Classic Review: Avengers- The Trial of Yellowjacket

Quick Summary

Pros: The central story arc is captivating all the way through and sparks an evolution for the Avengers as a team. This central story is also important from a historical standpoint. Most of the other stories are also great and contain wonderful moments from the characters. A few of the chapters contain great artwork.

Cons: One of the story arcs is pretty forgettable. Some actions conflict with themes. A few of the chapters contain mediocre artwork. 

Overall: This important piece of Marvel history is also a wonderfully entertaining story. The issues contained here focus on the gripping and emotional fall of an Avenger. However, they also tell shorter stories that have fun action, thrilling suspense, and even more great emotions. The appeal of this comic is high and its impact on the history of this team makes it even more worthwhile. Anyone interested in the history of the Avengers should not miss this volume.

Story

Avengers: The Trial of Yellowjacket, mostly written by Jim Shooter, is an excellent example of an older comic that is just as readable today as it ever was. This comic bears witness to the downfall of an Avenger, a significant moment for the team and a significant moment in comic book history. This process is emotional in a way that surpasses its predecessors and makes for a meaningful reading experience. Alongside this, are a variety of shorter stories, which place a great emphasis on either intense action or unique character moments. As a whole, the volume also refines the general tone of the entire Avengers series, as it makes personal drama and emotional twists just as compelling as fighting villains. This is a volume with a lot going for it, one that many different readers will be able to enjoy.

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The centerpiece of The Trial of Yellowjacket is the fall of Hank Pym. Jim Shooter masterfully elaborates upon Hank’s history with inadequacy and mental instability and shows how these problems could be seriously compounded in the life of a superhero. When Yellowjacket cracks and lashes out against his friends and even his own wife, it feels like an unfortunately natural progression for a character who has always been troubled.

Then, as the narrative moves on to his capture and his trail, Shooter paints him in a more sympathetic light. These chapters effectively explain that Hank was suffering from problems that are difficult to understand. They do not attempt to excuse his actions but are a great reminder of how mental illness can cripple anyone. By the end, I felt like I had a deeper understanding of nearly every character involved in this ordeal. All of this helped make the book’s final chapter more meaningful, to the point where I’ll admit that I even got a little teary eyed.

All of this also helps mark a turning point in the Avengers series. Watching one of the Avenger’s founding members fall from grace shows that this is not a team of unstoppable, perfect beings. They are ordinary people who happen to take on extraordinary roles. Though personal problems were often emphasized in solo series, bringing them to light in this comic feels more significant.

This change can also be seen in the short story arcs that take place between the two major Hank Pym arcs. In most of these chapters, the personal drama of specific heroes becomes the real focus, rather than the fight between good and evil. These chapters have numerous points where secret identities are revealed to longtime allies or where two heroes are forced to have a heart-to-heart with each other. The most memorable encounters here are probably the fun team-up between Hawkeye and Ant-Man and the tragic romance between Iron Man and the Wasp.

However, to say these shorter story arcs are all about personal drama would be doing the exciting ones a disservice. The fight against the Molecule Man has high stakes action where it seems like the heroes couldn’t possibly come out on top. Then, the trip to another planet is fraught with uncertainty, due to Moondragon’s mind control, that makes the narrative even more tense and exciting. The exception is that the Avenger’s journey through time is pretty forgettable. 

The only significant problem with the stories told through The Trial of Yellowjacket is that there are occasionally points where themes and actions feel contradictory. Watching the Avengers struggle over which members to cut and then watching them ask the new Captain Marvel to join without a second thought makes it seem like the team cannot decide what they want. In addition, the focal point of Hank’s current trouble, his attack on a peaceful person, pairs poorly against the following story arc, in which the team debates killing someone. These are not major problems but are somewhat noticeable.

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Art

The artwork in The Trial of Yellowjack has its ups and its downs. The opening chapter, from Alan Kupperberg, feels a bit too chaotic and all over the place. Then, the artwork in the Avenger’s trip to the past, from Greg LaRocque, is sparsely detailed and makes a supposedly mystical world look plain and uninteresting.

However, artwork from Alan Weiss, in the Molecule Man story arc, is well-structured and makes the characters look nice. Plus, Al Milgrom’s work, on the final few chapters, brings the volume to a close in a meaningful way. His work focuses on the characters and what they are going through, which perfectly highlights this collection’s emotionally-dense conclusion. These artistic high-points help keep the volume’s visuals worthwhile and make up for some of the artistic low-points.

Continuity

Avengers: The Trial of Yellowjacket continues the story from issues that will be collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 20.

The story here will continue in Avengers: Absolute Vision Book One (Review).

This volume also makes references to other comic books, detailed below:

• Iron Man’s struggle with sobriety began back in Iron Man #128.
• Throughout this volume a number of events from Hank Pym’s past are referenced. These include:
  • His origin story from Tales to Astonish #27.
  • His first battle with Egghead, from Tales to Astonish #38.
  • The origin story of the Wasp from Tales to Astonish #44.
  • His work in founding the Avengers from Avengers #1, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 1 (Review). For more info about this event see ComicBookWire’s exploration into it.
  • His emergence as Giant-Man from Tales to Astonish #49. 
  • His return as Goliath in Avengers #28, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 3 (Review).
  • His role in fixing Vision from Avengers #93, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 10 (Review). 
  • His part in the creation of Ultron, which is mostly explained in Avengers #58, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 6 (Review).
  • The emergence of Yellowjacket and the wedding of Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne from Avengers #59-60, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 7 (Review). For more info about this event see ComicBookWire’s exploration into it.
  • Ultron’s kidnapping of Janet and Hank’s role in the affair from Avengers #162, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 16 (Review). 
  • His removal from the Avengers when their numbers were cut in Avengers #181, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 18 (Review).
• The Silver Surfer’s rebellion against Galactus occurred over the course of Fantastic Four #48-50, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Vol. 5 (Review).
• The Molecule Man appeared back in Fantastic Four #20, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Vol. 2 (Review). 
• In Avengers #218, Captain America references the children he saved in Captain America #267.
• Avengers #218 also references Captain America’s fight in Captain America #264.
• An event from 1906 is shown in Avengers #218. This is a reference to Spider-Woman #33.
• Drax’s history and his fight against Thanos is told across Captain Marvel #27-32, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Captain Marvel Vol. 3 (Review).
• Spider-Man was considered for Avengers membership back in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #3 and Amazing Spider-Man Annual #4, collected in Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 5. 
• Hawkeye was cut from the Avengers back when their numbers were reduced. This took place in Avengers #181, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 18 (Review).
• Janet and Hank were betrayed by their driver back in Avengers #139-140, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 15 (Review).
• The Avenger’s fight against the Taskmaster is referenced. This took place in Avengers #195-196, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 19 (Review).
• Scott Lang stole an Ant-Man costume in Marvel Premiere #47, collected in Ant-Man: Scott Lang.
• The Black Knight’s origin was mostly explained in Marvel Super-Heroes #17, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 7 (Review). He was turned to stone in Defenders #4, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Defenders Vol. 1.
• Thor started establishing a life for his alter-ego in Thor #302. 
• The new Captain Marvel was introduced in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16, collected in Avengers: Absolute Vision Book One. 
• Most of the world believes Egghead is dead due to the events of Defenders #43, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Defenders Vol. 6. 
• Hawkeye’s brother had a past with Egghead, which is detailed in Avengers #64, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 7 (Review). 
• The death of Captain Marvel is mentioned. This took place in Marvel: Graphic Novel #1, collected in Marvel Masterworks: Captain Marvel Vol. 6 (Review).