Comic Books

THE DEFENDERS #1

• Spinning out of the stunning end of FEAR ITSELF! The final Worthy on a global rampage!

• Matt Fraction (FEAR ITSELF, THE MIGHTY THOR, INVINCIBLE IRON MAN) reteams with TERRY DODSON (UNCANNY X-MEN, SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN)!

• Everyone’s favorite Marvel characters banding together to solve a mysterious conspiracy deep at the heart of the Marvel Universe!

• The last line of defense against the forces of the unknown!

Story by Matt Fraction
Art by Terry Dodson, Rachel Dodson
Colors by Sonia Oback
Letters by Clayton Cowles
Cover by Terry Dodson, Rachel Dodson, Neal Adams, Paul Mounts & Stuart Immonen

Price: $3.99
iFanboy Community Pick of the Week Percentage: 2.8%

Reviews

UserAddedSpoilers
RecksDeud12/09/11NoRead Review
JohnVFerrigno12/08/11NoRead Review
closetsquirrel12/08/11NoRead Review
RandyFlagg12/07/11NoRead Review
thered12/07/11YesRead Review
604
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Avg Rating: 3.7
 
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Comments

  1. man i want to read about the defenders so bad, but after Fear Itself, it’s gonna be awhile before I pull a Fraction book

  2. Matt Fraction and 3.99 make me not want to pull this but my love of the Defenders force me too roll the dice anyway.

  3. ugh I really like the idea of a Defenders book but why on earth does it have to be Fraction writing it?!?! I’ve been burned by him soooo many times. Not sure if I want another matt fraction kick in my nuts for $3.99. Probably going to pass

  4. I have a feeling this book is going to shock a lot of naysayers!

  5. I was very excited by the Defenders teasers but this Nul guy looks… meh. Fraction seems to have big plans for him. We’ll see. I still love the characters too much to pass it.

  6. whats up with red she hulk and dr. strange wearing matching outfits?

  7. I’m in for the Defenders.

    I’m in for the Dodsons.

    And I’m hoping that Matt Fraction is going to make this somewhat fun to read.

    Sometimes I really like the way that guy writes. Usually. Often. Mostly. Let’s face it, lots.

    So I’m hoping for the triumphant return of one of my favorite teams. We’ll see. 8)

  8. Although Fear Itself was mind poison, Fraction has enough historical good will to encourage me to give this a try. Granted, that’s only when coupled with a cast of my favorites, Dodsons on art and an incredibly light week.

  9. I just wish marvel would just produce a Dr. Strange title without him belonging to a group. After fear itself and Iron Man business 2.0 I have to pass.

  10. If there was ever a book to wait for the word of mouth consensus, it’s this book. Between Uncanny X-Men and Fear Itself, Fraction has just been too “miss” than “hit” lately. Despite this featuring one of my favorite Marvel characters (Iron Fist), I’m incredibly apprehensive about picking this up.

  11. I am excited about this book. On Word Balloon, Fraction said he will be writing this book “Marvel Style”. Of course, that can mean different things to different people, but I appreciate that Fraction is trying to shake up his own process. Additionally, I find when artists have more creative input into the process, the output that is the comic tends to improve, though there are plenty of exceptions to this rule. Dodson is solid, so I expect to get my money’s worth.

  12. I just don’t understand Marvel charging $3.99 for a Defenders book. Really, Marvel? Defenders?

    • The market says people are willing to pay for it.

    • I have to eat my words a bit. It was a light week so I picked it up and ended up quite liking it. So I’d say if issue #2 comes out on another light week there’s a good chance I’ll buy it. Well played, Marvel.

  13. Alright Fraction this is your last chance to wow me… please do this book justice

  14. I feel like I am the only person who really enjoyed Fraction’s Uncanny X-Men.

    In any case, I am super excited for this.

    • Oh…no, you’re not. I thought Fraction’s Uncanny was the best Uncanny run in years. Yes, some characters were treated to camoes, but the core cast all had plenty of development and moments. I love, love, loved Fraction’s Uncanny run.

  15. You sicken me, Fraction, but i can’t say no to at least the first issue of a book that has Silver Surfer AND Iron Fist in it. *sigh*

    • How easy it is to get you to buy comics.

      You might want to rethink your buying habits cuz they based on nonsense.

      I trust Fraction even after Fear Itself.

    • @Scorpion Damn really….Dude how can you say @oops buying habits are nonsense when he just digs Iron Fist and Silver Surfer as characters, The real nonsense is putting faith in Fraction after Fear Itself. I wonder if you would buy a bottle of shit with Matt Fractions name on it cause that is what his writing has been for the last year.

    • One bad story does not bankrupt a writer.

      It looks to me like you are buying a Fraction book even though you think his stuff is “shit”.

      What makes a character good is how the character is written. Buying a book for a character by a writer you hate is stupid.

      A clown cannot defend another clown.

    • Iron Fist was good- Un X-Men was boring-Iron Man Started strong then fell apart-Fear Itself was a joke( in my opinion). I’m picking this book up just because I dig the Defenders even though I’m not a fan of Fraction but I hope he can redem himself to me. Alot of people buy comics just based on the love of certain character or team hoping to catch the magic they felt the first time they read about them. So your comment about that being nonsense is nonsense. As far you calling me a clown proves to to me what kind of man you are and I would love to reply with my own views of you but I already got one comment deleted just for teasing Jim.

    • A lot of comic buyers have bad habits that make them easy targets for derision.

      Magic is in the craft not the character.

    • The craft of previous writers. Not fraction. My love of Iron Fist and Silver Surfer comes from my childhood in the 90’s. I will not apologize for getting excited when i see the characters and even less so when i see them together!

      You speak of bad habits and throw around your philosophic mumbo jumbo that nobody cares about. I’m sure you don’t read ANY books just because you’re a fan of a character. Its not like i subscribed blindly for the long haul. I want a peak at the art, and what fraction could be doing with the characters. Its not a bad habit, in fact i’d say its a pretty damn good one, based on the fact that some of my friends have done just that– subscribe just for the character.

      And if you think Fraction has only ONE bad story under is belt, you might need to rethink the fact that you read comic books. Are you sure you don’t just look at the pictures? Fractions X-men got supremely awful. Fractions Thor was awful. FI was awful. The only good thing i can remember ever coming from him in the last few years was Iron Fist, and thats only because Father Bru was on it with him!

    • @ dex and oops

      i applaud you for keeping an open mind and giving this book a try despite the bottles of shit we have all bought with fractions name on it. i often give books a try that star or co-star beloved characters from my youth in an attempt to recapture the magic. sadly, it doesnt always work out, BUT, sometimes it does. and you’ll never recapture anything if you dont try. bravo.

      -clown #3(hahahaha)

    • @sitara119 @ oops Down with my clowns lol-there is alway that one pretentious prick who thinks he is superior or better then everybody else but in reality just a dick who can’t respect other peoples opinions. Tear in my beer lol

    • I didn’t realize that pointing out the illogical buying habits of consumers (i.e. buyers buy product produced by people they think create “shit”) would have so much support or any support for that matter.

      You amuse me.

      What is it like to live a life devoid of any self-reflection?

    • OKAY.

      We’re going to attempt to do this the hard way, just this once.

      The Terms of Service says:

      “If you want to argue a topic, be civil and discuss the topic at hand. Personal attacks are not allowed. Feel free to disagree, but do it like civilized adults. Do not insult anyone because they don’t agree with you. Personal attacks will be deleted.”

      That means calling someone a clown or a prick or a dick is against the rules. These are all delete-worthy comments. If you can’t debate a subject without insults like adults, please refrain from commenting. Thanks.

    • @ CONNER KILPAT-Understood clearly..But my comment to Jim M included none of that nonsense just simple jabbing and teasing among a response of his that said he hated all of us…why was that comment deleted -or Is he protected by inflammatory response because he’s super special or super sensitive just checking?

    • @conner
      thanks for being so forthright. much respect. you are definitly my favorite staff member(right there with paul)
      however, i saw clooney’s bat-suit nipple deleted from your “hello, im hollywood’s george clooney” article followed by a “dont test me” comment from one of your fellow staff members. what term was violated there if you dont mind my asking? it seemed rather unfair and…just unfair.

      @scorpio

      clowns are amusing. get enough of us together and you got a rodeo on your hands up in here.
      -insane clown possie, baby(lol)

    • I think its just cause they cant catch every personal attack.. or at least i hope thats the case.. Dex…. Ive been hit with a couple of personal attacks that were completely missed. And ive gone overboard myself a couple of times and gotten immediately reprimanded. Scorpion started that shyte.. i know its hard to ignore… Ive seen you post a lot and your always polite so.. peace out…

    • @ sitara thanks for the entertainment.. much appreciated..

    • Guys, stay on topic. The Terms of Service says that, and not to attempt moderation in the comments. If you have questions about how we moderate the website, please email contact@ifanboy.com

    • Sorry, Conor. I don’t want to make your job harder.

    • @iroberts007
      i expect no less from you, sir.
      BAW WEEP GRA NA WEEP NINNY BONG
      that shit is hilarious, my friend. you obviously have a great sense of humor. i’ve noticed that we share a lot of the same books of the interest and would love to see more of your thoughts on shared threads;p

    • i’ve e-mailed that link before and not received an answer to my inquiry. perhaps my question was off topic to the nature of the site or even unansewerable by some standard unknown to me, but all the same, im still in the dark.
      again, thanks for being so cool.

    • For the record, that bat nipple thing was a joke. I was joking with the poster. He knew that. Now seriously, like Conor said, this part of the topic is closed. You can email all you want. We answer all of them. We’re also very backed up. My emails are about 6 weeks back. Too much to do!

    • Apologies in advance but, i’d still like to know how buying the first issue to test the waters on an ongoing series is “illogical” I know we’re supposed to drop this but my feathers are more than a little ruffled.

      *not really expecting a response*

    • Likewise Sitara….
      Ya Josh the bat nipple thing was obviously a joke
      oopsxlandmine… its not illogical at all.. .. he was just being ridiculous.. Im very pro writer… extremely pro writer to the max.. and even i think thats ridiculous. Not every writer shines on every character or book unless they are a genius. I dont care for fraction but maybe he will click with this maybe not.. what does it hurt to buy one issue if you like danny rand.. it doesnt .. I choose my comics for the following reason. 1writer 2genera 3character 4artist … I like the surfer and iron fist myself… looking forward to reading this..
      oops hes not worth your time… i get the frustration though..
      ha.. i just read that not expecting a response thing.. damb..

    • Thanks for the kind words and support @irob.

  16. Just read it. Finally a book i can READ and not just look at pretty pictures” I’ve been feeling let down over the last , what, Decade with the lack of words in comic books, this book has a good balance.” Good start, I enjoyed the story so far, we’ll see how it goes

  17. I’m satisfied. Looking forward to where it goes from here.

  18. You mean this undeleted comment on another thread?

    https://ifanboy.com/articles/review-the-defenders-1/#comment-369658

  19. Alright that’s it I’m done with fraction this was my fourth book by him I’ve been suckered into. I really tried but I’m done with him. This wasn’t as bad as the shit storm fear itself was but it was sub par at best 2.5/5.

  20. I’m glad I gave this a shot as I really enjoyed it. I did not read Fear Itself so I don’t have any baggage there. I do find Fraction to be hit or miss. This was a hit.

    I like the team and the way each character is presented. I love that there are only 5 of them. The Dodson art is typically lovely. Those notes at the bottom of the pages are a nice touch with a mix of tone setting phrases, page notes, and teases for other comics.

    My only complaint echoes Jimski’s review. There are too many narration boxes from too many characters. The sequence where Danny takes down the assassin in zero gravity in particular could have benefited from less or no captions at all. However, I did get a kick out of She-Hulk’s “—the ground–” bit at the end. But the captions are only a minor complaint and I’m on board for The Defenders.

  21. How fun! A classic get-the-gang-together issue, with that extra weirdo flavor that Fraction brings when he’s on his game. I am in.

    • alright case, how did he handle silver surfer and iron fist? These are the characters i’ll be reading for. Should i get this?

    • As I feel one should when reintroducing a character in an ensemble series, Fraction boils them down to some core character traits. As such, Iron Fist = Adventure loving kung fu billionaire, and Silver Surfer = noble, star-faring space philosopher trying to find something new in the cosmos. He adds a much needed touch of whimsy to the Surfer, too, so he’s not the stern-faced asshole he’s been the last few years.

    • Nothing sounds out of place there! Thanks!

  22. This was super fun stuff! Fraction delivered a fun, fast paced story and, as usual, the Dodson’s killed it. It was also kind of nice to see the whole team come together in half an issue rather than in three or four. So glad I gave this a shot.

  23. This was good–nicely paced with a focus on character–a core of classic Defenders with a couple characters new to the team–fun team interaction. 4/5

  24. Call me crazy but this was a great start to this series and i really enjoyed the hell out of this. I gave it a 5/5 …. not a POTW or anything but with great art and a great start up i really liked it.

  25. LOVED it! I had a feeling this was going to be great, and for me, it sure was!

    Can’t wait for the next issue!

  26. Definitely enjoyed this series much more than I thought I was going to. I’m definitely coming back.

    And regarding Fraction…I know he’s coming off a tiny bad streak with Fear Itself and Uncanny X-Men, but does he REALLY deserve all this scorn that’s heading his way lately?

    • Sometimes to some people you’re only seen as being as good as your last story. I didn’t love or hate FI, but a lot of people got crazy passionate about it and have, for better or worse, let it colour their opinion of this book without reading it.

      Personally I love Casanova, Immortal Iron Fist and Invincible Iron Man, but didn’t like his X-Men or his Thor so was waiting to see what people said about this before giving it a shot. Heavy week.

  27. I am a fan of the characters so I gave the book a look. Will likely give it a few months. Am I the only one who was a bit surprised by Iron Fist’s personality in this book? Not how I am used to seeing him written (and I have a fairly good collection of his stories going back to Marvel Premiere). Not necessarily bad, but I found it to be a little perplexing if that makes sense. Almost like he is supposed to be the comic relief (or spider-man) of the group (which may be Fraction’s intention).
    Also, when did the Surfer gain the ability to change his form so drastically? Did I miss something?

  28. That’s great

  29. 1 star book for me. I did not like this at all. It was boring. DId Iron fist get deaged? Granted I havn’t really read iron fist since he was part of Power man and… I’m a sucker for non-a list characters in a team book and it wouldn’t take much for me to like this but it didnt even achieve that.

  30. I loved this book, I was a little let down by zero-g kung- fu since fraction seemed to mention it in every interview like it was gonna be awesome but it wasn’t really anything. Besides that, great. The dodsons are as fantastic as ever and fraction delivered the goods, granted I’m a fraction fan ( with the exception of his thor and some of fear itself) but I liked it. Also can we get iron fist back in the green and yellow yet? The white and gold really isn’t working for me.

  31. Anyone else spot that the nurses crossword answer was “Чудат” which roughly translates to ‘weird’ in Bulgarian?

    • Enjoyed it. Enjoyed the classic group recruiting. Loved see Doc Strange in his after sex glow…I think this may be a fun book! But why is there a Hulk in everybook now?

  32. I’m not gonna say this is bad, but I know now that Fraction just isn’t my cup of tea. His sensibility just rubs me the wrong way. It’s not that I find the storytelling poor, but the constant self aware commentary and the flip – ironic attitude that almost every character has really throws me out of the story and reminds me it’s ‘just a comic book.’ I like fun as much as the next guy, but Fraction kills my suspension of disbelief with his ‘look-at-me-I’m-smart’ approach.

    • @tripleneck – I can totally see your view on this.

      Listen to the interview with Ron (‘Don’t Miss: The Defenders#1 w/ Matt Fraction). Ron is doing his hardest to keep the conversation exciting and Fraction just drips with self-importance and acts like he was forced to answer questions about a book he felt forced to write.

      I’m new to all the ‘Fraction-related’ books & comments, but I totally picked up a vibe of disdain during the interview.

    • With that said…I enjoyed this issue and will check out issue #2 when it drops!

  33. I wonder if this team will interact with the Defenders from The Last Defenders who have been recently seen in Vengeance

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