That's because, so many times in the past, the character has been treated like absolute crap.
He's been driven mad, he struck his wife (Janet Van Dyne) once and was forever after labeled a wife abuser, he created the artificial intelligence that became the world-destroying Ultron, he's been through numerous costume and name changes - Ant-Man to Giant-Man to Goliath to Yellowjacket to Hank Pym to Yellowjacket again and most recently back to Giant-Man (where he should stay, with any luck).
So I approached this "aftermath to Age of Ultron" issue with some trepidation. I was relieved to see that Mark Waid was writing it - he certainly has respect for the history of the character.
Thankfully, my faith was well placed. This is a comic that intends to set Pym on his future path, and as a long-time fan of the character, I'm delighted to see where they're going. It's also heartwarming to see Giant-Man done properly - fighting the bad guys, helping emergency crews - you know, hero stuff.
But I'll continue to live in fear if the new Avengers A.I. comic (which this issue is obviously setting up) doesn't do well.
Pym has all the potential in the world, but he's also a big target for writers who like to deconstruct classic heroes. I'd appreciate it if they'd keep their grubby paws off his one.
Grade: A-
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3 comments:
I agree, Chuck, this was a surprisingly good issue for Hank. I do have a continuity question, though ... Wasn't Hank one of the Skrull replacements from the Bendis Secret Wars storyline? I remember being hopeful that they would just forget all the bad crap they've put Hank through over the years and retcon his character back before his 'wife beating' days. Did I misunderstand this? (I was hoping they'd do this with Quicksilver, too, instead of just having him lie about it and try to convince everyone that he wasn't the jerk they've made him out to be over the years. I miss the Pietro from the old Avengers days.)
Thanks for your wonderful site. I read it every day!
Good question! As I recall, Hank was replaced by a Skrull (who implanted a trap in the Wasp that almost resulted in her death), but they didn't push the takeover far back into his past - it would certainly be nice to see the character shed of the wifebeater label (though he's certainly not the first hero to strike his loved one in a fit of rage / temporary madness). Quicksilver lied and claimed he was replaced, though he wasn't. I'd also like to see him restored to the original version of the character - like Hank, he's been dragged through the mud too many times.
Oh, and thanks for the kind words, DM!
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