The Avengers #1 review

Brian Bendis’s New Avengers is my least favourite flavour of Avengers, and here’s a new volume of what was once my preferred Marvel team looking very Brian Bendis… and I rather like it.

I picked it up because it’s a light week for me, but also cos I was intrigued as to what the heck a man in a Marvelman/Miracleman costume is doing in there.

First impressions of the cover – the illo by interior artist Marco Checchetto is great, he’s used the space created by the truly awful logo to give us a monumental image of the new team. The colours by Matt Milla are well applied, but either Captain Marvel or the new Miracleman need to stop standing by each other, or one of them should get a new costume as the top halves of their outfits are nigh identical, and they’re both covering their bits with dull jeans. Luke Cage and Wolverine are also letting the side down. Come on heroes, be proud!

The good guys aren’t united at the beginning of the book, which is as it should be – a good Avengers series should begin with the heroes apart and gradually coming together.

Wolverine is travelling from New Orleans to New York for some mysterious business with Reed Richards.

Daredevil has come across Captain Marvel in Carol Danvers mode in Josie’s bar in Hell’s Kitchen.

Luke Cage finds out that there’s been a murder on the very day he’s standing for re-election as Mayor of New York.

And Spider-Man is having one of his classic misunderstanding punch-ups before the inevitable team-up with a Captain America substitute turned Miracleman.

Really, Peter Parker shouldn’t be so quick to anger, but his Spider-sense has been tingling all day.

And he isn’t the only person feeling things aren’t quite right.

What’s going on? Well, this is the Marvel Universe where everyone from Johnny Blaze to Phil Coulson has done deals with Mephisto – but now they’ve been cancelled and the Lord of Hell has come to collect.

And he’s not alone, as avenging angels descend on the city and target sinners.

But, you’ll notice, former Avengers Wolverine and Spider-Man are on the scene – and they’re quickly joined by the rest of the heroes we’ve been following.

And if that isn’t reminiscent enough of Bendis’ New Avengers for you, there’s this moment.

It’s Brian’s favourite line! But at least it’s appropriate in the circumstances.

Writer Chip Zdarsky does an excellent job of getting his players on the board, carefully introducing everyone as danger builds. Unlike those Bendis comics that soured me on the Avengers for years, everyone’s character is recognisable. I especially enjoyed the Captain Marvel and DD scene, with Matt’s empathy believably helping alcoholic Carol resist the drink before her, and shake off her funk.

It’s just a shame she’s lost most of her abilities in a recent storyline, leaving Miracleman the cosmic powerhouse of the team. I hope that’s sorted out soon as the optics aren’t good.

As for Miracleman himself, I’m very puzzled – Marvel makes the original Captain Marvel knock-off change his name to Miracleman, then they finally buy him, dump his Mickey Moran identity and don’t even call him Marvelman.

I don’t think Logan should be anywhere but with the X-Men, yet here he is Avengering again – and he’s just about to be on another X-team, Maximum X-Men. I’m not even sure he’s such a big selling point these days.

I love Luke Cage, but why doesn’t he call himself Power Man now? Why doesn’t he wear that cool Seventies costume? If memory serves there’s a kid Power Man who uses chi energy, but it’s not like he’s being used anywhere (he probably got ripped in two in a crossover). I did enjoy Jessica Jones helping out… but who’s that suspiciously Purple Mannish kid?

As for Spidey, he’s always fun, and the star of Marvel Team-Up ‘not being a team-player’ never made much sense. Here he gets the Captain America Inspirational Speech Award.

Daredevil? I did follow the traditional logic of him avoiding team memberships because being in a crowd wasn’t great for his radar sense, yet here he is. I expect he’ll hang around at least until he’s nailed Carol.

I just wish some classic Avengers were on the team. Maybe Wasp, Hawkeye, whoever will show up soon.

Taking the story on its own terms, though, it’s entertaining, action-packed and has a compelling cliffhanger.

As for the art, Checchetto’s storytelling is exquisite, his figurework elegant. Whether he’s drawing heroes or regular folk, there’s a nice humanity to them, while his celestial types are suitably eerie. Carol’s despair is convincing, new character John gets an amazing hero moment and Aunt May has the body language of an old person… I didn’t realise I’d never seen that until I saw this panel.

Matthew Wilson’s colours are a boon, naturalistic without being dull, meaning that when something weird turns up – demon eyes, say – they really pop. And when Checchetto gives us full-on demon, with letters by the excellent Cory Petit, Wilson has real fun.

I’ll definitely be back for the continuation of this story. Anyone else?