Jason Aaron’s new run on “Avengers” heats up as the members assemble and clash in an attempt to take down the falling Celestials and a mysterious new foe. Warning, spoilers.
Written by Jason Aaron
Illustrated by Ed McGuinness
Colored by David Curiel
Lettered by VC’s Cory PetitBlack Panther and Dr. Strange battle for their lives deep within the earth…Captain Marvel bbattles death and destruction raining down from the skies…while Thor, Iron Man and Captain America lead the valiant (yet hopeless) fight against the Final Host of the Dark Celestials. And Ghost Rider and the Savage Hulk make brutal war…against each other? Plus, you can’t have a gathering of Avengers without a certain Price of Lies, now can you?
If you’re looking for a writer who’s able to tap into the inherent silliness of a Marvel property while still delivering daunting antagonists and great characterization, it’s Jason Aaron. And “Avengers” is no exception. With such a large cast, Aaron is able to write spot-on takes of beloved heroes, which make for deliciously entertaining banter. Part of his skill is writing charming, genuinely humorous dialogue that sticks with you days afterward. He’s able to wink at the audience and play into the grandiose goofiness of the Marvel world while capitalizing on what makes the series work. He’s usually able to straddle a line between camp and sheer geeky wonder.
Unfortunately, this second issue doesn’t quite succeed. Aaron has still yet to give us a reason to fear the Celestials other than them being very big and having a scary backstory. They don’t talk and all they’ve done so far is unleash hordes of “unstoppable” bugs who get plowed over as easily as any supposedly “unstoppable” force of grunts from any number of comics old and new. The Celestials are so uninteresting, Aaron has to bring in Loki to liven things up.
Speaking of Loki, I’m baffled why his appearing on the last page is supposed to be any kind of effective reveal. He’s a mysterious, snarky silhouette who narrates in bright green, Asgardian font from the shadows about how he’ll bring down the Avengers because they wronged him. My point is: who else could it have been? Even people who’ve only seen the movies would know his identity. How much more compelling would it have been if he showed up earlier and started chatting with the Avengers or Celestials? His voice-over isn’t interesting or necessary, so his monologuing should have been cut entirely or he could have just appeared at the very end as a proper twist. If you’re going to use Loki, don’t throw him to the side like a whiny chorus of doom. He’s one of Marvel’s greatest villains—so use him!
While most of the characters are written effectively, Ghost Rider’s scenes are by far the weakest with lines so corny, you’d swear they were ripped straight from a ‘60s Stan Lee comic as they try very hard to be “relatable.” Seeing what Black Panther and Doctor Strange are up to would have been much preferred. The novelty of seeing the two of them together is already more compelling than Ghost Rider hitting endless swaths of space-bugs with a light-up chain. Actually, my description sounds more interesting than the scene itself.
Ed McGuinness’s art captures the heroes in their muscle-bound glory, but he’s not so strong on backgrounds and specific details. He’s so focused on drawing the heroes, the issue isn’t established firmly in the surroundings, which is important for a story with such a massive scope. Bryan Hitch or Esad Ribic (a long-time Aaron collaborator on “The Mighty Thor”) would have been much better suited for one of Aaron’s most important stories in the Marvel universe paying off the Final Host and all that.
Other than showing Loki and having Ghost Rider and She Hulk meet, there’s not much going on here. It’s all action, but the art isn’t effective enough to convey that properly. The dialogue is snappy, but it’s not enough to carry the entire issue. At the end, I’m left asking: what’s the point? What about “Avengers” #2 necessitates a buy? Unlike Grant Morrison’s epic stories, there’s not a capitalization on mind-bending theatrics, and unlike Mark Millar’s iconic “Ultimate Avengers” run from the early 2000s, there’s not a sense of total mayhem and subversive storytelling. If you really like McGuinness’s art, that might be enough for you, but not for this critic. This is basic, safe storytelling that could rope in people curious about Marvel from Infinity War, but #2 doesn’t offer anything substantial for the initiated.
It’s very likely we’ll learn more about the Final Host and all that fun mythological stuff in later issues. However, this installment doesn’t give us any of that world building other than one character being mysteriously teleported away by the attacking entities, which is more set-up than anything. Aaron hasn’t given us enough breadcrumbs to excite us for more reveals. Instead, we have to slog through 22 pages of mediocre fights and blocky art for a lame-duck “reveal” that merely points to the fact that the Celestials are so dull, Aaron has to pull a truly interesting character in to substitute. The idea of Loki teaming up with a malevolent new force because he’s scorned has been done so much, it’s not intimidating in the slightest. In terms of Marvel clichés, that has to be in the top 10.
Final Verdict: 5.7 – This issue works decently as an introduction for people curious about comics from Infinity War. Unfortunately, “Avengers” #2 is too meager a meal for already established fans.
