Customer Reviews

Essential Defenders, Vol. 1 (Marvel Essentials)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was a comic collector as a child. My series of choice was the Fantastic Four, but my little brother, for some reason, chose The Defenders. While the FF was quite familial and somewhat ideal, The Defenders seemed a bit more dysfunctional, offbeat and dark.

Back in the 70s, it seemed no matter where we picked up in the series, it always felt like we were walking in to the middle of a story. Even issue number one starts with the group in place, the enemy familiar. Where did Valkyrie come from? How did this group get together? How do you fit the egos of Dr. Strange, Hulk, and Subby in one room? It was a nagging source of annoyance, to be sure, although we still enjoyed the series.

While The Defenders began with Dr. Strange, the Sub-Mariner, and the Hulk, (and, it might be argued, the Silver Surfer) the real core of the group, it would later turn out, would become Dr. Strange, as leader and mentor; Valkyrie, a mythological warrior-woman abruptly imposed on the persona of an insane woman; and Nighthawk, a grown-up bumbling rich kid with perpetual bad luck. The Hulk remained, too, providing muscle, comic relief, and foil where needed.

The Defenders' first act was told slowly. This volume, with its collected 26 comics (of which only 14 were from the actual Defenders' series) is essentially the origin of the Defenders.

For the record, this book compiles the first 14 issues of The Defenders with Marvel Feature 1-3 (the first real Defenders books, prior to getting their own series), Avengers 115-118 (the Avengers/Defenders war), Dr. Strange 183, Sub-Mariner 22, 34-35, and Incredible Hulk 126.

It starts with the issue of Dr. Strange. No one else, no guest stars, but we do meet the primary villains for this volume, who will ultimately bring everyone together and forge the creation of the Valkyrie.

Then we move to an issue of the Sub-Mariner's mag, where we learn more about the mystery villains from the Dr. Strange story. Strange himself meets Subby for the first time.

The story continues in an issue of the Hulk's mag, wherein we meet Barbara and Jack Norris. Barbara will eventually become Valkyrie; Jack will show up at some point in the Defenders series to claim her (look for Jack again in Essential Defenders 2), and remain as a central supporting character for much of the series.

The book is full of interweaving plot lines from various sources, which is really what sets it apart from other Essential Marvel books. For example, in the Avengers/Defenders War cross-over story, they actually interrupt an issue of The Defenders with an excerpt from The Avengers series in a way that is absolutely appropriate. In this format, finally, it is all simple and makes sense.

Whoever put this book together had love in their hearts for this series. It's a lot of fun to read and to see how this dark horse team of dark horse heroes got its start. This team will resonate well with the kids in high school who were the outsiders; those who were not interested in sports, were smart but not dedicated enough to become valedictorian, and hung around in groups no one paid much attention to but which they themselves took much pride in.

I am eagerly awaiting The Essential Defenders Vol. 2, where Steve Gerber takes over as writer of the series, combining his talent for the bizarre and satirical in a super-hero format. It is Gerber who gave the series its unique flavor, which remained after he left it. It will be fun to re-live the scenes of Nighthawk's exposed brain in a cereal bowl on a table, complete with what looks like milk, while Nebulon re-appears to help the world get in touch with its inner bozo. Hopefully, when it is delivered to my door, it won't be handed to me by an elf -- with a gun! (*blam!*)

During one of my several friendly conversations with my local comic book store proprietor, I had heard the name of the Defenders mentioned with much reverence, though I was not aware of them at the time. After asking clarification, I learned that the Defenders were the second attempt by Marvel at an amalgamated supergroup (after the Avengers, of course) and their original line-up was: Dr. Strange, the Sub-Mariner, the Silver Surfer, and the Hulk. Whoa! And I thought the original Avengers had a little too much muscle. The owner's opinion on the Defenders' mystique could be summed up with this one sentence: "When the most horrible menace to Earth appeared, you'd want to call the Defenders, and you'd hope that they all showed up". Now that I've read the Essential Defenders #1, I completely understand where he was coming from.

This multi-issue compilation kicks off with a story about the Undying Ones ... the very same sloppily written story that was thrown together to try and justify Dr. Strange's cancellation ... the story which I had just finished reading in the Essential Dr. Strange #2 (it's actually important later on, but still, ick). After being reminded of that travesty, I next came to a two-parter from ol' Subby's mag in which he enlists the help of the Hulk and the Silver Surfer to destroy a human-made weather machine that could destroy the world. It's not a great story, but I guess it made some writers and fans think, "Hey. These three guys make a pretty good team." Thus, our next stop is in Marvel Feature #1 where, along with the deserved return of Dr. Strange, the Defenders are born.

The Defenders face a wide variety of villains from all corners of the Marvel Universe (baddies who normally fought Strange, the Sub-Mariner, Thor, the FF, the Avengers, or the X-Men are all fair game), but this team is defined not by their foes but by their own unique team dynamic (or lack thereof). By this time in Marveldom, there were already 100+ issues of the Avengers, a government-sanctioned team of civic-minded supers who knew the value of teamwork and could compliment the others' strengths (and who also probably weren't popular enough to warrant their own solo series). Not so for the Defenders. These four guys were long-time loners by choice or by fate and they were used to relying on no one but themselves. Most early issues begin with Dr. Strange (who is considered to be the leader if only because he's the most sociable) struggling to find the others and convincing them to join him on a new mission, and not always being successful. Their differences are substantial (they're not a family like the FF or part of a group like the X-Men), their arguments are vitriolic, and just about every story ends with them leaving in a huff. I think the only reason why they kept coming back together at all is because, in the farthest regions of their minds, they do realize that they make a great team. This is why I feel that the Defenders represent one of the bigger successes of the more relatable, non-traditional superheroes that Stan Lee had envisioned in the beginning. They are powerful and interesting individuals, sure, but they are also just as susceptible to their egos and personalities as a regular human being (if not more so) in having ambitions or ideas that clash with those of their friends. While their external conflicts are as interesting as any other teams, their internal conflicts are the most likely reason you will keep reading. Hence, the Defenders clearly earn and take pride in their sobriquet as the "non-team" (plus, since they're usually not together, it's easy for them all to hold on to their own magazines, so that's more money in the bank for Marvel).

As well as the original roster worked, the writers weren't afraid to try adding on to it. The first decision (a good one, in my opinion) was to make the Defenders a home for the Valkyrie (She's a fierce warrior, she can bench-press a car, and she still adds a feminine touch to the Doc's little boy's club). Those who have read the Essentials Avengers #3 and Hulk #3 may remember the Valkyrie as a persona that the evil Enchantress temporarily bestowed on man-hating women. But in this collection she finds a permanent home with the girl who accompanied the Hulk to the realm of the Undying Ones, only to be trapped there when she freed Dr. Strange from bondage (I like the character so much I'm now actually a little happy I read that horrible story). The late, lamented bowman Hawkeye joins for a stint (Update: It seems that Hawkeye has returned to this mortal coil, according to the "House of M" crossover event of last summer. As one of my comic vendors once said, "I hope I die a Marvel death"). Speaking of hawks, repentant former Squadron Sinister mainstay Nighthawk signs on during the last two stories (From what I know about him, he's rich, he's an acrobat, and he has a cape and a beak. Oh well. Welcome to the party, Bird-Nose!).

Last but certainly not least, this book contains in its entirety the eight-issue event known as the Avengers-Defenders War. I've seen a lot of superheroes-fighting-each-other-due-to-a-great-big-misunderstanding tales before, but this is easily the best one that I know about. I really don't want to ruin any of it for the rest of you; you just have to read it for yourself. Nuff said!

Marvel could not have gotten it more correct. The Defenders is one of their better choices for an Essentials package. Speaking of one of the eager fans who was around at the time, one was not aware there was this non-team grouping appearing throughout various of magazines until suddenly Marvel Feature #1 appeared. Now the stories can be gathered and enjoyed in a running sequence as originally presented throughout the magazine of the Hulk, Dr. Stranger, and the Sub-Mariner. The added plus is that then one also gets the best of original Defenders comic book series, including the introduction of Valkyrie, Nighthawk becoming a hero, and the justly famous Defenders-Avengers battle. The only thing keeping this volume from being perfect is that it could not have stretched a little farther to include the battle with Magneto and a few of the very good Giant-Size Defenders stories. Nothing's perfect, but this come blissfully close.

Back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, in the heyday of my Marvel comics purchasing, there were really four superhero teams: the Avengers (the heavy hitters, organized and government sanctioned); the Fantastic Four (essentially, a family unit), the X-Men (technically, a group of classmates at a special school) and the Defenders, the non-team. I first started my Defenders reading around issue 50, and with Essential Defenders #1, I have at long last seen how they got started.

The Defenders were a group of "loner" heroes who never worked well in a team environment. The Hulk was like a child with a constant temper tantrum who could not play well with others. The Sub-Mariner was torn between the surface world and his ocean empire and generally had no love of humanity. Dr. Strange, haughty but generally good hearted, typically operated in an environment that was radically different from other heroes. Soon joined by the aloof but benevolent alien, the Silver Surfer, this trio united only when the occasions demanded it, typically when there was a threat to the entire planet. Otherwise, they wanted little to do with each other.

To me, the comic book really hit its stride with the introduction of the Valkyrie (in the middle of this volume). While the other characters were more or less standalone, the Valkyrie was not; she was defined by being a Defender and in turn, helped define what the Defenders were all about. Soon enough, there would be others, including - by the time I really started reading these comics - Nighthawk (who joins at the end of this book) and Hellcat. The more well-known characters began to take a back seat and the Defenders developed their own unique identity.

But that is beyond what this volume offers, which ends with issue #14. In this book, the Defenders are more hazily defined as a team (or non-team), but there are still some entertaining stories, especially a crossover with the Avengers, which forces the two teams to clash before dealing with the combined threat of Loki and Dormammu. Overall, this rates a high four stars, and I am looking forward to the eventual release of Essential Defenders #2.

I approached this volume without any prior knowledge of or interest in the Defenders, so this review won't discuss the monumental events contained within that may or may not have shaped Defenders history. Instead, as a complete novice to this "un-team," what really resonates about this volume is the intense characterization that Steve Englehart brings to the stories. I'm used to tedious early essential volumes that show the history of how it all began, but which are generally limited by dated style and narrative, as well as a less than fleshed out understanding of the character or team. When, for example, you want to read the best Fantastic Four stories ever printed, you don't go back to the very first issues. And yet, only a few stories into this first Defenders volume, the characterization begins to soar in ways that would make modern day writers kneel in awe.

The pre-Defenders stories in this volume fall short in most respects (they are included for historical/continuity reasons), and the first three stories in Marvel Feature are true sleepers. Yet, somehow, these stories left the fans demanding more Defenders stories, and that brings us to Defenders #1, where Steve Englehart takes over as writer, ably backed by artist Sal Buscema. This is the stretch that really makes vol. 1 an absolute delight to experience. I first realize what Englehart is bringing to these characters when I experience passages like "They pass an oddly disturbing painting, and enter a stairwell that seems, to Sub-Mariner, to rise higher than the scope of the house, and it occurs to Namor--as it has occurred to others--how little he truly knows about the mystic called...Dr. Strange." Here, a simple description of Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum, as perceived by Namor, casts a powerful aura about the character of Doctor Strange. He feels real and mysterious instead of colorful and two-dimensional.

This character-intensive treatment continues as we explore the intricate morality of Namor, seeing The Sub-Mariner go off in a blind rage to repay Silver Surfer for attacking him, yet stopping to prevent the Hulk from engaging an army of giant apes affiliated with The Surfer because the apes have not made the first move. Namor in particular, frequently becomes a vehicle through which Englehart is able to explore the differing moralities and codes of ethics belonging to each member of the team. Sure enough, each member has a clear sense of right and wrong, but those senses are not always compatible.

Englehart's mastery also includes the further development of The Silver Surfer, an advanced and generally benign cosmic entity trapped on Earth. Englehart puts the Surfer on a path to make sense of his situation and, more than that, allows the character to become a contradiction. In the past, Norrin Radd had always been the perfect, Christ-like entity who judged and yet forgave the human race for its fear and rashness. Yet, in this volume, though the Surfer still espouses these beliefs, we also see him make rash judgments and even confess to Doctor Strange that he fears him because he does not understand his powers. For someone who has followed The Surfer from the beginning (as I have), these are big steps in the development of his character. After all, it's far easier to identify with a hero who possesses flaws, and it's far easier to admire a hero who is aware of those flaws.

There is, perhaps, less to be done with a simple character like the Hulk, but Englehart still makes him shine, delivering outrageously fun lines like "Shut up, monkey! Hulk does not want to hear you!" while charging into combat with a giant man-ape. The Hulk also explores his own limited sense of ethics/morality as he muses on the value of friendship and his continual irritation at being ordered around and used by the Defenders.

Of course, there's also the fascinating character of Valkyrie, introduced partway through this volume, who must reconcile the fact that she is a singularly strong-willed Nordic goddess sharing a body with an insane woman. If that's not a compelling premise for a character, I'm not sure what is.

Rare is an Essential volume that is truly worth reading from beginning to end. Rarer yet is a volume of stories done so well that their quality easily rivals or surpasses what's being printed today. Essential Defenders vol. 1 features some of the best characterization you'll ever find in a Marvel Essential edition, plus it features the historic beginning of a time-honored comic book team. Whether you approach this volume looking for history, strong art, tight continuity, "Shut up, Monkey!" action, or abundant characterization, this volume will not disappoint.

If the Defenders kept their original line up of the Sub-Mariner, Doctor Strange, Hulk and Silver Surfer..those were the best issues. I have to say after the line up changed the series went straight into the surreal realm of fantasy. I thought the first stories were the best and this volume proves my opinion is true.

You get four characters which are normally known as loners and leaders in their own series. Put them together and you have a lot of interesting personality conflicts. It's too bad Subby left the group in the early issues. The Subby, Doctor Strange, and Hulk team could have kept the book strong throughout the seventies.

Instead we got Nighthawk and a host of second stringers that were written with fantastic plots instead of good character interaction.

This first volume represents the best of the series. I wish that Roy Thomas and Steve Englehart were still writing for Marvel today. The same is true of the late Ross Andru and Bill Everett; who created the Sub Mariner. Their work still holds up today as it did all those years ago. This volume brings back a lot of memories for me.

The Defenders is a team that has very little middle ground either people like it or they don't, and I love them. The concept of the Defenders is that they are a very loose team of loners and individuals that each defend Earth from various threats (its also interesting how the founding members are all very strong powerhouses) and all team up against certain unique threats. So they share the dynamic of a team without actually being a team.

A bulk of the story is mostly the introduction of the founders of the Defenders and the Avenger/Defenders war (Which I believe is also collected in either Avengers vol 5 or 6. But because the lead up is in the Defenders book it takes up most of the time here) if the Defenders don't strike you then I don't recommend you pick up another volume you won't like it.

Great old early 70's Marvel, featuring tales produced during the company's second creative heyday, when several new writers were just beginning to contribute their own spin and quirks to Stan Lee's classic superheroes-with-foibles formula. And the "non-team" approach of "The Defenders" was quirky to begin with, resulting in some memorably entertaining tales right out of the box. And those are the tales you get here, along with a nice sampling of other Marvel titles of the period (each with a "Defenders" connection), including "Incredible Hulk", "Sub-Mariner", "Dr. Strange", and "the Avengers" (of which we get four full issues).

My favorite stories in this initial "Essential Defenders" volume are the evil sorcerous computer story from Marvel Feature #1 (a battle for the life of the planet takes place in a lonely corner of Maine seacoast) and the "Nebulon, the Celestial Man" two-parter that closes the volume (the icky revelation of Nebulon's true nature still got me, decades after I first read the story in an old "Marvel Treasury" reprint). But there's lots of other good stuff, too, including a big ol' seven-or-eight issue long Avengers/Defenders epic featuring the dread Dormammu and Loki, God of Mischief.

The mainstream Marvel superhero melodrama formula (bless its soul) is still the guiding force in these early Defenders stories, with the quirks and weirdness being more seasoning than the tales' bedrock. And that's fine. But the next volume will slowly get around to the stories where the quirks, weirdness, and eccentricity form the foundation of the tales, and then things really cook.

But, make no mistake, this initial volume of Defenders tales is still supremely entertaining, thank you very much. Whether you're new to these stories or re-discovering them after many years (myself, I was previously familiar with many of these issues but hadn't read many others), Essential Defenders Volume 1 is not to be missed.

YES! Ever since Marvel began diversifying is Essential line, I've hoped and prayed the Defenders would get their due. I honestly didn't think it would happened, but it appears they'll get their own essential collection! Fantastic. I would even buy a Defenders archive (or whatever the Marvel equivalent is to DC's archive series).

Awesome! I can't wait!

Throw together a bunch of really powerful misfit heroes and not quite heroes and you get a pretty good story. Have them fight the Avengers and you get even more fun.

Later on, the addition of the Black Knight and the Valkyrie spice things up even more, and I am definitely looking forward to more volumes of The Defenders.