A MONSTERS UNLEASHED TIE-IN!
• An endangered habitat! A peaceful protest! And a team of freelance troubleshooters determined to end the work-stoppage at any cost!
• Sounds like a job for the Champions, right? Only, nobody mentioned anything about GIANT MONSTERS FALLING FROM THE SKY!
Rated T+
Jeremy Whitley, Ro Stein, and Ted Brandt, and Frank DArmata capture the youthful Saturday morning cartoon energy of superhero comics and the pure power of kaiju movies in Champions #1.MU. Its the sequential art version of red velvet cake and ice cream. Watching Ms. Marvel think on her feet and wrestle a lizard monster with her polymorphing abilities should be the dictionary definition of joy, and I hope to see this talented team collaborate on more young, scrappy teen hero books in the future. Read Full Review
CHAMPIONS joins the MONSTERS UNLEASHED story with a fun issue with plenty of monsters. Jeremy Whitley manages to slip in team building and great dialogue. Read Full Review
If you've been enjoying the Monsters Unleashed event, or just like to see your favorite heroes go Ultraman, you'd probably enjoy Champions #1.MU. But if you've got a limited weekly comics budget, you might be better off purchasing a book (or two) that packs a bit more of a punch and doesn't have a $4.99 price tag. This definitely isn't required reading for Champions fans. Read Full Review
Whitley's dialogue heavy script makes Champions #1.MU a snore while Brandt and Stein feel like they are developing an interesting style. Read Full Review
action packed - check
fun - check
socially responsible - check
intro of rogue gallery - check
Excellent Issue!!!
A kaiju attack interrupts the Champions' introduction to their evil counterpart team, the Freelancers. Jeremy Whitley does his best Dennis Hopeless impression and turns in a funny if slightly overstuffed script. Ro Stein and Ted Brandt do amazing art that resembles a Saturday morning Disney cartoon (ooh, I'm dating myself) in entirely positive ways. This is exactly what an all-ages comic book should look (and sound) like. It's also the only Monsters Unleashed issue so far that has real bearing on its main title. The Freelancers introduced here - the evil money-grubbing FYGM nemeses for the Champions - will play an important part in future issues.
Surprised how good it was
I have to hand it to Whitley for writing a story that feels very at home with the Champions. Again the story reflects an issue present in the U.S. today. The banter between the members is very fitting. The artist also do a great job with the characters as well. The only thing that brings this title down a little is the tie to Monsters Unleashed. The main focus of the tales seems to be the introduction of the Freelancer's as antagonist for the team. The monsters then become a reason for everyone to work together to stop a greater threat. At this point the title becomes like all the other tie-ins. Monster tries to destroy everything, citizens are evacuated, remaining heroes and villains try to stop monster. You can't complain much because it more
I am not getting this new team at all. Not a truly good issue yet. Script and images, here, didn't wow me from Nova having to uber the team from the East Coast to the Freelancers intro/origin basically cut short by the story suddenly ending.