This is "From a Different Point of View," a feature where I discuss a comic book series with another writer. In this case, it is Eileen Gonzalez who will be going over the history of the Avengers with me, story by story!
When last we checked in with our heroes in in Avengers #84, "The Sword and the Sorceress," by Roy Thomas, John Buscema and Tom Palmer, the Black Knight was trying to destroy his Ebony Blade when he was attacked by the forces of Arkon. Black Knight was captured and his cries somehow rang out to the Scarlet Witch, who rallied the other Avengers to try to help their comrade.
What is happening to the Black Knight, though, in the meantime?
Eileen Gonzalez: I feel a little bad for the Black Knight. Every time he shows up, he's in trouble. Last time, he got turned to stone, and now he's the prisoner of Arkon and Enchantress.
Brian Cronin: Yeah, who is SHOCKINGLY not dead after last issue
Brian Cronin: I don't recall ever having a more anti-climactic reveal from one issue to the next
Brian Cronin: "Was she destroyed, like it looked like?"
Brian Cronin: "Nah."
Eileen Gonzalez: Her not-death seems to have cured her of her hatred of all men, too. It's like last issue never happened.
Eileen Gonzalez: Which is for the best.
Brian Cronin: Black Knight really does have the worst luck
Brian Cronin: Now he's under her spell
Brian Cronin: His flashback was interesting, at least
Brian Cronin: Once again, it reads like an entirely other comic book
Brian Cronin: Almost to the point where, while I don't think that this is the case, it almost reads like this was a solo comic
Brian Cronin: That Thomas is re-purposing into an issue of Avengers through some judicious edits
Eileen Gonzalez: This could have made a good issue, maybe even a two-parter. Or maybe they could have started dropping breadcrumbs leading to this moment a few issues ago rather than sticking it all here.
Eileen Gonzalez: But wow, Arkon learned nothing from his last appearance, did he?
Brian Cronin: That's one area they at least DO address later in the issue
Brian Cronin: So it hasn't escaped Thomas' notice that Arkon is doing the same ol' nonsense he got up to last time.
Brian Cronin: As we have noted for a while, Thomas always cleverly works the Big Three into the book and here, they "need" Thor to travel to Arkon's world.
Brian Cronin: But we see that there is another way, as Enchantress transports them there, Wizard of Oz-style, with their entire Mansion intact!
Eileen Gonzalez: Yeah, Thor is almost pointless here, but it's nice that they remembered the detail about his hammer allowing them to travel between worlds.
Eileen Gonzalez: Enchantress is striking quite the post there, after beating the Avengers.
Brian Cronin: Right? Scarlet Witch's attack pose was awesome, though, right?
Brian Cronin: A bit more fluidity than I normally expect from Buscema
Eileen Gonzalez: It's a great panel.
Eileen Gonzalez: Especially with the energy around her hands
Brian Cronin: Of course, she didn't actually DO anything
Brian Cronin: But at least it looked cool!
Eileen Gonzalez: She's also the only one smart enough to realize that Black Knight has been hypnotized.
Brian Cronin: Yeah, not the brightest group she's paired with here
Brian Cronin: Except for Vision, and to be fair, he's freaking out
Brian Cronin: Over his powers failing
Brian Cronin: Her dismissive look to Arkon was AWESOME
Eileen Gonzalez: Ha, I LOVE that eyebrow. So much disgust!
Brian Cronin: I love the dialogue from Arkon's men. They literally said, "Well, THOSE Avengers will never break free to menace us anew."
Brian Cronin: It's just way too on point.
Brian Cronin: It'd be like if they said, "Well, one thing is for sure, we know that Black Panther and Thor will never travel to this world. You can take THAT to the bank."
Eileen Gonzalez: They know their role is to give exposition and get punched, and that's it.
Brian Cronin: Panther has some weird dialogue, too, like how he feels so bad for leaving Thot to take them on by himself
Brian Cronin: That's obviously the entire point of your mission, dude!
Brian Cronin: He holds them off while you free the other Avengers
Brian Cronin: That's the point of your mission. You can't feel bad when you do the thing you are there to do!
Eileen Gonzalez: This whole sequence is so weird. Panther frees his teammates from the will-sapping spell by... telling them to break free? That's not a great spell, Enchantress, if just anyone can snap them out of it!
Brian Cronin: "My only weakness! Someone ELSE speaking to them!"
Eileen Gonzalez: She's lucky some disgruntled prison guard didn't decide to take advantage of that.
Brian Cronin: Or else it would be Clint dealing with some sweet pickle before bedtime
Brian Cronin: In the big fight with Arkon's forces, was Quicksilver...headbutting people?
Brian Cronin: Does that make any sense?
Eileen Gonzalez: Quicksilver's preferred fighting method these days seems to be ricocheting around like a pinball. I don't know how that works, but it's fun to watch.
Brian Cronin: I don't get how Black Knight knocking Thor's hammer out of his hand means that the hammer won't return to him
Brian Cronin: I do love Scarlet Witch's response about what would happen if his hammer is not back soon.
Brian Cronin: She's like, 'I don't know WHAT you're talking about, but I'll still try to help!'
Eileen Gonzalez: Scarlet Witch is the only one with a brain cell today.
Brian Cronin: And luckily, Enchantress was distracted, which breaks her spell over Black Knight for some reason
Brian Cronin: And the Ebony Blade is seemingly destroyed!
Brian Cronin: That's so weird, right? There's no way we'll believe it's actually gone
Brian Cronin: This also feels like a classic "Marvel Method running out of room" ending, right?
Eileen Gonzalez: It's like they were watching The Twilight Zone and decided to cram in a moral that kind of has nothing to do with the plot? Arkon was almost a minor character this time out, so why does he get the big important ending?
Brian Cronin: And his big moral was 'Don't be such a sucker'
Brian Cronin: Which, sadly, WAS necessary for him
Brian Cronin: But seems like such a silly lesson
Brian Cronin: 'Think next time'
Brian Cronin: 'You can do it!'
Eileen Gonzalez: Aw, I was going to say that Tony Stark just built them a new mansion.
Brian Cronin: So yeah, not a BAD little adventure, but a fairly slight one, at that
Eileen Gonzalez: A lot of these issues have given me a 'what's the point' feeling, but this one especially.
Brian Cronin: Yeah, lot of water treading
Brian Cronin: Next issue at least is a bit of a treat
Brian Cronin: But soon, obviously, we get the real next meaty part of Thomas' run
Eileen Gonzalez: We're almost there!
Brian Cronin: But first, a detour to...the DC COMICS UNIVERSE?!?!
Brian Cronin: Duh duh duhhhhhhhhhh
Feel free to write us at brianc@cbr.com if you have thoughts about this issue or the Avengers of this era, in general!
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