Avengers #16 – Review

Jonathan Hickman, Nick Spencer (Writers), Stefano Caselli (Artist), Frank Martin (Colorist)

The Story: A big robot comes crashing down on the Avengers as we see some development on Starbrand and Nightmask.

The Review: It must be really hard to write a proper team book. Having to juggle with different characters, different personalities that can clash together as they face bigger threats that the members might not be able to overcome all on their own. We can all name some team books that are or were more successful than others, yet what made them so memorable for us? Was it the fact that each characters were important and distinct enough so that we got to see enough of them in order to grow to like them? Was it the numerous large or innovative problems they had to solve? Was it simply the action, seeing the characters display their fighting abilities and powers in ways that were impressive?

Many could argue that it takes a bit of all three elements named earlier in order to make a really good superhero team book. When all these things align, we know that we have something that we’ll look forward to each month. However, does Avengers, by the standard of this issue, possess these elements?

Plot wise, I’d have to say that this issue does deliver in a lot of ways, as both Hickman and Spencer advance several elements that can catch the interest of the readers while advancing the main plotline. Here, not only we catch up with what happened in all those early and confusing issues dealing with what happened to the planet, but we also see Nightmask and Starbrand again, two characters that had been teased as being quite important to the future of this title. While both plotline are significant for their own reason, the writers balance them quite well, giving us the burgeoning awareness of Starbrand and his discovery of what he can do and what he has become with the more action-oriented Avengers part. Of course, the issue also delves into other parts as well, as this arc does use what has been built before in order to prepare for Infinity.*

Avengers #16 – Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), John Romita Jr. (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Paul Mounts (colors), and Cory Petit (letters)

The Story: Having gotten a lead, Steve Rogers leads a strike force to claim vengeance against Sin.

What’s Good:  Aside from the first couple of pages, this isn’t really an Avengers comic at all.  Rather, it’s almost entirely a Steve Rogers comic, seeing Steve, Sharon Carter, Maria Hill, and Victoria Hand battling Nazis in an old castle.  Quite honestly, I’m perfect fine with that and I’m thrilled Bendis did this.  This is absolutely a comic that needed to be written, as we haven’t really seen much of a focus on Steve Rogers’ reaction to Bucky’s death.  Finally, we see the extent of his grief and inner turmoil, both from his own perspective and those of his friends.  With Brubaker’s new Cap series being divorced from Fear Itself, there really needed to be a Cap tie-in within which we could experience this emotional fall-out, and that’s pretty much what this is.

Bendis also does well in his pacing and framing of this issue, as “emotional fall-out” could’ve easily just been Steve wailing and whining for 22 pages.  In framing the issue within the context of a revenge mission against Sin, Bendis is able to give us enough thrills and the sort of fluid, high-paced action Romita excels at.  The result is a balanced issue, with almost dialogue-free action scenes interspersed by the monologue sequences that have been the staple of these Avengers tie-ins.

The end result is an issue that feels emotionally genuine, while also managing to move along at a brisk pace and remain fairly exciting throughout.
Also, readers familiar with Jonathan Hickman’s recently concluded Secret Warriors will be really, really happy by a cameo towards the end of the issue, which is a really pleasant surprise that promises things to come for a fun character with a lot of potential.

Weekly Comic Book Review’s Top Picks

Alex’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Detective Comics #881 – The finale to one of the best Batman stories ever from the industry’s hottest new writer is, in my mind, quite possibly the best single issue of the year.  All too often, great series or runs end in lackluster fashion.  This is not one of those instances.  At all.

Most Anticipated: Journey into Mystery #626 – It’s a big statement, but I’ve officially decided to proclaim Kieron Gillen and Doug Braithwaite’s Journey into Mystery the pound for pound best monthly comic currently being put out by Marvel.  With every installment, I know that I’m going to be getting top of the line storytelling starring a character I’ve come to truly love and artwork impressive to the point of making me wonder how this book is so consistently on time. If you are not reading Journey into Mystery, you are very much in the wrong.

Other Picks: Daredevil #2, Captain America #2, X-Men: Schism #3, Superboy #11, Avengers #16, Invincible Iron Man #507

Dean’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Detective Comics #881 – Endings are hard, but Scott Snyder, Jock & Francesco Francavilla aced this one.  Not only did they bring an end to their instant classic year-long tale on Detective Comics, but they brought down the curtain on Detective Comics itself.  I know there will be a new #1 in a month, but it really won’t be quite the same so it was wonderful to see Tec end with such a wonderful story and issue.  If you haven’t read this storyline, you simply must do so immediately.  Runner-up: American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest #3

Most Anticipated: Hulk #39 – This run on Hulk by Jeff Parker, Gabriel Hardman and a few other artists has been flat-out awesome.  Just as Snyder’s Detective Comics has been the best thing at DC for the past year, Parker’s Hulk has been the best ongoing at Marvel.  And this issue features (a) the final bit of the series drawn by all-star artist Hardman and (b) the culmination of a much teased storyline featuring this OMEGEX villain who is some kinda cosmic planet-killer.  Sounds awesome (and pretty)!

Other Picks: The Walking Dead #88, Avengers #16, X-Men Schism #3, Sergio Aragones: Funnies #2, Spider-Island: Spider-Girl #1 (with art by Pepe Larraz who I really enjoy)

DS’ Top Picks

Best From The Past Week:You know it was an underwhelming week when you’re choosing between Squirrel Girl and an X-men book that only got a C-. On a week when my personal pull list is this thin, I’d better not give out this award.

Most Anticipated:X-Men Schism #3 – I’ve been enjoying this run quite a bit. The production values are good and the whole arc is about waiting for the other shoe to drop…. And who doesn’t love the Hellfire Club?

Other Picks: Journey into Mystery #626, Thunderbolts #162, Deadlands: Death Was Silent One-Shot