The Defenders vol. 1: Diamonds are Forever
With “The Defenders” getting their own show on Netflix, it was inevitable that we’d get a new comic which teams up Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Daredevil. That the comic is coming from a writer, Bendis, who has experience writing all of them is definitely a plus as is the fact that it’s being illustrated by the phenomenal David Marquez. With all these things in its favor it’s disappointing that this first volume didn’t turn out better than it did.
Driving the plot here is the return of Diamondback (from the dead, for reasons which will likely not be addressed) and his efforts to become the new Kingpin of New York through the Inhuman Growth Hormone drug that he’s pushing. While Luke, Danny, and Matt make an early attempt to nip his power grab in the bud, Diamondback responds by trying to take them all out in broad daylight and shooting Jessica to send a message. Fortunately Jessica is tough enough to shake off a bullet wound and the three guys have all faced down more intimidating and explosive threats in the past.
Now both sides are out to take each other down, and if you think that a street-level punk like Diamondback wouldn’t be able to stand up to the combined might of these Defenders then you’ve already realized one of this story’s problems. Even if the villain has been granted (I’m assuming based on what I’ve read here) enhanced strength and durability, he still winds up getting his ass handed to him twice in this volume. The first time by Jessica, Matt, and Danny, then just by Jessica and Danny. About the only thing Diamondback is good at is slinging around some decent trash talk. As an actual threat to these superheroes, he’s about as intimidating as a particularly durable cockroach.
Also working against this series’ favor is Bendis’ penchant for setting up dramatic cliffhangers with each issue and then failing to deliver on them. At the end of the first issue, Luke Cage is poisoned by Diamondback! Fortunately Blade shows up in the next issue with a cure. Then Jessica, Matt, and Danny are shot by the Punisher at the end of the second issue! Except he was using non-lethal stun rounds. This continues on and while the final one we’re served with seems like it’ll be a little harder to walk back, I have faith that Bendis will find a way to pull it off after what he’s demonstrated here.
If you can get past these issues then “The Defenders” is a serviceable enough team book. Marquez makes the action look dynamic and impactful while his characters do their best to sell every crazy twist and turn. Bendis’ dialogue still has that snap to it and his banter between the four protagonists is pretty solid with some successful comic moments. The two extended scenes he does with the Punisher are both excellent and actually made me wonder what else he would’ve done with the character.
I say that last bit because we’re well into the winding-down phase of Bendis’ time at Marvel. After his work on “Jessica Jones” I was hoping that we’d see the writer fully-energized as he headed into the home stretch. “The Defenders” shows that’s not the case as it’s mostly the writer hitting the right beats with the characters, but delivering a shock-hungry plot with a weak villain. I’m hard-pressed to see how the second volume improves from here. At least we’ve got a few other “final volumes” from the writer to see him off on a more positive note.