WRITER: Brian Michael Bendis
PENCILS: John Romita, Jr.
COVER: John Romita, Jr.The blockbuster Avengers book continues!! Kang versus Ultron with Avengers from every era right in the middle. The end of this issue is a shocker that sets up one of the biggest new threats to the Marvel Universe!! Plus: another chapter in the oral history of the Avengers!
Ah, it’s the end of the first arc of The OG Avengers as the time stream continues to go haywire and the team in the future is stuck in a self repeating pattern of fight, die, loop, lather; rinse, repeat. With the indomitable John Romita handling the art, just what did I think of it? You should find out!
This book is still a quandary for someone like me. On one hand, I really love Bendis’ work on the plotting, as it’s something that genuinely FEELS like it’s an Avengers title again. I was worried that something like this might have gone by the wayside with all the different title in the Avengers sandbox.
Thankfully, it hasn’t. The book, while being time travel (and therefore giving me a headache by default) was presented in a way that was easier to follow, with fewer paradoxes and the usual fare from Star Trek that usually ends up giving me a headache.
I loved the sense of urgency as well as the tricks that Tony played to make sure the time loop would be broken instead of the time stream being broken. The idea of going directly to Ultron of all people machines to try and broker a deal that would save everybody was a risky move, but one that ultimately paid off in a real way.
Even the fallout of the arc feels like it could be a real winner, with Killkraven’s unfortunate fate revealed in this arc (he does not die, so don’t rage). The closing scenes even feel like a real close to an Avengers arc, with everyone meeting up in the Mansion (or in this case, Stark Tower) for coffee and bantering back and forth. And guess what? It feels natural, like something a team would do. I’m not buying the “no pay” crap though.
But while we’re on the subject of things I don’t buy, I have to state that while I don’t think Bendis writes everyone in Peter’s voice, he wrote Ultron in Peter’s voice, and it was rather distracting to read a machine talking like a quippy twenty-something.
And then here’s Romita’s art. I’ve never made a secret of how much I dislike his art in this book, with its lack of real detail and simply more line work that makes the characters look REALLY old. Here it’s just more of the same. Characters look so two-dimensional, with no feeling of depth to any of them.
There was one scene here that he DID do rather well, which shows you that he CAN do the title justice if he doesn’t spread himself too thin or if he puts forth the effort. IF you’re reading along, the scene is the final scene in the future with the kids. It was a beautiful moment of coming full circle, and Immortus getting his comeuppance. Romita’s take on the rain, the figures, and the lighting are all terrific. Why doesn’t this happen more often?
Truth be told, this book is still worth reading, I just wish the art were a little more even. Hopefully with the next issue, but even then, with Romita doing breakdowns over in Kick-Ass 2, will he have time?
Final Verdict: 7.0 — Buy
Oh, and one final thought, does anyone actually read the interview with the Avengers? I mean, i only glance at it…
