Avengers #18
In times of war, we fight, but before that we plan. This issue was all about setting the stage for the inevitable, a more diplomatic approach which was enticing considering the massive numbers who took part in this war council.
For once it’s not just about Earth or the Avengers. They are now soldiers in a war that is greater than them. Something which means even more to them as a growing world because they have to still make their presence known among those who still seem them as infants in the Universe. If Hickman’s idea was to show what this new alliance was capable of when put to the test, he surely succeeded in this. Almost felt like something out of Star Wars, maybe a bit more vibrant, but you get the idea when you see everyone spring into action.
No matter, what I can always say I love is how Cannonball and Sunspot have taken Spider-Man’s spot as the comic relief. There to make a serious situation not feel all too much like one.
As beautiful as everything looked, and while I understood their goals, it was somewhat hard to follow what was exactly going on in the panels. I never considered this to be an issue till this very moment, but having so many involved in this fight leads to some clutter when you see everyone firing at the same targets. A lot of the time it just seemed like they were fighting nothing. Not too much of an issue, but you get a bit distracted from the actual fight.
A solid issue heading into the war. You see the stakes, you see the cooperation and everything is finally being put into motion. We all knew that heading into this there was little chance of success and the best thing Hickman could do was deliver on this. Making this alliance which is very rare look as though they are taking the fight to the builders and strip that first victory away from them in an instant. One third of their fleet is a lot in just one issue, so we’ll have to see where that slight cliffhanger leads us.
