Justice, Inc.: The Avenger

Justice Inc: The Avenger #1-6

by Mark Waid, Christopher Sequeira, Ronilson Freire (Artist)

In the raging flame of tragedy, men are sometimes forged into something more than human. So it was with millionaire, adventurer, and hunter Richard Henry Benson! After a terrible loss of family and humanity at the hands of criminals, he became a machine of vengeance... a figure of ice and steel, concealing genius and power behind a face as dead as the grave. The ultimate master of disguise with malleable skin and eyes like pale gray fire, Benson is the deadly scourge of the The Avenger!

As darkness falls across Europe and the Pacific in 1940, The Avenger dedicates his fortune to building Justice, Inc., a crack team of scientists and adventurers dedicated to protecting the homeland from gangsters and terrorists. But in this increasingly dangerous world, even their headquarters can be infiltrated! Unknown assailants, nearly transparent and inhumanly strong, strike a fearsome blow at The Avenger's organization, subjecting a dear friend to a fate worse than death. What is the terrible secret of these invisible foes, and how does their far-reaching conspiracy threaten to drag America into war?

New York Times bestselling author Mark Waid (Kingdom Come, Daredevil, Star Princess Leia) joins Christopher Sequeira (Astonishing Tales) and Ronilson Freire (The Green Hornet) for the globe-trotting Man of a Thousand Faces' epic battle against The Invisible Death, plus a bonus tale debuting the mysterious saboteur, The Sleeperman!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics

144 pages, Paperback

Published July 19, 2016

About the author

Mark Waid is an American comic book writer widely known for shaping modern superhero storytelling through influential runs on major characters at both DC Comics and Marvel Comics. Raised in Alabama, he developed an early fascination with comic books, particularly classic stories featuring the Legion of Super-Heroes, whose imaginative scope and sense of legacy would later inform his own writing. He first entered the comics industry during the mid 1980s as an editor and writer for the fan magazine Amazing Heroes, before publishing his first professional comic story in Action Comics. Soon afterward he joined DC Comics as an editor, contributing to numerous titles and helping shape projects across the company. After leaving editorial work to focus on writing, Waid gained widespread recognition with his long run on The Flash, where he expanded the mythology of the character and co-created the youthful speedster Impulse. His reputation grew further with the celebrated graphic novel Kingdom Come, created with artist Alex Ross, which imagined a future DC Universe shaped by generational conflict among superheroes. Over the years he has written many prominent series, including Captain America, Fantastic Four, Daredevil, and Superman: Birthright, bringing a balance of optimism, character depth, and respect for comic book history to each project. Waid has also collaborated with notable artists and writers on major ensemble titles such as Justice League and Avengers, while contributing ideas that helped clarify complex continuity within shared superhero universes. Beyond mainstream superhero work, he has supported creator owned projects and experimental publishing models, including the acclaimed series Irredeemable and Incorruptible, which explored moral ambiguity within the superhero genre. He later took on editorial leadership roles at Boom Studios, guiding creative direction while continuing to write extensively. In subsequent years he expanded his involvement in publishing and digital storytelling, helping launch online comics initiatives and advocating for new distribution methods for creators. His work has earned numerous industry awards, including Eisner and Harvey honors, reflecting both critical acclaim and enduring popularity among readers. Throughout his career Waid has remained a passionate student of comic book history, drawing on decades of storytelling tradition while continually encouraging innovation within the medium. His influence extends across generations of readers and creators, and his stories continue to shape the evolving language of superhero comics around the world today through enduring characters imaginative narratives and thoughtful reinventions of familiar myths within popular culture and modern graphic storytelling traditions.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another one of Dynamite's unearthed pulp heroes. The Avenger is something of a cross between the Shadow and Doc Savage. I get what Waid was trying to do with the pulpy exposition but it was just too much. It turned this into a bit of a snooze fest and numbed me to the story. The art and coloring were surprisingly good.

[Alex Sarll]

When Dynamite were on their shopping spree for old pulp heroes, some of them were names I knew and had an investment in (The Shadow, Doc Savage), and others...not so much. I'd never heard of the Avenger until he cropped up in a crossover with those bigger names, and obviously it doesn't help that since the character's 1939 debut, there have been two entirely separate sets of Avengers* to make a bigger splash with that name. There are a lot of familiar elements here: the genius hero-adventurer with superhuman but just about possible powers; his support team, each of them skilled in one specific area, their vaguely soap opera dynamics; the cool gadgets, souped up but not entirely implausible. Even in the heyday of the pulps, he seems to have been a bit of a belated also-ran, and you can see why; he verges on the generic. But what gimmick he does have, works a lot more naturally in comics than prose. The incident which killed his family and made him crime's nemesis** also left his face completely white and expressionless - but malleable, meaning on top of all his other talents he is now a master of disguise. Plus, giving some lovely options for body horror if anyone touches it and it just...gives. Granted, the utility of being able to take someone's face is questionable if you can't then move it much (mostly he tends to claim toothache), as well as presenting a challenge to the artist – but Ronilson Freire largely carries it off, as also the absolute bastard drawing task presented by the antagonists, who look like disembodied circulatory systems as a result of some typical pulp science - an invisibility chemical. Which also works on inanimate objects, but people can protect themselves with nose filters. No, me either. Yes, obviously this is stupid, but it's the right sort of stupid for the era. As also the captions, in which each issue Mark Waid starts from the introduction "In the raging flame of tragedy, men are sometimes forged into something more than human. So it was with millionaire, adventurer, and hunter Richard Henry Benson!" – and then continues in similar vein, something I wouldn't normally associate with his work but which definitely helps build the appropriate mood. Interestingly, one element I assumed must be an update was taken directly from the original stories – among Benson's associates are a black couple, Josh and Rosabel Newton, who are graduates and treated as equals in the team, but who among the other ways in which they help fight crime, at one point go undercover by posing as menial workers. Felt like a workaround to make a thirties original less upsetting to modern sensibilities; turns out to be entirely faithful. So that's good, I guess. Less happy is how this series, from four years ago, has a plot point about American big business in bed with actual fascists. If only that one felt more dated, eh?

*Yes, I know there was a miniseries tying a thinly veiled Steed to the prehistory of the US group, but as much as I like Chaykin, it doesn't quite convince.
**In the non-lethal Batman sense, though he's at least a little less useless than Wayne in being happy to stand by while a criminal is destroyed by his own wicked schemes. Also he uses a gun but is such a good shot that apparently that's fine, because he can shoot to stun. And a knife. Look, it works in pulp terms, just about.

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two stories set in 1940 recounting the adventures of pulp hero the Avenger, aka Richard Benson, and his group of assistants. Part Shadow and part Doc Savage, the Avenger can mold his features into a likeness of anyone. In these stories he faces a group of near-invisible madmen and .

There are some truly creepy moments in the first story. The appearance of the "invisible men" alone is really unnerving - ghastly eyes and brain connected to dangling neurons makes for one disturbing image! Benson is first led to believe this is some sort of supernatural apparition, but working the case leads to a group of Nazi collaborators. Waid does a nice job of keeping the pulp spirit alive by mixing engaging action sequences while following leads to keep the story flowing. Most of Benson’s assistants get a moment or two in the spotlight, developing their characters and keeping them involved.

In the second story, Benson is betrayed by his old mentor and a weapons treaty with an Eastern European nation is placed in jeopardy. This story is much shorter than the first, and puts the focus much more on the Avenger himself. We learn more about his background and training, which proves pretty interesting, but the main plot moves quickly and contains some interesting twists during the ending action.

Overall, the book was a fun visit to the pulp era and gives modern fans a chance to experience some new adventures of the Avenger!

[Dave · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this is the first Mark Waid comic that I didn't enjoy. It lacked the suspense and intrigue that his books usually have. Guess they can't all be a home run.

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

(the book i have has the Alex Ross cover, which is only shown on the kindle edition) These stories are okay, i didn't remember the Avenger being such an obvious Doc Savage clone and the final story in the book made me realize how much better these would have been if written by Roy Thomas. The art is good except for Benson's face, he looks like he wouldn't be out of place at a high school prom. Always thought him to be in his thirties.

[Mark Stratton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t say how much I enjoyed this book. The Avenger was my first Pulp Character. The Ross cover, after Joe Kubert’s classic, is what got me hooked into pulps when I was a kid.

Waid captures the essence of the characters and tropes or the character pulp genre quite well. Overall, a lot of fun.

[Todd Glaeser · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a HUGE Avenger/Justice Inc. fan and Mark Waid has done a great job of creating new stories. I wish the artwork was less pedestrian.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to give this at least four stars, but I can't. While I did enjoy this more than other comic adaptations of the Avenger I just couldn't justify pushing it up that extra notch. This was a good attempt, but it's hampered by some frustrating anacronism and the art is stiff and didn't really pull me in. I do give the creators credit through for, more or less, sticking with the original concept instead of trying to update everything because they don't believe the character will remain interesting or relevant to 21st cenury audiences. So, I for one am appreciative that Justice, Inc. was presented fairly close to the original concept.