Warning: full episode spoilers follow.
This week's episode of Earth's Mightiest Heroes was nothing if not ambitious. "Code Red" was a loose adaptation of the comic book storyline of the same name (penned by Geoff Johns in a rare foray into the Marvel Universe). But it also brought Red Hulk back into the forefront as well as exploring the mystery of Winter Soldier and his connection to Captain America. Needless to say, the script bit off a bit more than it could feasibly chew in the span of 22 minutes, but "Code Red" was entertaining nonetheless.
The episode got off to a strong, slightly creepy start as Red Skull's virus spread and morphed all it touched into sickly, red-skinned, almost zombie-like creatures. This was some unusually creepy imagery for an animated superhero series, and it lent a nice darker edge to the episode. Unfortunately, the scope of Red Skull's attack was very limited compared to the original story. Rather than being a global pandemic, the Code Red virus only impacted the Avengers and the Manhattan civilians in the immediate vicinity. Ideally, this conflict could have been spread across multiple episodes, with one devoted to the Avengers battling against and ultimately succumbing to the virus, and the second shifting focus to Secretary of State Dell Rusk and his gang of superhuman enforcers.
It was strange seeing Doc Samson, Red Hulk, and Falcon relegated to what essentially qualified as hired muscle. The writers seemed inspired by Jeph Loeb's Hulk work in both the brawl between Red Hulk and Thor and the fact that Red Hulk was a member of a team comprised solely of characters who wear red costumes. Luckily, all three contributed to some memorable action scenes. The highlight was easily the Red Hulk/Thor battle, which was fierce enough to literally rock the Statue of Liberty on its foundations. Falcon showed his bad-ass side as well in the fight with Hawkeye, which should help win him some new fans in advance of his starring role in the upcoming Avengers Assemble series. Lance Reddick's vocal work certainly didn't hurt. Reddick, Fred Tatasciore (Red Hulk), and Steve Blum (Red Skull) all delivered memorable performances this week.
But again, the script was juggling more material than it could really handle, and the final minutes were really weighed down by the rush to the finish line. Winter Soldier's transition from loyal minion to Cap's savior was abrupt, to say the least. There wasn't even much indication as to what turned him against Skull. Red Hulk quietly vanished, while Samson's recent misdeeds were quickly explained away as a product of brainwashing. In the final moments, the Avengers discuss the downfall of Dell Rusk's political career and the resulting swell of public support for the Avengers, but this is all material that might have worked better if it were shown rather than told to viewers. Ultimately, Code Red either required more running time or a more narrow focus on Cap, Winter Soldier, and Red Skull.
Luckily, this isn't the end for these particular plot threads. Next week's episode will delve deeper into the Winter Soldier mystery, while the following installment (whenever Disney XD chooses to actually air it) will finally bring Hulk back into the fold and reveal Red Hulk's secrets. We're entering the final stretch for this series, and it looks to be an eventful time for Avengers fans.
Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and IGN Movies. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following Jesse on Twitter, or on IGN.
Source : ign[dot]com
No comments:
Post a Comment