At the start of this issue, we find that Annabelle has now ascended to Valhalla to live out of the remainder of her undead life. In a somewhat cliche plot move, we see that Valkyrie (who is guilt-ridden over killing her) is searching for a way to bring her fallen comrade back to life. Now enter a character that I'd never thought I'd see again: Clea. For those of you that don't know, Clea is the estranged wife of Doctor Strange (no pun intended). Taking advantage of a somewhat strained marriage between Clea and Strange, Val coaxes Clea into helping her resurrect Annabelle. In yet another somewhat cliche plot move, we find that Annabelle is returned to life at the cost of merging with Val (a callback to a situation that Val has been in before).
Writer Cullen Bunn has, as I previously mentioned, taken a handful of overused plot devices and manages to pull it off. How? Well, for one, he plays around with a set of characters that haven't had an incredible amount of exposure in the past. This offers a fresh perspective on things and naturally draws readers into a familiar situation to learn about some newer characters. Secondly, the art by Stephanie Hans is absolutely breathtaking. Hans and the art team paint a stunning picture of environments and characters that look like they're coming out of a fairy tale. Every page is a pleasure to view.
A book like this just goes to show that you don't have to have shocking and innovative twists and turns to make a great story. Solid character development, smart dialogue, and breathtaking art can turn any plot into a worthwhile adventure; Fearless Defenders #7 is just that... A worthwhile adventure. Do yourself a favor and pick it up today!
Score: 10/10
0 comments: