Avengers #24.NOW

Writer Jonathan Hickman Artist Salvador Larroca, Esad Ribic, Mike Deodato, and Butch Guice

 

Introduction

 

Infinity left me wanting more from Jonathan Hickman. More craziness, more space battles, more Thanos, more insanely epic ideas on a large scale with some of my favorite characters. Avengers 24.NOW seems to be just what the Doctor ordered to satiate my needs. This is one of my favorite modern comic books, but it has me slightly worried right now. Infinity was meant to be a large crescendo for the first half of Hickman’s Avengers run, yet it opened up more questions about series than it answered. Some of the lingering plot threads, like the Thanos and the Cull Obsidian, were just sort of glossed over at the end of the series. Hopefully, there will be a bigger revelation still to come. It would also be nice if Rogue Planet were a more organic story for the team, building on some of the many threats that Hickman has already setup in this Universe. Since this is the first title launching All-New Marvel NOW! there are going to be a lot of eyes on this first chapter. I for one am curious to see what Hickman is in store.

 

Writing

 

This issue opens with a bold first page that will capture the imagination of even the most cynical Avengers fan. The first scene reveals an onslaught of ideas that has such incredible potential for the franchise as a whole. Hickman does a great job introducing more pieces to the already crowded chess board. People often complain about this series not having enough character moments, the scene following the first kicks off something truly unique with a party in Avengers Mansion. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are interesting even when they are ingesting a ton of delicious foodstuffs. The run comes full circle again as the initial conversation is revisited and adds new ideological facets to the mix. This is another example of great character work that also foreshadows the forthcoming plot. This installment is filled with great scenes such as that one. Even if it does tell a more straight forward Avengers store compared to some of the other work in the book, it does set things up nicely and throws a lot of fascinating ideas into just one issue.

 

Art

 

I was really disappointed to see more artists than Esad Ribic on board for this installment. He draws the first dozen or so pages in the book, and they look gorgeous, but the tone shifts as soon as Larroca jumps on board. There are a horde of different artists and colorists on this title that leave me scratching my head. This issue is double sized, but why exactly would it need 4 artists? The last 14 pages of the book look like a rush job. Several different pencillers attempt and fail to tell a story that is slightly cohesive. This is a shame, because Infinity had some rushed art that felt out of place for such a large scale event. I know that Marvel ships fast and furious without being late now, but is it really more important than letting the artwork of an issue being rushed? Some are going to experience this story in trade and be left extremely disappointed. Fans deserve better.

 

Conclusion

Even with some art that is not up to usual standards at the tail end of the title, Avengers 24.NOW is still a great read. This is one of the best single issues of the series that Jonathan Hickman has ever crafted from a writing standpoint, giving readers a great mix of insane sci-fi and excellent character beats. It is also dare I say it, a good jumping on point for new readers.