The Last Defenders #2 (Marvel – Casey / Muniz / Smith / Deodato)
The Defenders are back — Nighthawk! Colossus! She-Hulk! The Blazing Skull! — and they’ve got their very own state to protect and serve (just don’t call ’em “new”, True Believers)! The Sons of the Serpent have moved in and only one fully-sanctioned team of super heroes can stop them! But will their first official mission end up as their FINAL mission? Believe it or not … yes!
Not to mention guest-stars galore in the must-have superhero mini-series of 2008!
This might be one of Marvel’s sleeper hits of the year. Tony Stark has hand picked a team to be the New Jersey Defenders and their first mission is a complete bomb; including disorganized plans, endangering lives and huge amounts of collateral damage. It is still unclear as to whether or not Tony picked a team that he wanted to succeed or that new would be doomed to plummet. But, in either case, Tony shuts them down after the one mission and tells them all to get ready for their re-assignment within the Initiative. This is when the heroes show their true colors and go in after a missing SHIELD agent anyway, even without Stark’s blessing. This ragtag group of veterans… and the Blazing Skull (basically an immortal with a flaming head who could be insane… why is he insane you ask? maybe because his head on fire… looks cool in battle but not cool when watching American Idol). Throw in a tad of shadow-ops espionage, some humor, great action, sub-plot starring the Son of Satan and non-linear story-telling and you have a phenomenal book and a must-have trade later this year! This would want me to pick up any book Joe Casey is doing!
Issue Grade: A