Uncanny Avengers #26
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Jim Zub
Artist: Sean Izaakse
Colorist: Tamra Bonvillain
Cover: R.B. Silva & Jesus Aburtov
With another major event now finished it’s time to pick up the pieces and try to get things back to as normal as they get for the Unity Squad. However, as always with superheroes that’s a feat easier said than done and when you throw in the long standing issues between Scarlet Witch and Rogue you know things are going to get complicated.
Zub catches the reader up on Scarlet Witch’s situation pretty quickly but makes it more than a series of flashbacks to fill some pages. The interactions with Pietro are actually the highlight as the protective brother is asking all of the right questions while still seeing flashes of his sister while she was possessed by the demon, Chthon. However, Rogue’s reaction to Wanda wanting to stay with them is a bit of a mixed bag for me. Sure they’ve had issues in the past but didn’t they get past this and make amends? Zub doesn’t make this the focal point of the issue which is good but his Rogue comes off as more like a little kid throwing a tantrum than the capable leader of the team that we’ve seen. Things do improve soon after as there’s a couple of pages where Doctor Voodoo offers some perspective to Wanda. There’s a nice balance between the two and now I want a story arc where they unleash some magic beat downs on some bad guys. And speaking of bad guys, this issue brings back Graviton who is pretty powerful but hasn’t been used well so it’ll be interesting to see how Zub works him into the story.
Visually this is one great looking story thanks to Izaakse and Bonvillain! The opening double page spread sets the mood as a badly damaged Avengers Mansion is pretty much a metaphor for the team standing outside of it. Izaakse enhances that moment between Pietro and Wanda making the narrative even stronger and engaging. There’s an insane amount of detail that fills the panels and when the action kicks in no momentum is lost. The panel layouts get a bit more dynamic and there’s one more double page spread that shows off Graviton ripping things apart. Bonvillain also shows why she’s one of the top colorists around once again. During a conversation between Rogue and Johnny (Storm) he’s emitting an ambient glow to provide some light in the bombed out shelter of a bedroom. It’s a subtle touch that gives the scene a bit more punch while they lay in bed talking. There’s also the scene with Scarlet Witch and Doctor Voodoo where her use of reds just gives Izaakse’s sequence some more impact. These two sequences just kill and are nice lead ins into the big action scene with Graviton.
Aside from the characterization issues with Rogue and the slower pace of the issue the newer creative team on Uncanny Avengers is still making this a comic worth picking up. Can’t wait to see what they have in store for this team later down the line.
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