Richard Henry Benson is The Avenger and he leads a roguish business known as Justice Inc. His most recent client has revealed a tale about The Ghost that sparks a fire under The Avenger as he sets out to determine the validity of the story. Is it good?
Mark Waid starts you right off in the middle of the action. Justice Inc. and The Avenger have tracked down an Italian mob boss who murders his victims in a melodic convention. It is an engaging sequence that portrays The Avenger’s leadership skills, his tactical prowess, and his talent as a face dancer. Not only does Waid introduce The Avenger, but he also exposes us to the camaraderie of his employees. Waid creates a serious yet playful tone with humorous dialogue interspersed among a knock-down, drag-out melee. Contrasting the playful manner of The Avenger’s teammates or employees is Waid’s use of exposition. He transitions from self-deprecating humor to dramatic prose.
The dramatic prose continues through the title page and into the real meat of the issue. Waid uses adjectives to great effect. Here is just a taste of what you can expect in [easyazon_link identifier=”B00YNUAANU” locale=”US” tag=”bounintocomi-20″]Justice Inc. The Avenger[/easyazon_link]: “The slow catastrophe of time has done its dread work on Bleek Street.” That conjures up super powerful imagery, and artist Ronilson Freire is up to the challenge. The street is downtrodden and abandoned. The wall in the background is beginning to see a large fissure develop and a lonely street lamp silently swings. I can only imagine it would be flickering if he was able to add any kind of motion.
Waid moves the story along using a discovery technique to at least partially introduce the people behind Justice Inc. Lucille Menter has discovered an unusual happening in her tenement and has set out to find The Avenger to hunt down the cause of her distress. Lucille ventures into the Justice Inc. headquarters, examining each of the team members and their corresponding roles and skills.
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