I really enjoyed GraphicAudio’s production of Marvels’ Civil War. Though the adaptation necessarily differed from the original graphic novel event, it still captured the spirit. New Avengers: Breakout is the same.

The graphic novel could bank on readers already knowing about Disassembled/House of M, and all the fallout from Scarlet Witch’s mental breakdown. A book doesn’t have that luxury, so this is written/performed as though people know & are familiar with the characters and their personalities, but may be encountering them for the first time outside of movies. For instance, Black Widow is introduced as a KGB spy who has just defected from her handlers. The Avengers know of her by her bad reputation, but she’s not a member of the team (yet). I’ve been reading every event, and most of the solo series since Disassembled so I am very familiar with these characters and their history. But this still worked just fine, and was actually refreshing.

Iron Man disbanded the Avengers after Disassembled. In the aftermath, someone orchestrates a massive prison break from The Raft where all the supervillains are incarcerated. There are no Avengers anymore, but several superheroes show up (or were already on site) to try and contain the situation: Captain America, Spider-Woman, Luke Cage (Power Man), Spider-Man, and Hawkeye. Other familiar characters pop up in the story such as Nick Fury and Maria Hill has a sizable supporting role. This hodgepodge group needs to stop the breakout, track down the escapees and discover who masterminded the whole thing. And together, a new team will form.

I loved the story, but the production made it even that much better. The voice actors were well chosen – Tony’s suave tones, Clint’s witty one liners, Natasha’s Russian accent – and bring the characters to life. It was easy to follow who was talking. The sound effects and music add a lot to the story. It’s not quite a movie in your mind, but it’s damn entertaining. Overall, it was an excellent way to pass a long car ride and I’ve already ordered several more from GraphicAudio (which are sadly not available on Amazon). Highly recommended. ( )