1000 Lives In 24 Hours: ‘Avengers’ #2 Reviewed
by Tony Thornley
Kang has come to the Avengers, dying and in desperate need of help. It’s exactly the situation that Earth’s Mightiest can’t believe, and Avengers #2 shows exactly how he’s going to win their trust.
Jed MacKay, CF Villa, Federico Blee, and Cory Petit continue the newest Avengers adventures in the most intense day possible.
Kang has asked Carol Danvers for the Avengers’ help. As a show of good faith, Kang has given Captain Marvel a list of disasters that will claim a thousand lives in the next twenty-four hours. The Avengers now have a race against time to save those lives before the day is out, each in their own way. And once they get through this day unlike any other, what waits for them next…?
I really liked this unique twist on the standard superhero tale. It fits with McKay’s mission statement from last issue- the Avengers should be the firefighters on the front line, not the cops. This issue shows each Avengers saving the world in their own way- Black Panther gets the drop on Hydra, Thor stops a bullet train, and Captain America offers to take over for an overly tired trucker who would kill dozens if he kept driving. And overall as great those moments were, that Captain America scene in particular was incredibly poignant- capturing the spirit of what Captain America embodies but through the character of Sam Wilson.
Villa’s work mostly is good to great. There were a few weird energy effects that distorted faces, and I wasn’t sure if that was Villa or Blee’s colors. Regardless, the action was continually great (the eight panels in which Black Panther took out an entire Hydra cell in particular ruled). He also is able to depict the character heavy moments in ways that are just as impactful as the action. The Captain America “rescue” was just as much a highlight with how he shows Sam slowing down and connecting with the driver, and Blee’s colors makes it look gorgeous with the sunset behind them.
Petit has to show a lot of information in a short amount of page space. His words never seem to overwhelm the art, whether it’s Thor and Scarlet Witch catching up at the end of the day, or brief moments between the action. It’s fantastic work from the veteran letterer.
Avengers #2 is available now from Marvel Comics.
Overview
The Avengers are about to save the world again. This time the creative team are showing us the human cost for that, and how the Earth’s Mightiest are just as great without a bad guy to punch.
