From the Longbox – Marvel Team-Up #14
December 8th, 2009
Marvel Team-Up, well the latest version of it, is truly a popcorn comic. The title was untethered to the larger goings-on of the Marvel U. It would simply pull various characters together and point them at a common goal. In issue #14 writer Robert Kirkman pulled his own character, Invincible, through a dimensional portal into a fight between Spidey and Doc Ock.
After a break in the action the two heroes bond a little and then zip off to Avengers tower where Invincible gets introduced to the New Avengers of the time (pre Civil and pre Secret). The whole story is a fun romp and it’s made all the better by the art of Cory Walker. Walker launched the Invincible ongoing series so it was good to see him in action again.
It’s a fun book and an easy read. The rest of the Team-Up series is largely forgettable there are some stand alone issues like this one that work very well. It does raise one question, though. How do you write team books when The Sentry exists?
When Iron Man tells the group that he’s hearing over the radio band that Doctor Octopus is tearing up part of the city Spider-Man reacts by saying he’ll handle it alone. What? The Sentry is standing right there! This is a two minute job for him. This is the same problem I have with Superman. He’s over powered. Very difficult to write a character like that. In fact nearly all of Spidey’s rogue’s gallery could be taken out in an afternoon by the Sentry. Whatever.
