Monday, December 10, 2012

Avengers #1



Man, I have some unfair expectations for my Avengers comics. Jonathan Hickman actually puts together a big, solid debut for his run, and yet I found myself a bit disappointed as I finished. Let me try to figure out why. 

Action? This book has got it; with the core team of Cap, Thor, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Black Widow, and the Hulk get some great action against the villains out to change the world for the worse.

Villains? I absolutely love Ex Nihilo. His golden minotaur looks is awesome, and his omega chest symbol keeps him looking like a comic villain. He’s got a great air of superiority that makes him feel like a Thanos or High Evolutionary villain after one issue. While his sidekicks are more generic, Nihilo keeps up the villains’ end of the deal. 

Big ideas? This issue has them. Origin bombs? A villain terraforming Mars? Heck, how about each of the core Avengers picking his or her own sub-team of heroes? That’s good stuff too, cleanly presented in a Hickman-chart. 

OK, maybe I don’t’ like the team? No, that can’t be it, the core heroes above are augmented on the last page by a mix of classic and new Avengers that seem more than worthy of the name. Falcon, Captain Marvel, Spider-Woman, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Hyperion, Sunspot, Cannonball, and Captain Universe. I understand that one lady is a new Smasher from the Shi’ar Imperial Guard, that’s a neat idea. And there are even two folks I don’t recognize! 

Art then. Nope, Jerome Opena is delivering the same kind of work he did on Uncanny X-Force. Dynamic action in a dark, moody setting. But he doesn’t shy away from the inspirational “Assemble” shots, delivering two in one issue. I don’t like Cap’s new costume that looks like something out of Call of Duty, but that’s a Marvel Now decision…

Could it be that the reason I’m disappointed is just that I want more? That’s not a complaint, is it?

Good

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