The Top 9 Things That May Have Gone Wrong with Last Defenders

Reflecting back on this recent miniseries from Marvel Comics, I'm fascinated by its underwhelming promotion and reception. Last Defenders was a smart, fun, and kinetic story that followed Nighthawk thru an introspective journey into modern superheroics. Kyle Richmond asked a lot of existential questions about his place in the universe and received a lot of answers in the form of temporal tampering via Yandroth, a time traveling superbaddie with a big chip on his quantum shoulder.

So what went wrong? I'm no expert, but I am an asshole. That's why I'm only giving you reason nine thru five this week.

9. Was the art accessible enough? I found the story both brilliant and confusing. Jim Muniz, Cam Smith, and Antonio Fabela brought this journey to life in a sort of Ed McGuinness meets Duncan Rouleau way. The art was a big selling point for me, mostly because the stylized visuals took what could have been a painfully old school story and made it impossibly fresh. But was the art too stylized for this book's demographic?

8. Was Last Defenders TOO old school? To say that this could have been "painfully old-school" is not a knock to Joe Casey or Keith Giffen. They both did a great job here, with Giffen co-writing the first few issues and Casey carrying the rest. The story pulls from the Defenders back catalog of adventures in an obsessive way that's just as disorienting as it is fun. This comic was like a thesis statement on Defenders history, sprinkled with non-team team book irony.

7. Was Last Defenders TOO confusing? I truly enjoyed this miniseries but I was truly confused too. The book managed to be equal parts lighthearted and heavy, hitting a balance that I find lacking in modern superhero stories (a.k.a. things get too heavy for me). Still, this comic jumped around a hell of a lot. There were character vignettes that never really paid off (Hellcat, Dr. Strange, Colossus, and Blazing Skull) and there were plenty of Nighthawk moments that still leave me scratching my head. Plus, I'm still not sure I have a grasp on Yandroth's motivation.

6. Wait… what about the archetypes (and where's Silver Surfer)? In an odd stroke of revisionist history, Casey theorizes that the archetypes embodied by Hulk, Namor, Dr. Strange, and Nighthawk comprise the fated essence of the Defenders... except, he says, that they actually don't. According to Casey, you still need a strongman, water elemental, mystic, and airborne inspiration. But they need to be eccentric versions of those archetypes and not the classics. Except that Silver Surfer is the classic airborne Defender, not Nighthawk… right?

5. So are the Last Defenders elemental archetypes or not? Following Casey's end logic, you actually end up needing a team of elementals. She-Hulk = earth, Krang = water, Son of Satan = fire, and Nighthawk = air. I like that. I love elemental collections, especially since Avatar: The Last Airbender (also see the recent Family Dynamic mini from DC Comics, which got the short end of the stick too). And not to be overlooked, the elemental nature of the Fantastic Four is what makes them so streamlined as a team concept. So Casey makes the case for the Last Defenders to be elementals without ever actually saying that's part of the equation. What's the deal with the ambiguity, Joe?

Next: The Top 9 Things That May Have Gone Wrong with Last Defenders - Part Two

Why the Top 9? Because 10 is too many and 9 is better. 3 X 3 = Awesome. Now that’s what I call math.