Avengers: The Initiative #13 Review

AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #13
Written by Christos Gage
Art by Steve Uy

Few comics have been as fun, charming and as entertaining as this issue of Avengers: The Initiative. Butterball came out of no where to usurp the crown as my new favourite Initiative recruit. However, Slott and Gage giveth and Slott and Gage taketh away, as Butterball and his unique powerset wash out of training camp by the end of the issue, most likely never to be seen again.

After last issue's graduation ceremony, the call goes out for new recruits and answering it is a rather motely crew of freaks, geeks, nobodies, has beens and never were's. I won't bother introducing anyone outside of Prodigy, because he rocks and I actually know his name, because I have no clue if any of these guys will be around in six months time and I don't know if I want to bother getting to know them that well. I'll mainly just sit back and enjoy the ride. So, for now, we have Bat Guy, Fire Girl, Cyborg Dude and Black Girl (does she have powers?), as well as the afforementioned Butterball and Prodigy.

The opening bus ride is hilarious and Butterball, who wants to be known as Boulder, immediately steps up as a likeable and funny "comic nerd turned super hero". He harrasses Hank Pym about being a hero and brings up the touchy subject of Captain America. You can feel the tension as Pym gives him the look of death after hitting that touchy subject. The funny thing is, he's not trying to be annoying and comes off as genuinely sincere and honest, which is refreshing and fun to read. Prodigy gets in on the Hank ribbing with the pre-requisite, "*coughWifeBeater*cough*", comment.

We then get an extended montage (hey, it worked for Rocky) of the new recruits training at the hands of Taskmaster, who narrates and reports to Pym and War Machine. He's the one that immediately singles out "Boulder" and sticks him with the Butterball name. Turns out, Butterball is invincible, literally. He can't be harmed, smothered, starved, poisoned, pierced, etc. However, his body is locked into a sort of permanent state and metabolism, making it so he can't lose or gain weight, get any stronger or weaker, can't grow and can't even feel anything. So, while being unkillable, he has no actual tactical abilities that can be put to real use (although, I'd just hook him up with some hi-tech gear or Pym particles, personally and let him have at it).

This leads to the recruits' breaking curfew and going out for some drinks on the beach. While everyone is swimming, Fire Girl, who normally burns everyone she touches, starts hooking up with the first human she's ever been able to touch, Butterball! Unfortunately, the poor boy, as stated, can't feel anything. Ya, he's got a future in ED and Viagra commercials, but has no chance of scoring with this girl and makes a hasty getaway with the team's wheels.

This leads him to encounter Taskmaster, War Machine and other security detail out looking for them. He takes the blame for the others, but, before they can all sneak back to camp, some villains with a contract out for Taskmaster jump them all and the recruits join in to help, sparking a mini-brawl.

When all seems lost for the villains, one of them takes a hostage, yes, you guessed it, Butterball, and threatens to kill him if they move a muscle and, like clockwork, they all train their weapons on him to comical effect.

Sadly, just as we were getting to love Butterball, he's washed out of the Initiative and sent on his way. Taskmaster, the man with a heart of gold, takes pity on the kid, since he did help save his bacon when the contract killers came after him, and offers to give the kid a souviner of his days with the academy, knowing full well all Butterball wanted was to be a hero and Taskmaster gave him nothing but hard times during training. As such, he and Constrictor "pose" for a picture with him. Said picture features Butterball standing victorious over the defeated "villains", a picture Butterball proudly hangs on his wall as he tells his mom he's home from the best time he's ever had in his life.

One of the most heart warming and fun comics I've read in a while. Since it's almost all new characters, no excuse for not picking this gem up.

Verdict - Must Read

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