will also play a role in this new story as will Glen Powell's Chad Radwell.

Season 1 of Scream Queens in retrospect

The first season of Scream Queens had the misfortune of a weak pilot which overplayed the spoilt nature of Emma Roberts' Chanel Oberlin, while underplaying the show's tongue-in-cheek horror aspects and the unique personalities of the show's other main characters. I truly believe this pilot was at least partly to blame for the show's subsequent ratings struggle as many viewers were turned off by such a bad first impression.

 

This is a great shame as for those who stuck with the show, Scream Queens became something of an obsession. The show provided some very memorable personalities, shocking plot twists with every episode, often hilarious satire and enough gore to please fans of the horror genre.

 

While the season finale perhaps wasn't as fulfilling as fans hoped it would have been, it was an adequate end to a memorable run and has left this fan looking to season two with optimism. Expect Scream Queens to have a prominent presence at this year's TEN Film and Television Awards, the nominees of which are to be announced sometime in the next week.

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Arrow, Flash, and Legends Included in The CW's Renewal Spree

In a similar style to last year, the CW has chosen to renew every scripted television series currently airing on their network. In some cases this isn't surprising; their DC Comics shows Arrow, The Flash and newcomer Legends of Tomorrow have been strong performers, while Supernatural has also held onto its remarkable popularity despite its age.

 

However, up until now some of the CW's shows were far from a sure bet for renewal. Indeed, despite critical acclaim shows like Jane the Virgin and particularly Rachel Bloom's new addition to the slate musical-comedy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend have struggled to find an audience. The renewal of both shows can be put down in large part to their awards nominations, with Jane the Virgin's Gina Rodriguez winning Best Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy at the 2015 Golden Globes (the first win the CW has ever received at that ceremony), while Rachel Bloom walked home with the same award at this year's show for her work on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

 

 

The full list of renewed CW shows can be found below:

 

The 100 renewed for season four

Arrow renewed for season five

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend renewed for season two

The Flash renewed for season three

iZombie renewed for season three

Jane the Virgin renewed for season three

Legends of Tomorrow renewed for season two

The Originals renewed for season four

Reign renewed for season four

Supernatural renewed for season twelve

The Vampire Diaries renewed for season eight

 

The CW has one new series yet to air, titled Containment. Only time will tell if that show will be fortunate enough to gain a renewal as well.

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The Finest Hours: A $75 Million Flop For Disney

In a month where Gods of Egypt has hogged all headlines relating to box office flops, Disney CEO Bob Iger announces the studio is to lose $75 million on The Finest Hours, the ocean-rescue film starring Chris Pine which was released in the last week of January 2016. The film's budget has not been officially released, but is expected to be at around the $80 million mark not including advertising costs; at the worldwide box office the film was able to bring in only $44 million.

 

 

While by no means reviled the film certainly wasn't a hit with many film critics and this combined with the lack of interest in the true story The Finest Hours was retelling, likely contributed to the film's failure to find an audience. However, much of the blame will undoubtedly be placed at the feet of star Chris Pine who time and time again has proven himself to be box office poison.

 

The film joins Horrible Bosses 2, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, and People Like Us on the list of box office disappointments Pine has starred in, while even the actor's safety net Star Trek franchise has fallen on hard times with 2013's sequel Into Darkness predicted to have made a measly profit of just $29 million once all the film's expenses were accounted for.

 

Coming up in 2016 Pine has the third instalment in the Star Trek franchise hitting theatres in July, and a heist crime film by the name of Comancheria based on a script from Hollywood's 2012 Black List with no release date at the time of writing. Additionally, the actor was recently added to the cast of 2017's Wonder Woman solo movie in the role of Steve Trevor.

 

Source

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Sandman Loses Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gains Eric Heisserer

It's been a rollercoaster week for Warner Brother's film adaptation of the cult classic Neil Gaiman comic-book, Sandman. On Friday 4th March, it was announced that screenwriter Eric Heisserer (best known for his work on the remakes of Nightmare on Elm Street and The Thing) had come on board with the project, and was rewriting a script originally penned by Jack Thorne.

 

Whether or not this is good news for the project is tough to say, although it is hard to ignore that neither of the remakes Heisserer is associated with were critical success stories. What came next however, was definitely a blow for Sandman as just twenty-four hours later Joseph Gordon-Levitt abandoned the production that he'd been attached to for many years.

 

Gordon-Levitt was initially expected to both direct and star in the film, but in a post on his Facebook page the actor explained that since the project had been passed down to WB subsidiary New Line, he no longer felt comfortable fulfilling those duties.

...a few months ago, I came to realise that the folks at New Line and I just don't see eye to eye on what makes Sandman special, and what a film adaptation could/should be. So unfortunately, I decided to remove myself from the project. I wish nothing but the best for the team moving forward.

Gordon-Levitt, who made his directorial debut with 2013's Don Jon, went on to thank the people he worked with on Sandman including David S. Goyer, Niija Kuykendall, Greg Silverman and the aforementioned Jack Thorne.

 

The adaptation is still moving forward, however the loss of perhaps its strongest advocate is undoubtedly going to be a set-back for this already long in-development production.

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PSA: Batman v Superman Might Be Terrible

The hype for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is through the roof with many fans now convinced the film will be comic-book filmmaking at its finest. The Entertainment Network's David Craig isn't quite so sure.

 

 

Below is a public service announcement intending to prevent the heartbreak of the many film fans expecting big things from Batman v Superman, who have apparently forgotten 2013's hugely disappointing Man of Steel:

 

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Review: The Almighties #0

Indie comic creator Sam Johnson collaborates with fellow writer Mike Gagnon for this latest offering, The lmighties #0. The book is Actuality Press' deranged answer to super-team comics and contains numerous fun moments although isn't without its flaws. As most zero issues are, this book is mostly concerned with set-up and introduction; we get to meet each of the key team members, learn about their origins and get a hint as to where the plot of this book may go in future issues. Johnson and Gagnon hit all their plot threads with efficiency, although admittedly there's little new about this approach of introducing team members one by one. Its been done many times before and is somewhat formulaic.

That being said the issue is engaging, and although the characters are mostly obvious parodies of well-known super-heroes they show promise to come into their own as this series progresses. The most compelling is probably Ms. F who seems more grounded than her wackier team-mates making her easier to connect with, and her current situation which sees her struggling to find a place in the world after leaving a long, unhappy marriage is something I'm sure many people could relate to. The relationship between her and retired super-hero The Kruncher is genuinely believable, making these two characters quite possibly the standouts of this debut.

The Almighties is as you would expect a comedy book and indeed there is some fun quipping to be had here and a bizarre final page reveal which is very much reflective of this book's tongue-in-cheek nature. That being said not all the jokes hit the mark and some don't land quite as well as they were intended, particularly those in the Wayne Winston segment of the issue. Winston is The Almighties answer to Deadpool and so naturally has the strangest origin story and scenes in this book. I felt like Johnson and Gagnon were really working hard to sell this character to me, but by the issue's end I still feel apprehensive about accepting yet another Deadpool parody. The market for Deadpool-esque characters just feels saturated at the moment, and I'm not sure if there's much here to set Winston apart from other eccentric mercenaries currently trying to make names for themselves.

Although Actuality's comic-book universe is very young, it does have a lived-in feel to it which is nice. Events and characters are referenced which help build a history for this world without making it feel bogged down in continuity. While I felt the Wayne Winston segment of this book was one of the weaker parts, I did like the idea of Subterrannea: the underground world which he and his family call home. The nature of the environment and its creepy inhabitants were a fun addition to the Actuality world, one that I hope develops and comes into play again further down the line as there's a lot of potential for cool stories to take place there.

The issue is illustrated by five different artists - Pablo Zambrano, Eleonora Kortsarz, Ron Gravelle, Fran Jung and Graham Pearce - with each doing a solid job even if some were stronger than others. The panel layouts weren't the most original I've ever seen however I'm aware that only so much can be done on an indie comic budget. Generally I enjoyed the art, and felt that the different styles were well-suited to their respective characters e.g. a more realistic style for the grounded Ms. F, a more cartoonish style for the insanity of Wayne Winston. It was a nice touch which helped establish separate identities for each of Johnson and Gagnon's characters.

Overall, The Almighties #0 was a solid debut for Actuality Press' new team of heroes. It wasn't a flawless opening chapter with some flat punchlines here and there, and some characters that require more fleshing out. That being said this series does have a lot of potential, and I'm interested to see where it goes next. You can check out some preview pages below.

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The Almighties #0 Wayne Winston Variant Edition is out now - along with a chance for newcomers to catch up on the team's debut adventure in The Almighties #1 2nd Printing – both available at www.almightiesamass.com

Preview: The Almighties #0

(click to enlarge)

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Superman: American Alien #1 - What The Critics Are Saying

Superman: American Alien #1 is the first issue in a seven-part mini-series written by screenwriter Max Landis, which explores who Clark Kent is at seven different points in his life. The series is to have a new artist for each installment, with Nick Dragotta fulfilling art duties for issue one and the likes of Jock, Francis Manapul and Jae Lee stepping in for future issues. The series has been surrounded by a significant level of hype due mainly to Landis' passionate opinions about Superman which he has voiced online in several YouTube videos. The first issue finally saw release last Wednesday and this is what critics around the Internet had to say:

The Writing

The first issue of American Alien centers on Clark's attempts to master his flying abilities, while exploring the emotional consequences of being so wildly different from those you're surrounded by. Generally, most critics agreed that this issue was executed engagingly in spite of the fact it takes place during a time in Clark's life which has been featured heavily in previous stories. This is summed up in a review by IGN's Jesse Schedeen who believes that Landis has found "another novel approach" to telling stories about Superman's formative years. Most frequently praised was Landis' characterization of staple figures from the Superman mythos, with Jordan Richards of Adventures in Poor Taste saying in his review that "the characterization is on point for everyone, even Johnathan Kent (who I was a bit worried about early on), and it leads to a lot of tenderness throughout the book, which feels genuine and believable." Multiversity Comics' Keith Dooley agrees claiming Landis, "makes iconic and very familiar characters like Clark, Martha and Johnathan his own by exploring their thoughts through dialogue, action and a particularly powerful final two pages."

Indeed, this story appears to be a character driven tale - something not wholly surprising when considered Landis made it clear in one of his Superman YouTube videos 'Regarding Clark' that, "plot has never really fascinated me, character does." However, this focus on character over story hasn't pleased everyone and there were some critics who felt dissatisfied by Landis' latest comic-book offering. Oz Longworth over at Black Nerd Problems claimed the story carried through this issue boils down to, "Clark is scared of flight and then he's not." Newsarama's Pierce Lydon also felt this issue left something to be desired describing the character moments as "cutesy fluff", and claiming the book suffered as so much has already been said about this part of Clark's life that there's little else new to bring to the table. Lydon goes on to say that, "There's no way for Landis to surprise us. We know he'll learn to fly, and Landis is only able to give us a poorly conceived conflict at a drive-in movie to inject some kind of stakes into the book." This point is countered by Comic Book Resources who claim that the book is "not about believing a boy can fly; it's about why he doesn't want to."


The Art

The artwork in this issue has been provided by Nick Dragotta and Alex Guimaraes, to a mixed response from critics. Many praised this art team for their work here with Dragotta singled out for packing his characters with emotion which made them easy to connect with. IGN explain in their review that he "perfectly captures Clark's early attempts at flying and the raw emotion at play as Johnathan and Martha struggle to keep their son safe and deal with his unusual condition." Multiversity Comics echoes this opinion, saying that "Dragotta wrings emotions from the characters that are visceral and oftentimes heartbreaking in their execution." In the same review Guimaraes' colors received acclaim, with writer Keith Dooley praising him for his decision not to "intrude on the art with gaudy colors," and instead highlight "the emotional symbolism and beats of the story." Comic Book Resources were also a fan of Guimaraes work, singling him out for immersing Smallville in "lush pastels for a timeless sense of idyllic Americana." Black Nerd Problems also praised the work of this art team as "unquestionably gorgeous."

However, the art was not to everyone's liking with Dragotta's style taking criticism from some review sites. Adventures in Poor Taste said in their review that, "his characters can look a bit too cartoonish and exaggerated for their own good," with Newsarama agreeing that the stylized nature of Dragotta's characters meant that when Clark has an emotional outburst it's, "that much harder to take him seriously."

General Consensus:
Superman: American Alien #1 is definitely worth trying for those interested in getting inside Clark Kent's head and attempting to understand the mind of a young Man of Steel. However, those who prefer a grand in scope story as opposed to a more intimate character study may find themselves disappointed by Max Landis' latest comic-book offering. The artwork by Nick Dragotta and Alex Guimaraes also proved to be divisive, with some fans taking issue with the stylized design choices made by this creative team. Although, it is worth noting that others were quite enamored with these changes and so ultimately your opinion on the look of this book may come down simply to personal preference.

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All-New All-Different Avengers #1: What The Critics Are Saying

Perhaps the most high profile book of the post-Secret Wars Marvel relaunch, All-New All-Different Avengers #1 teams superstar writer Mark Waid with artists Adam Kubert and Mahmud Asrar. The book revolves around a newly formed Avengers team that includes Thor, Captain America and Iron Man, alongside the younger more inexperienced heroes Nova, Ms Marvel and Miles Morales aka Spider-Man. With a strong creative team at the helm and a cast of popular characters, this book has a lot of potential to be a hit with readers: but what was the verdict when it hit shelves on Wednesday?

The Writing

All-New All-Different Avengers #1 is comprised of two stories, a main and a back-up. The main storyline centres on the new Avengers team as it begins to form, coming together in the wake of an attack by a Chitauri warlord. The main story drew some criticism for feeling somewhat formulaic especially for a book with the words "all-new" in the title. Indeed, Adventures in Poor Taste writer Jordan Richards said that the "only real problem with this story is that the entirety of the issue is pretty much just set up with little excitement." This was a verdict shared by some critics, with Newsarama's Justin Partridge agreeing that it was unfortunate that the book "adheres to the team-building trope of not bringing the team together just yet." Other critics expressed disappointment that some of the characters on Alex Ross' stunning cover don't end up making an appearance in this issue. The most volatile reaction to this decision may have come from Comic Book Revolution where the book received its most negative review, with writer Rokk showing dissatisfaction at the possibility of "one of those dull four to eight issue story arcs where we have to sit through the hackneyed opening story arc approach of assembling the team."

However, while some people did find the execution of this opening issue to be less than original, it should be stressed that this book received much praise in other areas - for example, its characterisation. Comicosity's Allen Thomas commended Mark Waid for understanding his characters "in a very deep, introspective way," and for "bringing out the unique aspects," of each member of his cast. Comic Book Resources' Jim Johnson agreed that "the consistency of characterization is a refreshing effort on Waid's part, as he respects the events of the characters' main titles while still bringing his own skill and style to the issue." This dedication to respecting plot threads from titles across the Marvel relaunch was brought up in a few reviews in a mostly positive context, however IGN writer Jeff Lake did raise the issue that as, "we're still in the infancy of this post Secret Wars world, not all of these plot threads line up quite as easily as others."

The light-hearted back-up story featuring Nova and Ms. Marvel titled "You're A Jerk," received a warm reception from many critics - in some cases, warmer than that which the main story received. Indeed, Multiversity Comics writer Stephenson Ardern-Sodje wrote in his review that the back-up story, "definitely interested me more, even though the story seems largely detached from the main narrative." Waid was widely praised for making the awkward first meeting of Sam Alexander and Kamala Khan feel genuine, and filling it with humorous and relatable moments. Comic Book Resources explained that this "hilariously painful dynamic" made the story a "wonderful" read, while IGN declared that it was "social awkwardness at its finest." That being said, as has already been mentioned the story has relatively little to do with the main plot of this book, and this led some to wonder whether it was the best decision to include it here. Multiversity Comics said "its inclusion feels as though it's stealing pages from the 'main' narrative," an opinion shared by IGN who claimed that the addition of this back-up left the main story "feeling surprisingly brisk for such a marquee launch."

The Art

The art in this book is completed by two separate creative teams, with the main story by Adam Kubert and Sonia Obak and the back-up by Mahmud Asrar and Dave McCaig. Both teams were given much praise in reviews for this opening issue. Adventures in Poor Taste said in their review that Kubert's "layouts are easy to read and flow well," with the artist being called out most for his work on an opening sequence in which Captain America saves a family whose vehicle was plummeting off the Queensboro Bridge. Comicosity described these panels as "incredibly dynamic" while Comic Book Resources thought Kubert's work gave the "opening sequence a cinematic quality." But Kubert seemingly kept a high level of quality even when the action died down, as Multiversity Comics explain that "his panelling is inventive enough to flit between conversations in cars and high-impact laser assaults and switch gears accordingly."

Asrar also garnered much acclaim for his work in the back-up story, with Adventures in Poor Taste going as far to say that Asrar's art was "even better" than Kubert's. Critics were most fond of Asrar's portrayal of Nova and Ms Marvel's more subtle expressions and body language, with IGN saying that his "pitch perfect facial cues align wonderfully with Waid's increasingly awkward introspection." Meanwhile, Multiversity Comics also praised this aspect of Asrar's art, pointing out that "the deftness of his micro-expressions makes for a truly awkward exchange between Sam and Kamala that is funny and tense in equal measure."

General Consensus:

While anchored by some strong character moments, the story in All-New All-Different Avengers #1 feels somewhat by-the numbers and could perhaps have used more space to develop - space taken up in this issue by a fun if inconsequential back-up story featuring Nova and Ms. Marvel. However, most critics saw potential for this series to come into its own in future issues, and the artwork by Adam Kubert and Mahmud Asrar was met with universal acclaim.

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