Writer: Jason Aaron
Cover Artist: Bryan Hitch
Penciller: Bryan Hitch
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit

“Avengers Assemble!.” – a whisper by Avenger Prime

Synopsis:

 Avengers Assemble…across all timelines!!!

Uniting The Avengers, Multiverse Avengers and Prehistoric Avengers in an epic saga that forms the capstone to Jason Aaron’s era on Avengers. From throughout time and the far corners of the Multiverse, the Mightiest Heroes of All the Earths are assembling as never before for a battle beyond all imagination. A war that will take dear readers from the prehistoric beginnings of an Earth under assault by the greatest villains who have ever lived to the watchtower that stands at the dark heart of all evil. The biggest Avengers saga in Marvel history begins with this issue!

Positives:

Jason Aaron has spilled his toy chest of action figures all over the room, and we get the full benefit. He has smashed all timelines and has assembled ALL the Avengers. The How or Why behind this doesn’t matter as the pages explode with action. The cover art alone makes it a great comic investment!

But while we ponder all these Avengers, we get a new slate of villains that are as dark as ever. Dark Phoenix…Doom Supreme…Young Thanos…(a young Thanos would frighten us all anyway), and even more. This is the stuff of 1978 Saturday Morning Cartoons with a great big bowl of sugar bomb cereal! Captain Cave Wizard…someone spent their Saturdays watching Hanna Barbera cartoons.

The opening scene is phenomenal…In an icy environment, Mephisto speaks to Avenger Prime with an angelic Thor helmet. Is it an episode of Lost, or have we stumbled on a battle between Heaven and Hell?  

Positives 2.0

Negatives

This is huge! I mean, really huge! I am glad that Marvel provides TWO pages of team member rosters so you can follow the storyline of all involved. Is there enough frame space? Thus far, yes. But this can only grow larger, and there are some pretty big character egos in the room.  

Consequently, the meeting of these very different Avengers incarnations rings similar to the first cinematic meeting of Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man. “Doest Mother knoweth you wear her drapes?” Yep…egos are afoot among the heroes!

Have we seen elements of this before? Sure…pick up Spawn comics over at Image? Or check out The Batman Who Laughs over at DC. But this one has the potential to either eclipse some of those event comics or fall right in the same vein. Here’s hoping that Jason Aaron has a tremendous endgame planned!

Final Thoughts:

There are no spoilers here, but the best incarnation of villains has entered the fray as our heroes are trying to sort out issues among themselves. Page after page provides a lot of battles, one-liner comments, and navigation through a story that may be a huge “Control Alt Delete” to an Avengers Universe! So get in line to get your First Issue!

8/10