Jan 7, 2014
There Was Nothing. Followed by Everything. Swirling, Burning Specks of Creation that Circled Life-Giving Suns. And then... We Raced to the Light
I was not a huge comic fan. I followed absolutely no series with any degree of regularity, though I occasionally went through phases where I would remember the glory days of the old 1994 Spider-Man TV series and visit my local comic shop or Barnes & Nobles to pick up a couple of back issues, hoping to relieve the magic of the show through the comics. I actually started to do a halfway decent job of following said series in 9th or 10th grade (ah, seems so long ago now... Even though I'm still in my twenties...) when I picked up the first four of those Amazing Spider-Man omnibuses. Got through quite a few issues, but, like many people, it was only after The Avengers that I really went crazy with comics. I started by finishing Amazing Spider-Man (yes, all 700 issues. In about 2 months). Then I hopped into the fray with the Avengers themselves, picking up Hickman's first issue. I still dropped in and out kind of irregularly, but the biweekly schedule really helped me stick with this comic, since the waiting didn't kill me. And what is there to say but: Avengers is AWESOME!
I won't fanboy too much, but I'm quite disappointment that it's only recently been getting good reviews. It seems a lot of people were kind of disappointed by the tangential way the story is being realized. And, indeed, if you're one of those people that is used to reading the big, splashy events, or someone who likes checking into a comic for 3-4 issues to catch an emotionally resonant or light-hearted episodic tale then Avengers is not for you. Don't get me wrong, Hickman's run has included a few emotionally engaging storylines and moments-- a humanized Hyperion (a Superman Expy that gets rebranded now and again, with the In-Universe explanation being that each Hyperion is from a different Universe), a bittersweet farewell to an aged Smasher leading to his granddaughter taking up the mantle, a coming of age story that also reflects on what if the person who receives godlike power is absolutely unprepared for it, and a broken heroine who literally has all the power of the Universe itself and yet cannot actually change the tragic fate visited upon her own family. It also does big action pretty well, throwing movie favorites Captain America, Thor and Iron Man into battle with foes that are bigger and more powerful than anything they've faced before (in comics or otherwise) and tagging in with other heroes like the aforementioned Hyperion, Smasher, Starbrand, Captain Universe and more well known heroes like Spider-Man, Hulk, Hawkeye, Captain Marvel and Wolverine.
The first issue is an aggressive assault on a new enemy, a creature who "forces evolution" unto unsuspecting sentient beings, whose home base is Mars, and the first arc ends with a storyline that sees the line-up face off against the very creators of life in the Universe. But despite having both awesome action and dramatic character moments, the series has lacked a lot of the stuff that makes comics familiar, and that's probably why I love it so much and why die-hard comic book readers dislike the tone and energy. Much like a serial television show or a Japanese manga series (just to keep it in the same medium), Hickman has constructed a general theme for the book, and follows up on it with a huge sprawling plot, only occasionally underlining and putting the theme in all caps for an issue. The theme is essentially "We Have to Get Bigger". Okay, so it's actually better to say the theme is "growth" or "improvement". That's what the first issue starts with, though. This idea that the Avengers have to be stronger so they can face stronger threats, many of which the team has no clue are even out there at the book's opening.
Captain America and Tony Stark come up with a holographic flow chart detailing new members, seemingly placing members closer to the literal inner circle based on importance. mini But Hickman doesn't place the spotlight on many of the Avengers that have become household names from the film. Quite the opposite-- he gives us a birds eye view of the team in most issues, and moves the pieces on the board, like AIM and the previously mentioned martian life forger named Ex Nihilo (along with "sister" Abyss), into position against the Avengers, but it's all very slow going. There are entire issues devoid of battle or deep introspection on the part of an Avenger, but then we get amazing moments like Thor's stand against the Builders in Infinity #4.
Now I'm not about to say Hickman's style of writing is perfect, but the way he brings an arc to a close is indisputably awesome. Of course now that the fight against the Builders has been chronicled, we're still no closer to finding out what the big threat that scared the Builders away from their home universe was.
And if Avengers 24.Now is any indication, we'll not be getting answers anytime soon. The latest issue of the series, released on December 24 (yeah, I'm behind) has the benefit of a nice, deflationary opening. Following a big event like Infinity with more insanity would be...off-putting, so thankfully, Hickman spins a slower paced yet still epic yarn. The story starts in a future where Franklin Richards and an unknown individual bearing the familiar "Rhodey" surname argue over taking a spin in Rhodey's time machine. Rhodey eventually gets the go ahead (and thank God, because I hear Richards has his own Galactus) and heads back to confront a pensive Captain America and Tony Stark. Cap is editing the flow-chart of Avengers, but Tony tells him not to limit his ideas to the design they've mocked up thus far.
The other Avengers, meanwhile, are celebrating at a light-hearted barbeque, and we get to see some nice banter between Thor and everyone, with his interaction with Captain Universe being particularly adorable. Both events are interrupted, however, by a crazy electrical storm which hails the arrival of Rhodey Jr. (or III... or IV). Rhodey reveals that there's a planet on an intersecting path with Earth. Yes, you read that right, a planet is fired at Earth from an unknown entity at an unknown time in the past (though probably a long time ago). The Avengers naturally come up with a fantastic plan to take it out. I haven't talked a lot about the art thus far, but it needs to be mentioned how awesomely this series is drawn and colored. There is a fantastic series of shots where Hyperion, Thor and the Hulk move their anti-planet machine into place, and it's expertly depicted thanks to Esad Ribic, Salvador Larocca, Mike Deodato and Butch Guice.
After their run-in with the planet, Rhodey reveals herself to Tony, and also builds a power source into the "rogue planet" which will allow the Avengers to draw as much power as they need from it. When her motives are questioned, Rhodey gives an explanation that is as cryptic as it is foreboding: Tony's secrets are about to be revealed, and soon everyone is going to want him dead. This seems like a clear callback to the first issue's 5th page, with a slew of Tony's armors broken and steaming in a pile of rubble.
And thus Hickman brings everything full circle, and probably makes people hate him again. But I love the little teases like this, and I genuinely cannot wait to see how this rogue planet story ties in with the upcoming Avengers World, and how New Avengers is going to be affected. But more on that when those series return for their next issues. For now, I hope you enjoyed our first Avengers review and expect biweekly updates which are less lengthy. This issue earns a:
Go Crazy Like a Fox If:8/10
- You're into slow build up leading into huge payoffs down the line
- You enjoy rereading issues and picking up on new things each read through
- You've been dying to meet a descendant of Tony Stark and James "Rhodey" Rhodes
- Thor joking with the embodiment of the Universe gives you a giggle
- You like more standalone stories
- Cape comics aren't your thing
- You aren't willing reread issues or follow them VERY closely on the first pass
