That’s right, the classic creative team behind Justice League International and Formerly Known As the Justice League, co-writers Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis and artist Kevin Maguire, are uniting at Marvel to do a tongue-in-cheek Defenders miniseries!
I have to admit, I’ve never given a damn about the Defenders. Hulk, Namor, Dr. Strange, and the Silver Surfer have to be some of my least favorite characters of all time. (I’ve never liked big strong brutish characters, haughty royalty, water-themed characters, mystics, or cosmic characters–and add mythological beings like Thor to my dislike list too.)
But I’ll still probably buy this. I’m a JLI fan from way back.
I just pray to Og at the end of this mini-series, it doesn’t lead to a crossover event where Clea’s mysterious death at the hands of an onknown assailant in a faux-locked room mystery causes the Marvel Universe to go all a-twitter, leading to the discovery that The Wasp killed her in an botched attempt to reconcile with Ant-Man, leaving Dr. Strange to commune with Clea’s spirit nightly as he goes to bed. God, that would suck.
I’ll definitely be picking it up. I like the Defenders (I’m one of the few who likes the Erik Larsen series) and I think anything Giffen, DeMatteis, and Maguire do is absolute gold.
Of course, I’d rather they be doing a Superbuddies series over at DC. Stupid Identity Crisis.
The Defenders was the first Marvel title I followed with any regularity, starting with issue #7 in 1973 (Right before the Avengers/Defenders war). I sure hope Hellcat and Valkyrie figure prominently in the storyline!
Oh, I should point out that all three of these creators have history with the Defenders. Keith Giffen drew the book for about two years (from #41 to #63, with highlights including Scorpio, the Ringer and a couple others). DeMatteis wrote the book for possibly longer than any other scripter, roughly issues 90-110, and Maguire drew a “Return of the Defenders” story in some annuals in the late 80s. So this teaming isn’t exactly out of left field. Bwa ha ha!
I just thought no way, then I looked at #43… gosh. He wasn’t stylized yet so I didn’t recognize it as his work. This work was good. Looks like he only did up to #54 going by the splash pages. Klaus Janson really liked to pour on the ink.
Chic Stone inked #52 and it looks more Giffenish.
He did one of the last DC Comics Presents with The Creeper. It was so angular and well ugly I could not read it… Out a whole $0.75!
I didn’t like Sienkiewicz less than I didn’t like Giffen… I know, I’m a philistine.