Josh Whedon’s The Avengers never made the cinema in the UK. The movie people did their market research and concluded the name was taken. Releasing the super hero meets super spy film without changing the name would confuse people. The official UK title was The Avengers Assemble.
Mark Waid reminds us why Steed and Mrs Peel, the super spies who commanded British TV in the 60s, still have fair claim to “The Avengers” name.
In his rebootish-sorta-reimagination “Steed and Mrs Peel : A Very Civil Armageddon” Waid along with Caleb Monroe, Steve Bryant and Will Sliney dig into the archives for villains like the Hellfire Club and then offer up four new stories for a new series.
I describe the new series as something of a reimagination because this collection of Avengers stories doesn’t present a sweeping change. There are some tweaks to get the series ready for continuation but it really does feel like the old show brought back to life.
There’s a careful mix of fan service; both with dressing Mrs Peel up (who could forget the original Hellfire Club costume) and quirky story line that The Avengers did so well. There’s also action and at times it comes at a brisk pace. The combination means you don’t need to know anything of the original Avengers in order to stay interested in this graphic novel.
My copy of Steed and Mrs. Peel Vol. 1: A Very Civil Armageddon for provided for review. RRP £9.25, 128 pages, Mark Waid and BOOM.
