A New Era Assembles — ‘Avengers’ #1 Reviewed

Once they were Earth’s mightiest heroes. Then they stepped into a situation bigger than them, and the world lost their faith in them. Now an unexpected leader will kick off the next era of the Avengers.

 

Thunderbolt Ross’s actions as the Red Hulk have shaken the world. Thousands are dead, and the world blames the Avengers, at least in part. In New York though, Spider-Man is trying to fix the damage done, while a dark force is rallying, threatening to send the world into darkness.

 

 

For the last decade, the Avengers have been defined by being the big guns. It’s what happens when they become basically the biggest entertainment franchise in the world. But what Zdarsky does here is incredibly smart. By making the world turn against superheroes in Avengers: Armageddon, he’s forcing Earth’s mightiest to take the backseat. This is a story centered on the people at the center of it all, most of all Peter Parker. By scaling back, it makes the Avengers feel like they matter more than they have since at least the Secret Wars event, maybe even further back.

I may have groaned when the volume’s first villain was announced too, but Zdarsky makes it work. Yes, we’ve gotten more Mephisto in the last few years than probably ever before that. But by building on years of continuity and creating an interesting hook, suddenly this story feels like it has more weight than all these other Mephisto stories (something Zdarsky does several other times elsewhere in this issue).

 

 

Even better, this debut issue looks amazing. Checchetto is one of the best artists in Marvel’s bullpen, and this story is proof why he really should be one of the publisher’s top guys. There’s so much motion on the page, even in the quiet moments. Watching Carol Danvers struggle not to break years of sobriety is a powerful couple pages, particularly as the action moves around her, including Matt Murdock checking in on her. The action is even better, as it really feels like a superpowered brawl thanks to the layouts and point of views used, and not just a series of static splashes.

Wilson has earned his keep as one of Marvel’s best color artists too, and he continues to prove his worth in this issue. He uses a lot of Earth tones around the characters, who are almost all in bright primary colors (except Wolverine). When the fight starts, the red skies shifting above the heroes stands out, thanks to how he lit the characters all throughout the issue.

 

 

Petit is very good at being subtle with his work. He doesn’t ever indulge in some of the worst habits in superhero comics, like constantly shifting fonts and exaggerated bubbles. Instead he keeps the lettering clean, helps the flow of reading across the page, and really making the big moments of dialogue pop in how he paces them across the page.

This issue is an exciting new kick off for the Avengers, and I’m really excited to see what’s next.

Avengers #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.