Marvel’s latest Avengers relaunch begins with a team assembled in the wake of Avengers: Armageddon. With the old guard no longer available, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Miracleman and a weakened Captain Marvel step in as the world again needs heroes. The first issue presents their coming together as a response to circumstance rather than a planned recruitment drive.
Writer Chip Zdarsky and artist Marco Checchetto take over the series after working together on Daredevil. Although the new roster recalls elements of Brian Michael Bendis’ New Avengers, the review argues that the story gives the lineup its own rationale and does not simply repeat that earlier run.
Zdarsky establishes an early connection between Matt Murdock and Carol Danvers, who is adapting to a world in which her powers are diminished. Spider-Man also takes a central role as the team’s moral anchor. Frustrated by the Avengers’ absence and the public’s chilly attitude toward superheroes, he becomes a key voice in a moment when the group needs to be rebuilt.
Checchetto’s art moves between intimate character scenes and large-scale action, with Matt Wilson’s colors adding both warmth and an occasional eerie edge. The issue also draws on the current state of Marvel’s characters and recent storylines, including Zdarsky’s work on Armageddon and Captain America, while keeping those connections from feeling like a barrier to readers who have not followed every related title.
The result is a strong opening for the relaunched series, with the review highlighting its character dynamics, artwork and use of Marvel continuity as reasons to see promise in the new direction.
Sources: IGN.