Avengers : the Initiative - Annual #1 - Marvel

This series seems to get more and more interesting with every issue. They've really developed a great cast of characters here. In the Annual, we focus on some of the background stories, on a couple of the characters. We get some great creative talents in this issue also. There's four separate stories that Dan Slott and Christos Gage all write. The artwork includes the talents of Salvador Larroca, Clayton Henry, Paul Neary and Steve Uy. For an Annual, this is actually a very good book. The first story focus' on Gauntlet and how he came to have his power. Which really . . is all based in his . . well . . . Gauntlet. He came across it by accident, but now that he's down they can't seem to get it to work. They're also afraid to use more extreme measures to separate, because of what happened with Armory. But that's another story. Also in this issue. We get some more on MVP this issue also. Remember when they came across the kid that looked like MVP at his parents house a couple of issues ago? And, when the Scarlet Spiders took off their masks, they all looked like MVP? Well it turns out that Baron Von Blitzschlag was so taken with the boy, that he's been cloning him. So there's actually, many copies of him. And the Baron considers them all, his children. We also find out that MVP wasn't actually a product of the Super-Soldier experiment, but the product of a revolutionary diet, and the ultimate exercise regimen, that his father's had him on since birth. What we find out about Armory, is that she also got her symbiote by accident. But once bonded to her, it won't work for anyone else. They even went to the extent of having it removed. It was after she accidentally killed MVP. But once taken off, it's essentially useless. It's also left Violet in her pre-symbiote depressive state. Next we see Hardball, who was given his powers as a gift. In a weakened frame of mind, he was approached and offered his powers. All he had to do in return was be an undercover spy for HYDRA. In the final story, about the Liberteens, we see that the Skrull have invaded the Initiative. The Revolutionary is actually a Skrull, and he doesn't hide the fact when he reports back to somebody at Camp Hammond. " . . produce enough teams for full nationwide coverage . . it won't be long until we have . . a Skrull in every state!" So I guess this is the next chapter of the Skrull War. Cool book. At first I thought this was just going to be another version of YA. The Young Avengers. But, it's got a cool concept, and a great cast of characters. I expect this one to be around for a while.