The Immortal Hulk has been unleashed, and he may just be … unstoppable! Will he reach Voyager and the final Pyramoid? What does SHE really want to do with it? Are there answers in Avengers #685? Is it good?
The Skinny
The Hulk is on a rampage, but maybe he’s not as mindless as we think. Either way, this halfway Red Hulk with a little bit of armor isn’t much of a match for him. What about the original android Avenger???
Jeez, is Voyager WAITING for the Hulk? Do something! Or you’ll have to deal with Proxima Midnight and Black Swan, too! The Hulk has one more powerhouse to clear before his goal. But can he truly bring the fight?
The Lowdown
There isn’t a whole lot to say about the plot of Avengers #685, because it’s pretty much non-stop action from beginning to end, and it’s drawn beautifully by Paco Medina. Not only are the figures bold and distinct, but the fights are “choreographed” well and angular, elongated panels give them a sense of motion and dynamism. Add in Jesus Aburtov’s enormous color palette and you’ve got maybe the best art yet in the weekly “No Surrender” story.
The writing from Jim Zub, Al Ewing and Mark Waid pulls its weight, though. Much like the previous issue, there are some good character moments and developments from the USAvengers crew, that are easy enough to figure out if you haven’t been following the book and should hit hard if you are.
The other main point is … kind of frustrating. Let’s just say that this book DID promise deaths, but this character has already died once this century, and man, he just had a character-defining solo run (that introduced a beloved and still-used supporting cast), like, two years ago. Why? Should we assume he’ll just come back? Are we that jaded by the revolving door? And that last page reveal of the NEXT guy to take on the Hulk — well, I don’t buy that he has a chance. Flitting around really fast and failing to figure out what’s wrong with Jarvis are not skills that I believe will take down the unstoppable terror the creative team has worked so hard to establish.
The Upshot
But those are relatively minor nitpicks, considering the great art and impressive pacing of Avengers #685. There really isn’t a second to breathe, as bodies fall, more threats arrive and the confrontation of the two most crucial pawns approaches. This issue doesn’t reach the artful heights of the previous one, but it’s a fun thrill ride that outstrips much of everything else that’s come before.
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