What is a Short Pants Review? While we’d love to give full reviews to everything, there just isn’t enough time in the day. So we’ve come up with Short Pants as a way of providing capsule reviews from our varied review writers, giving quick hits and short capsule thoughts about various comics we’ve read recently.

This time out, Randy takes a look at the Marvel Adventures line, as represented by the latest issues of Avengers, Fantastic Four, Hulk, Iron Man and Spider-Man.

Randy Lander Read and Thought:

I’m doing something a little different from our usual Short Pants, which tend to focus on recent releases of the last two weeks. Instead, this is a themed look at Marvel’s all-ages line, using the most recent issues of each. My general thought is that this line is a lot stronger than most give it credit for, producing fun single-issue stories with the perfect blend of characterization and action, good not just for younger readers but for those who yearn for the simpler, and often more focused, reads of the Silver Age. Albeit with a modern spin in terms of dialogue, character and cultural elements. The writers, often unsung heroes of Marvel’s line like Jeff Parker and Fred Van Lente or up-and-comers like Paul Benjamin, insert references and jokes for the grown-ups, not unlike the classic Looney Tunes cartoons of old, and the art tends to aim for either classic superhero realism or a touch of manga-influenced cartooning.

The covers of the Marvel Adventures line are particularly interesting to me. Marvel Adventures: Avengers, Fantastic Four and Spider-Man have tended to have “story” covers by a variety of known artists, most of which offer a tantalizing glimpse of the story inside and thus seem better suited to actually sell the book to their intended audience. Iron Man and the Hulk, on the other hand, seem to be favoring a more iconic look. Problem being, these iconic covers all look very much the same, and don’t show off one of the main strengths of the book, which tend to be the guest stars, villains or other elements that make for a tightly-focused single issue. I’d love it if all the books had covers as strong and imaginative as Marvel Adventures: Avengers, Spider-Man and Fantastic Four.

Whether you’re seeking an escape from the more cynical, modern Marvel Universe or you just want to read a more classic take on the characters, I definitely recommend the Marvel Adventures titles. They’re great for kids who are just learning about these classic characters, but they’re also being done with an affection and classic style that makes them a perfect read for those who already have a lifelong attachment as well.

Marvel Adventures Avengers #15
Writer: Jeff Parker
Artist: Cafu & Terry Pallot
Company: Marvel Comics

An exception to my general rule about great MA Avengers covers, this one has a fairly generic (but pretty) team shot, but inside, it’s as good as every issue of the Parker-penned Avengers. Maybe not up to the sheer weird genius of the “Ego the Loving Planet” issue or the “Avengers get turned into MODOCs” issue, but this is as loving a tribute to the Simonson-era Thor as you’ll find, bringing the perennial favorite Avenger into the all-ages book in a way that makes even non-Thor fans like myself say “Damn, Asgard is cool.” Parker’s story is masterfully executed, too. In addition to having a simple story at its core (Avengers vs. Asgardian foes), it’s got a throughline of Spidey growing as a character as a result of the story, some neat little character bits (like Storm being an Asgard geek) and one of those classic Parker humor moments, as the Frost Giants break into their “smiting song.” Plus, I defy you to find another comic where Spidey says, in context, “Keep reaching for that rainbow, Cap!” Cafu (just one name, like Madonna) and Pallot serve up art that reminds me in all the right ways of the work Leonard Kirk has done on the book, and also of the excellent Spider-Man work Mark Buckingham did a while back. I see big things for Cafu in the future. The best Marvel Adventures title on the stands, and the best Avengers title on the stands.

Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four #27
Writer: Fred Van Lente
Artist: Cory Hamscher
Company: Marvel Comics

A classic story in the Stan Lee vein, Van Lente reintroduces the Inhumans to the Marvel Adventures sub-universe, and it’s a terrific blend of character moments and a character-focused story and some terrific action to keep the reader engaged. Van Lente’s economy of storytelling is impressive, setting up the mystery of the Inhumans in a way that is intriguing to the younger readers who don’t already know them and yet teasingly fun for those readers who do, and he also provides little moments of character for each Fantastic Four member as well. All the character work does cut into the battles, which are too short to really shine, but it’s still a very fun issue. Hamscher’s art is rough in places, but I like the general style, and he has great comedic timing and expressions. The overall style is maybe a little closer to early ’90s Image than I’d like, but it’s undeniably solid work with bold panel layouts, and it has a sense of energy and fun that feels appropriate to the all-ages vibe of the book.

Marvel Adventures Hulk #2
Writer: Paul Benjamin
Artists: Juan Santacruz & Raul Fernandez
Company: Marvel Comics

While Hulk is not one of my favorite characters, I have to say that this was my second favorite read of this batch, just behind Marvel Adventures Avengers. Benjamin cooks up a fun story that makes use of an element of modern Marvel continuity (Peter David’s inspired re-invention of Madrox) without being inaccessible, and presents a fun, done-in-one story that has all the hallmarks of clever wit and dialogue that make Jeff Parker’s Marvel Adventures stories so much fun. From the Madrox quipping in combat with would-be muggers to the terrific comedic timing used in the Madrox meets Hulk plot of the issue, this is a fun ride, packed with plenty of story. And Juan Santacruz’s art is the second best of the lot as well (just behind Avengers‘ Cafu), presenting a realistic meets cartoony look reminiscent of the work of Leonard Kirk that is perfect for the story. The moral of the story seems a bit tacked on and rushed, and to be honest, I tend to find the monkey distracting more often than amusing, but overall, if you’re digging Marvel Adventures Avengers and wondering where to look next, I think Marvel Adventures Hulk might be it.

Marvel Adventures Iron Man #4
Writer: Fred Van Lente
Artists: James Cordeiro & Gary Erskine
Company: Marvel Comics

Van Lente’s take on Iron Man, like his take on Fantastic Four, is very much a classic, filtered through an all-ages mindset. Tony’s a player, but he’s not the booze-swilling one-night-stand jerk of the Ultimates run. He’s a corporate type, but he’s not the corporate raider he’s been made out to be in some modern comics. He is, above all, a hero who does what’s right, rather than an unapologetic fascist. That alone makes this a worthwhile read for Iron Man fans, but this issue also features a clever use of classic foes Justin Hammer and Spymaster, as well as an interesting dilemma that pits Iron Man in a situation where he has to think his way free. One of the true joys of this book is Van Lente’s use of the supporting cast, from his loyal and tough friend version of James Rhodes to his smart, “woman behind the man” use of Pepper Potts, and I love that it is these supporting characters, as much as Tony Stark, who get to save the day. In art terms, relative newbie Cordeiro, inked by veteran Erskine, turns in a performance that is light and fun, with just a touch of manga influence and a really beautiful amount of work on the backgrounds, whether it’s the lovingly rendered vision of New York City or various technological corridors of Tony Stark’s underground control bunker.

Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #31
Writer: Peter David
Artists: Pop Mhan & Norman Lee
Company: Marvel Comics

Like Van Lente, David approaches Marvel Adventures from a very “Stan Lee, but modern” place, but he takes it a touch too far, with overly expository captions that are way too on the nose and story beats that are far too predictable. It’s a matter of degrees, because it’s very similar to the formula for all the Marvel Adventures book, but this story doesn’t have any of the clever inside gags of Parker’s writing or the interesting modern take on familiar characters of Van Lente and Benjamin. If not for the manga-influenced artwork of Pop Mhan (who has come a long way since his over-stylized ’90s work), this could easily be an issue of the ’60s Amazing Spider-Man. Which is hardly an unforgivable crime, but it does feel a bit stale and “kiddie” compared to the rest of the line. However, it does have a touch of originality I quite liked in its choice of villain, and a solid punchline at the end of the issue. Really, despite being the weakest of the Marvel Adventures book, it’s still at worst a professionally crafted tale that’s accessible to newer and younger readers.