We're jumping in the wayback machine for this one. Back in 2005, DC's heavy hitters in Giffen and DeMatteis hopped over to the Marvel side to put their spin on The Defenders in a 5 issue miniseries. Kevin Maguire was also along for the ride providing art duties. So we had the prime players from the storied Justice League International/Europe runs. They do a good job with one of my favorite super hero teams, but it doesn't quite live up to the, perhaps unfairly elevated, expectations put upon it.

As with any good Defenders story, the heroes are brought together through circumstances beyond their control, even though they clearly want nothing to do with each other. Doctor Strange becomes aware of a plan by Dormammu and his sister Umar to rewrite reality as we know it. Fearing the worst, he calls upon those that he's worked with in the past: Namor, The Hulk, and Silver Surfer. A lot of banter ensues, with some action thrown in, but mainly banter.

The fake reality they find themselves in that they must fight their way through is something we've seen dozens of times. Most of the evil versions of characters are played up for laughs at one point or another, but none so much as Dormammu. As little as I care for him as a villian, kicking him down a few pegs to whiney petulant child is maybe pushing it too far. He does still come across as a threat, but one who is clearly not good at his job.

While the slapstick began to grate on me by the end of the series, Kevin Maguire's art was great throughout. He has a similar touch to Amanda Conner where the characters are clearly comic books, but they have a real enough feel that you don't feel like you're looking at a cartoon. It's a quality we don't get as much in comics these days that I really enjoy. The coloring is great and it all reads like a dream.

Looking batch at Giffin and DeMatteis' run in Justice League, that was mainly a superhero book with a few laughs built in. By this point, it seems they'd gone pretty far into the humor side of things. It does work for the most part, especially with personalities that are built to argue like the Defenders. (Silver Surfer is particularly hilarious) Even though I would not consider this book this team's best work, the writing and art work together in a way that made for a fun read. And as with nearly every Defenders book, it was forgotten almost immediately and got to live it its own little world. So if you enjoy self contained stories and are in the mood for some laughs, Defenders: Indefensible is worth a look.

4 out of 5 All Seeing Eyes