Tony Stark To The Rescue, Or Not? ‘Avengers Forever’ #3 Reviewed

Ghost Rider is locked up and being tortured by the Black Skull and this darks world’s heroes plan a rescue. It just so happens, however, that Ghost Rider doesn’t want rescuing, even after all we saw him put through in the last gnarly issue.

But then the failed rescue is all the excuse writer Jason Aaron and artist Aaron Kuder need to create the means by which all Hell is unleashed on these would-be Avengers as they go head to head with the Black Skull’s war machines and symbiotic suit. A formidable force to go up against even with The Thing powered by the Infinity Gems. Surely that would give the home team some sort of huge advantage. Somehow it doesn’t though.

As well as a group of alternative-world superheroes, the success of Avengers Forever #3 is all in the execution. And between the two of them, this is another formidable issue. Kuder choreographs some of the most dynamic and exciting fight scenes in modern comics with several of the panels coming off as if penned by the great George Perez himself. Meanwhile, Aaron delivers on the thrills and spills and you can’t get more thrilling that Ghost Rider’s inventive escape plan that seems to give the gang the upper hand. Well, until the huge surprise on the last page. When all else fails, ramp it up to eleven. And it certainly grabbed my attention, even if Aaron has played this card one before, and very recently.

The careful and considerate colouring by Guru-eFX helps determine and delineate scenes giving each scene played out in this book a distinctive look. Cory Petit, on lettering duty, does a magnificent job of balancing the speech required when juggling so many different characters, with the art. Especially when the art is so dense and detailed in places.

Avengers Forever #3 is out now from Marvel