This Is War
The last issue of Avengers The Origin was the ring of a grenade being pulled out and the brief period of planning after. This issue was the detonation of that grenade, a frantic fast past issue of action on all fronts. We bear witness to two violent conflicts, one in which the lives of innocents are on the line and another in which two Gods face off with all the tricks they can bring to the party. This issue the writer put his foot on the gas and refused to let off.
There’s not a lot of story on display here, instead the writer focused on creating two compelling fights. It is perhaps the largest expansion of the original comic yet as the entire issue is devoted to these two scraps. Firstly the fight between Iron-Man and the Hulk, from a circus in the South West to a munitions factory near Denver. Meanwhile a war of words takes place between Thor and Loki before devolving into battle, as Loki brings all the enchantments and minions he can summon against Thor. At the end of the issue both fights are nearing their zenith, neither resolved but both clearly barrelling towards the final throes of both parties.
Noto had a lot more to work with this issue than he did in the last and makes the most of it. The battle’s offer more intensity and opportunity for detailed destruction. Whether it’s Iron Man bursting from the ground or Thor’s hammer shattering a crystalline barrier Noto brings an intensity that issues 1 and 3 sorely lacked. Character details remained flat but attention was clearly paid to the background of Denver and the Isle of Silence. The Cover is also really quite fantastic even if it does spoil the end of the comic rather than depicting the action within, which feels like a bit of a bait and switch.
This is quite a breathless outing, never lacking in pace or action. As an individual entity it would be lacking in character development but the team spent the entire last issue building to both of these conflicts and they really don’t disappoint. This is a frenetic, fun, sometimes violent comic which pays off the slow build of the previous issue, while setting up a cliffhanger for the next. It justifies the volume and if you’ve read up to this point I heartily recommend this. It won’t last long but you’ll enjoy every minute of it. Like McDonald’s.
Mmm Big Macs.
You Come Here… Braying Like A Righteous Mule… With Nary A Notion Of What Unholy Kingdom You Have Stepped Into
Loki