Comic Review: “The Avengers #1”

The Avengers are broken. The events of Civil War have left them dismantled, without funding or a sense of team. In order to proceed, they will have to assemble a new roll of members that can keep Earth safe. If they don’t, a new threat stands to destroy the world and the very fundamentals of the Marvel Universe.

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I was a relative newcomer to the whole Avengers movement. I’ve really enjoyed the films, which have been like a free drug—the costly habit coming from a subsequent $25 weekly comic book addiction. So when the events of Avengers 2: Age of Ultron led to a breakup of the “Film Avengers,” I was a bit sad. I’ve sought counseling, and now that I understand that any group of well-intentioned heroes can become an Avenger, not just Iron Man/Hulk/Thor/Captain America (okay, I’ll add Black Widow and Hawkeye, too), it is easier for me to enjoy the evolving property.

The Avengers #1 reassembles a team from the ashes of Civil War. Sam Wilson aka Captain America, Jane Foster aka Thor (just Thor, not Lady Thor), Nadia Pym aka Wasp, Vision and Hercules have bandied together to keep Central Park safe from a frost-wolf that has rudely invaded the serenity of New York City’s playground. After their victory, they find themselves being courted by none other than tech “gazillionaire” Peter Parker. Tony Stark has lost the ability to fund/house the Avengers, and Parker is more than happy to step in.

Wasp isn’t too happy with the arrangement, as she suspects that Parker is friendly with Spider-Man, who did some things in Civil War that left long-term scars. But the facilities offered up, with their opulent views and never-ending resources, not to mention administrative assistance, may be sufficient to let bygones be bygones.

While the bulk of the team is considering these alluring conditions, Vision is confronted with an attack by Krang… and Krang. It seems that Vision has taken something from Krang… and Krang… that is highly precious and displeasing. Vision has acted unilaterally on this, leaving the other members of the team in the dark. Despite this, the Avengers have Vision’s back and find their very existence threatened by Krang’s… and Krang’s new offensive.

There is a light mood to this new team-up that I enjoyed. The weight of Krangs’ threat develops naturally, without dampening the overall theme of the issue. There are times when the writing seemed a bit too jokey, but overall it plays well. The art is interesting…the panels are rich and detailed, yet there is a hand-drawn/colored feel to it. The cover art on variant number 1 is a bit monochromatic, but that’s what the other variant covers are for, right?

So buckle up for a clever new approach to a villain attacking our heroes, accept that the composition of Team Avengers will always be in flux, and check out The Avengers #1, available now in comic stores and Marvel.com.

Ryan McKinley
Author, podcaster, costumer and maker, Ryan has been enjoying Disney, Marvel and Star Wars since his first years of life and is thrilled to be able to pass that passion along to a new audience on LaughingPlace. Check out his award winning novels "The Pirate Bride" & "The Lost Crew" in bookstore nationwide.