Review: Avengers Assemble "Depth Charge"

Before I critique the episode proper, I feel that I should address something. It's really not very PC the way that this show keeps treating terrible disasters like no big deal. Anyone in Tokyo can tell you that tsunamis are not fun little jaunts that are cleaned up in a week. I'm not saying you can't tackle a serious threat like tsunamis in a superhero show, you just need to be dang careful about how you go about portraying it. This is poorly-thought out at best and downright disrespectful at worst. It's one thing when you gloss over any depressing bits with civilian casualties, but quite another when you go out of your way to pretend they don't happen.

On with the Review.

So, both longtime readers of my blog will know that I dislike what I call "Ninja Episodes" of Batman cartoons. Not because I don't like ninjas, but because the plots are all ridiculously similar. With Marvel shows, I reserve my scorn for "Atlantis Episodes." In Atlantis Episodes, Atlantis attacks the surface world for whatever reason. That's it. The same plot, over and over. It's shown up in Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes, Justice League, Fantastic Four, and possibly more that I can't remember off the top of my head. Not to mention all the comics that use the plot, too. With varying results.

Remember when Tony Stark tricked Atlantis into attacking America? That's okay, neither does Marvel.

But the problem with using a plot that's been used to death is that if you're going to use it, you really need to use it well. And with Atlantis, you're working uphill. When you say "Atlantis," people think of happy merpeople swimming under the sea, when everything's better down where it's wetter. But there's a horror to Atlantis that can be exploited. Water covers about two-thirds of the Earth. A kingdom that ruled the entire ocean would dwarf all surface armies combined.

This guy owns most of the world.

And what this episode fails to do is create any sort of feeling that the entire ocean is attacking the surface. Sure, there's a big ol' tidal wave, but that's just a natural disaster. Attuma had a handful of troops.

A gang, at best.

We should have seen an army.

Aquaman's brother knows how it's done.

The Throne of Atlantis story arc of Justice League is how you show Atlantis attacking.

Storms. Tsunamis. Countless soldiers sheathed in crustacean armor. Real Old Testament stuff.

And as for the Hulk's plot, it's standard stuff, too. The question of "Can we trust the Hulk?" is answered with a resounding "yes" after a forgettable episode. If you want a better character study of the Hulk, then wait a few episodes for "Hulked-Out Heroes."

Next time, Doctor Doom returns. To the shock of no one, he's still obsessed with Asgard. See you then.