Avengers #4
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: John Romita Jr.
Cover: John Romita Jr.
“Next Avengers pt 4”: So things have escalated to crazy as the disruption in the time stream is continuing to bleed over into modern day New York City. To get things back to normal, the Avengers have split into two teams: one to stay and help keep order in NY, while another group is sent into the future to find some answers. With the trip into the future a successful one, Iron Man, Cap, Wolverine, and Noh-Varr stumble on a huge battle featuring a proverbial who’s who of Marvel characters. While deciding on a plan of action, they are quickly taken out by…*sigh*…the Next Avengers.
Back in modern day NY, Thor, Hawkeye, Spidy, Maria Hill, and Spider Woman are trying to make sense of everything as they run into Killraven and Devil Dinosaur. However, the big red tyrannosaurus rex ends up splattered all over the heroes and most of Manhattan after being shot by aliens who seem to come straight from War of the Worlds. Thor quickly goes on the offensive and takes them down, while the rest of the team get the update from Killraven. Just then the streets go all Gangs of New York, while pterodactyls and bi-planes are circling Galactus who’s making preparations to destroy the planet, it seems.
Amidst all of the time stream craziness, Bendis’s story is one that I’m liking, and it just feels like one big, fun, comic book tale that’s perfect for an Avengers title. That doesn’t mean I don’t have a few problems with Avengers #4, and after reading the previous three issues again I’m pretty sure it’s the pacing of the story. In this issue the story is pushed ahead a bit with the team of Avengers in the future, but the team that remained just provided a bit of comic relief. The dialog was fine and consistent, but I couldn’t get past the fact that it was just filler so too much of the main plot wouldn’t be revealed prematurely. Bendis is creative enough to make it enjoyable to some degree, but I just wish that a bit more was contributed to the story. There is a cliff hanger at the end of this issue that brings quite a few more questions, as it looks like Maestro wasn’t the man in charge.
Romita’s quality of work fluctuates a lot in this issue, but it’s usually in the really crowded panels that the detail starts to lack. I’m also not feeling Maria Hill’s look. Sometimes I couldn’t tell if it was her or a 16-year-old boy. Though you gotta hand it to Romita for having the heroes covered in dino guts for the majority of the issue and still try to save the day! Little details like that, along with Thor laying the smack down on the aliens, made those my favorite parts of the issue when it came to the visuals. That two-page spread with Galactus wasn’t too bad either.
Yeah, I’d prefer that more of the plot be revealed by now, and just because Bendis’s filler was good doesn’t mean that I’m okay with it for almost two issues. I do feel, though, that it’s a decent enough story that he’ll be able to turn it around, and maybe now we’ll get to spend more time in the future finding out what the hell is going on. That’s where the meat is, but we’ve only been nibbling on the appetizers for about three issues, and for 4 bucks a pop I’m gonna need a bit more. Maybe we’ll also find out why Wolverine and Spidy are on TWO Avengers teams as well, but I’m not holding my breath for that one, guys!
‘Till next time!
Infinite Speech
infinitespeech@comicattack.net
This title, along with a few dozen others, needs to pick up the pace for sure.
Between that and the fact the Next Avengers took out some heavy hitters just makes me cringe. This title is definitely on my “cut” list but I will give it till this arc is over.