Issue #1: All-New, All-Different Avengers
Title: All-New, All-Different Avengers #1
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Adam Kubert & Mahmud Asrar
The Buzz: This one’s been telegraphed for a long time, as a genuinely diverse version of the Avengers that still acknowledges the legacy and history of the team.
All You Need To Know: Tony Stark/Iron Man, Sam Wilson/Captain America, Kamala Khan/Ms Marvel, Jane Foster/Thor, etc.
Story: An actual ‘how the gang got together’ storyline for a team book! Amazing! Also, a Sam Wilson/Captain America storyline in which he isn’t a raging asshole, also amazing.
We get two mini-stories in this first issue, as the coming together of the team is obviously going to form the first arc rather than being taken as read. (I appreciate this so much) The first story shows how Sam Wilson’s captaincy means he is constantly having to deal with racial politics and representation in the public sphere – and how exhausting that can be. Tony Stark, meanwhile, is going through a rebuilding period after a long time away. The two of them team up with Spidey (Miles Morales) to investigate some alieny-explosions, while discussing the fact that there isn’t actually a proper Avengers team right now.
I liked their interactions a lot, but was startled when this story ended so quickly, and prepared to be really cranky that the first issue centred around three blokes. Then the second story came along! This piece, about the terrible impression Nova made on Ms Marvel when he first met her, is a fun introduction to both characters and their personalities. I liked the way that they had very different voices in their heads to what they managed to say out loud, and there was a solid understanding of how a teenage boy and a teenage girl read certain situations very differently – from revealing your secret identity (too soon, dude) to following someone down a dark alley.
All in all this issue is like 80% characterisation to 20% plot and action, which is exactly how I like my comics (and my team books in particular). It reminds me a little of the old Justice League Quarterlys, which are my favourite anthology books, though I have no idea whether the anthology style will continue once the comic finds its feet.
Art: Two different artists on this one, and I like them both despite their different styles. Adam Kuberts is the kind of clean lined, bright coloured, good character faces art that I like as a default, though I can’t really tell whether he’s an artist for me until he gets a story with some women in it. Asrar’s artwork has more of a pencil sketch style, but I liked it a lot and it suits the Ms Marvel I’ve seen so far in her own comic.
But What Did I Miss?: Thanks to the crazy antics of Secret Wars, Battleworld etc., and me being behind on a bunch of books, I have no idea what’s been going on with these characters. This is a good introducey sort of book, if you’re in the same boat. It actually feels like the beginning of a new era of Avengers instead of being yet another ‘you walked into the middle of something’ fake issue 1.
Would Read Issue 2?: Yep, I’m intrigued.
Read it if you Like: Ms Marvel, various animated shows featuring the Avengers or Spider-Man, that sort of thing.
Previously reviewed this year:
Thor #1 (2014)
Spider-Woman #1 (2014)
All-New Captain America #1 (2014)
Captain America & the Mighty Avengers #1 (2014)
S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 (2014)
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #1 (2015)
Bitch Planet #1 (2014)
Secret Six #1 (2014)
Operation: S.I.N. #1
Spider-Gwen #1
Curb Stomp #1
Jem & the Holograms #1
Silk #1
Issue #1 – Convergence Special – Oracle, JLI, Batgirl
Issue #1 – Battleworld Special: Lady Kate, Ms America & Inferno
X-Men ’92 #1
Giant-Sized Little Marvels: AvX #1 (2015)
Runaways #1 (2015)
Loki, Agent of Asgard #1 (2014)
Fresh Romance #1
All-New Hawkeye #1
Black Canary #1
The Wicked and the Divine #1 (2014)
Bombshells #1
Captain Marvel & the Carol Corps #1
50 Years of SHIELD: Mockingbird #1
50 Years of SHIELD: (Don’t Call Her…) The Cavalry #1
50 Years of SHIELD: Quake #1
50 Years of SHIELD: Fury #1
50 Years of SHIELD: Agent Carter #1
New Avengers #1 (2015)
Totally Awesome Hulk #1
All-New Hawkeye #1
Spider-Woman #1 (2014)
