The Uncanny Avengers are back and we’re going to try and find out exactly what’s so different about them in our review of Uncanny Avengers #1. Mild spoilers ahead!
Written by Gerry Duggan
Illustrated by Ryan StegmanNew team, same mission. Steve Rogers has formed a new Avengers unity squad compromised of humans, mutants and…Inhumans? A new threat to the Avengers is revealed. Wait, is that Deadpool on the cover? Is he seriously an Avenger now?
Those familiar with 2012’s version of “Uncanny Avengers” are probably familiar with the team’s premise. In an effort to improve relationships among humans and mutants, the Avengers and X-Men agree to team up to take on villains that affect the well-being of both groups, but only after undergoing an extensive brainwashing process that turns everyone into the worst versions of themselves. Last year saw Scarlet Witch stab Rogue for reasons and Wasp become a one-dimensional cardboard cutout kidnapped by Havok. Speaking of Havok, he also led a press conference where he called “mutant” the “M-word” and subsequent issues spent time defending his opinion from actual readers who were offended by the book trampling over the mutants/civil rights analogy. It wasn’t the best book, is what I’m saying. So seeing the new “Uncanny Avengers” #1 consist almost entirely of in-fighting and another honest-to-god press conference set off a ton of alarms in my head. And while this new “Uncanny Avengers” isn’t as confrontational as its predecessor, its characterization is sometimes off-putting to say the least.
Frankly, the idea of a team that’s overtly concerned with PR just doesn’t work with characters that aren’t suited for it, like “X-Statix.” Seeing intrepid soldier Steve Rogers smile and throw hackneyed lines at reporters just doesn’t work. I get why he should care about the public’s perception of the team, what with the ramifications of “AXIS” and “Infinity” now just taking hold apparently. It just doesn’t ring true, nor does Spider-Man showing up for the sole purpose of quitting the team immediately. That’s not to say the whole book is full of ill-fated PR moves. No, there’s a nice callback to Steve’s adventures with Wade Wilson in “Deadpool”, neatly explaining his newfound approval for the Merc to anyone who read that storyline. Other character beats, like Dr. Voodoo exploring the team’s hideout and Rogue’s latest development are neat, and actually set up moments I’d like to see continued as the book goes on.
The team’s latest recruit and Inhuman ambassador, Synapse (who debuted in this comic I think? I can’t find anything on her), impresses in her debut fight against the Super-Adaptoid, but ends up having to pal around with Quicksilver whose latest design is straight up questionable. Learning that Magneto wasn’t his nreal dad gave Pietro a whole new lease on life. This feeling of invincibility led him to believe that actually putting a fast forward button on your chest made for a good logo. Seriously, he has three arrows on his chest like he’s a goddamned VHS tape. I really hope someone confuses him for Hawkguy.
That one design aside, Stegman’s art adds a lot of personality to the relaunched “Uncanny Avengers.” The opening segment adds a ton of spooky intrigue regarding the book’s potential villain, with the nine-panel grid of the man’s mundane life opening up as he gets exposed to the Terrigen Mist. Stigma also had a solid sense of scale when it comes to the book’s bigger fights, giving huge game-changing moments to Synapse and Deadpool that help make the conflict seem more dynamic. Plus, the organic monsters that come in at the book’s are a natural looking threat for a team that’s looking to curb Inhuman crime. Even if some other parts of this book put me off, I’ll keep looking into it for Stegman’s Inhuman minion design.
Does “Uncanny Avengers” deserve your continued attention? That depends on a lot of things. Some characters like Deadpool don’t feel immediately fleshed out yet, even if Wilson’s thorough bashing of Boston still makes him endearing. Aside from tacking “Inhumans” onto the tail-end of the last Uncanny Avengers’ mission statement, there’s not a very clear path for this book to move forward with. Which is a damn shame since moments like Stegman’s hellhounds and the budding mentorship between Steve Rogers and Deadpool are actually endearing. But at this point, a sizable portion of this book feels confused as to what it wants to do. It’s its way there, but until “Uncanny Avengers” can find its voice among the dozens of other “Avengers” team books that are getting released, it’s a comic I would whole-heartedly recommend.
Final Verdict: 5.8 – A solid comic from two great creators who need that extra spark that will make this book stand out. Try trade waiting it and keep your ears to the ground as to whether this title gets better with age.
