It’s time to check back in with “Mighty Avengers”, a book that got off to an entertaining start, got mucked up as an ‘Infinity’ tie-in, and is getting a fill-in for it’s previously love-him-or-hate-him artist.
Written by Al Ewing
Illustrated by Valerio Schiti
Colors by Frank D’Armata
Lettered by Cory PetitYears ago, Gideon Mace murdered Ava Ayala’s family. Ava Ayala is the White Tiger. She channels the power of an ancient god of terror and bloodlust. And she just gave it full control. Pray for Gideon Mace.
“Mighty Avengers” #7 is the type of issue that I like to refer to as a “horizontal” narrative. The issue is centered around the White Tiger and serves to deepen her character, while the arc of the Mighty Avengers as a team isn’t changed or advanced in any way. Some might call a story like this “filler”, but that has an immediate connotation to it that I’d prefer not to attach here (even though I just did so, indirectly). Don’t let that dissuade you from what is a fine exploration of a really cool character that doesn’t get a whole lot of attention otherwise.
The issue concerns the tragic history of Ava Ayala, whose parents were killed by a thug she is now seeking revenge against. This issue is the story of her finally allowing herself to give in to the spirit of the White Tiger that she carries with her, and the spirit of vengeance. This is also the spot for “Heroes for Hire” fans to get their Luke Cage/Danny Rand team-up. Luke Cage has been sent to the minor leagues, in some ways, as Bendis had him front and center throughout his run with the Avengers. While he’s not as important to the Marvel 616 right now, he’s being done justice by Ewing, who actually has a subtler grip on his voice than Bendis did. Luke Cage and Iron Fist are a great team, and it’s satisfying to see them continue to have an outlet for their friendship. As far as the team as a whole goes, most of the issue deals with in-fighting, which again doesn’t do much to advance the plot or tell us much about the Mighty Avengers themselves, but it’s a fun little issue regardless. At least the in-fighting feels earned.
Valerio Schiti did breakout work on Kathryn Immonen’s prematurely canceled “Journey into Mystery” title. His sharp depiction of Sif and her cohorts was filled with strength, humor, and heart. It shouldn’t come as a surprise when all of those qualities appear here in his “Mighty Avengers” work. Schiti is quickly making a case for getting a steady job on a steady Marvel book.
Schiti has now shown a knack for portraying the street-level as well as the fantastical. His grasp of character physicality makes the transition of White Tiger from her regular to her possessed state something that is visually striking. Tiger becomes a fierce berserker throughout this issue, which is ably played as imposing, downright frightening, or even comedic when the script calls for it. “Mighty Avengers” #7 is a chance for Schiti to put his fight-staging skills on display, pitting White Tiger against the rest of the Mighty Avengers themselves. Schiti utilizes all of their character traits to inform their fighting styles, and incorporates the surroundings well, not being careless about the movement or placement of his principle characters.
While I won’t use this space to trash Greg Land, as I know his work sells and has plenty of fans, Schiti’s dynamic action visuals do a better job of conveying action, comedy, and emotion. But Schiti’s art comes off a little different aesthetically than it did on “Journey into Mystery”, due to the coloring. Frank D’Armata’s colors do a great job of sort of blending Schiti’s work with what we’ve seen from Land, which should assuage the troubles that comic readers often have with fill-in art. Fans of Greg Land could easily find themselves becoming fans of Schiti thanks to the smooth transition. On “Journey into Mystery”, Jordie Bellaire’s colors were flatter (in an aesthetically pleasing way), which actually transforms the art more than you’d expect. This was obviously done for consistencies sake, and it’s not a bad thing – just a preferential thing.
“Mighty Avengers” has been a relatively low-key title in that it doesn’t hold much weight in the events of the greater Marvel 616. Even its recent foray into ‘Infinity’ didn’t do a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. What “Mighty Avengers” is is a compelling showcase for some characters that aren’t playing big roles at Marvel right now. White Tiger is a fascinating character with a past worth exploring and it’s nice to see her given that chance. Ewing hasn’t been at Marvel long, but he’s proving himself to have the scripting and structural chops to be the next big player, and along with Schiti, is quietly crafting a scrappy title with a lot of heart that I hope gets the attention it deserves.
Final Verdict: 7.9 – Buy
