Graphic Novel Review - 'The Fearless Defenders, Vol. 2: The Most Fabulous Fighting Team of All' by Cullen Bunn (Writer), Stephanie Hans (Artist), Will Sliney (Artist)

'The Fearless Defenders, Vol. 2: The Most Fabulous Fighting Team of All' is a mess. It's jumpy and rushed, with important details and storylines missing from it (I shouldn't have to read twenty other comics to fully get what's going on in this one!); also missing are some character arcs and development from the previous volume. Some characters are not used to their most basic potential (Misty Knight and Dani Moonstar are just kinda there, with no arc to them whatsoever), and there are implications to a couple of certain characters' "development" - I won't reveal who and what here due to spoilers - which are not explored and are outright ignored; worse, they're played for laughs. The book is so simple, and it suddenly takes a comedic approach overall, compared to volume 1. It's like a slapdash retooling by meddling executives for the second season of a TV series.

And yet... I kind of adore it anyway.

'The Fearless Defenders' is still about arsekicking super ladies saving the day, saving the world. The action, while it does take over and is prioritised above everything else, is very good, and the women look so cool and awesome doing their thing.

Volume 2 is bizarre and insane in the way that makes superhero comic books so entertaining. The art is amazing and gorgeous in every issue. The first couple of said issues are more focused than the rest. I still like the characters, especially Annabelle Riggs. New inclusions to the Defenders are Clea, Elsa Bloodstone, Ren Kimura, and Frankie Raye, aka Nova.

Sheesh, Marvel has far too many characters, and superheroes and villains to deal with, use, or merely chuck out and forget about for the time being. Even over ten years ago, it was impossible to keep tack of everyone and every event in this universe. And now the MCU has taken over freaking everything, to the point where Marvel comics are currently planning out their storylines and characters for the sole purpose of wanting to be adapted into the films' universe, and it is all spiralling out of control and Marvel Studios is hurtling towards a black hole of its own making, and practically everyone - hardcore nerd or fan or casual viewer or whoever - is starting to be burnt out and fed up with its continuous existence and inevitable downfall and "phase" rot due to the business's hubris and growing greed despite owning billions and billions and billions of dollars and ruling the entertainment world with an iron, stifling grip...

*ahem*

Anyway, back to the review of the comic:

There is strong, positive LBGTQ content as well as positive female content in 'The Fearless Defenders, Vol. 2'. There are LOADS of female villains, to boot: Zheng Bao Yu, the Enchantress, Quicksand, Ruby Thursday (hey, I know her from that one classic 'She-Hulk' comic!), Titania, Scorpia, Shriek, Mindblast, and others. Caroline LeFay, the unimpressive big bad behind everything in the last volume, remains present and important as the big bad. And she's the illegitimate child of Morgan LeFay and Doctor Doom now.

Wait, WHAT!?

Since when? And HOW? Was this established in another comic, one I haven't read and have absolute zero interest in picking up?

Well, whatever. Caroline is more interesting this time round, regardless of parentage, so there's a plus.

Talking of interesting, did I forget to mention 'The Fearless Defenders, Vol. 2: The Most Fabulous Fighting Team of All' contains a talking female alien bug creature called a brood who may or may not become a Defender? How about Molly Fitzgerald, aka Shamrock (who sadly doesn't really do anything but be a barmaid)? Then there's Thanos' soldiers, ordinary people who are in cocoons for some reason, Hippolyta's Amazons, a Medusa Amazon called Delphyne Gorgon, Aradnea the "gothy Atlantean witch", Echidna the mermaid mother of all monsters, and giant lobsters and sharks.

Venom, Hercules, Iron Fist, Doctor Strange, and Jack Russell the freaking Werewolf are in this too. Whatever. They're purposefully made unimportant.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnd then it's cancelled. Typical.

Heroic women - heroic LGBTQ women - are rarely ever given the chance to really shine. For that shine to last and have an impact. Got to snuff it out before there's a revolution and change to pop culture, societal culture, and global business culture!

Inclusion and representation matters. It always has, and it still does.

This might be the last Marvel comic I'll ever read. Anything is possible in the future, of course, but I seriously have no interest in this universe and company anymore. Like my stance and feelings on the MCU, it's too much, and I'm burnt out. I miss stories that tell their own single, individual, focused and 

complete stories, without interrupting side plots and characters, and the need for dozens of additional material in order to understand one story.

I'm happy that my final comic from this company turned out to be a fun one, despite its many flaws. I won't be leaving on bitter terms.

As a whole, it isn't good for me anymore. It is time we part ways. For me to grow and move on.

Farewell, and thanks for the good memories, Marvel.

Final Score: 3.5/5