Defenders (2005) #1

All right, let's get this over with...

I typically detest these kinds of books. It's not that I don't care for humour in a comic book. It certainly has its place. I just don't like it when it's overdone and in this book, it (predictably) is.

I can list three reasons why humour-heavy stories generally don't work for me.

1. The humour eats up too much space. 

Nightmare visits Doctor Strange to warn him that Dormammu and Umar The Unholy have joined forces to invade Earth.

I've recapped the first six pages. That revelation is surrounded by jokes surrounding Wong's place in the Doctor's household and an explanation as to why Nightmare is suddenly the comical type even though he's never, ever, displayed that personality trait in the past.

2. It can overshadow some quality moments.

Writers Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis have been around quite a while. They know their stuff. And here they have Doctor Strange capture The Avenging Son rather well, I think.

Pretty cool way to describe Namor, actually. It took a long, rambling argument to get there, of course. At one point, even Namor says "There is no point to this prattling" and he's right. Half of it is filler. The writers might as well admit they're wasting our time because their story is so thin.

3. It diminishes the threat. 

Here's would-be planet conqueror Dormammu complaining about his mom.

And I'm supposed to believe that this guy is dangerous.

The next few pages are mostly of Namor and Bruce Banner tossing insults at one another, because that's what Giffen and DeMatteis enjoy, until Strange teleports all of them to Dormammu's realm. But of course, hilarity ensues!

I suppose Namor had to be told that the Hulk was on the other side of the barrier. In case you can't see him either, that's him at bottom left.

Anyway, I hated this book and unlike some of the other series I've read recently, I don't look forward to continuing it. It's clear that nothing of consequence will happen anyway so why bother? There is so much material involving The Sub-Mariner, I'm sure I can keep busy until I have to force issue #2 down.