Jason Aaron’s run on Avengers may be nearing its end, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the multiversal madness that is the ongoing series. Out this week is Avengers By Jason Aaron Vol. 10: The Death Hunters, collecting Avengers #51-56, Avengers 1,000,000 BC, and Free Comic Book Day content too. It’s a good place to start if you want to get in on the final ride this winter, and it’s also wildly inventive and bonkers fun.
This is an interesting reading experience, even if you read the single issues, because it features the free comic book day story that featured Rocket Raccoon as one of the only Avengers left in a battle against an army of Deathloks. Once we get past this wild opening, Avengers #51 opens on Asgard, where we find Thor working off some anger on a punching bag. Iron Man is trying to talk some sense into him about how heroes don’t ever have healthy families, especially gods like Thor, but he’s too angry to hear him. By the end of the collection, we’re off to the past to explore the Avengers of 1 million BC, so it covers a lot of ground with dissociated stories but interconnections aplenty.
Jason Aaron does well to capture Thor’s anger, throws in a clever punching bag joke, and makes Iron Man sound very natural in this scene. Thor is pissed that Phoenix might be his mother, and as if writer Jason Aaron is listening to fans, we learn it may not even be true. This pays off in Avengers 1,000,000 BC, which closes out this collection. Then again, something is up, which adds an exciting bit of mystery that will increase reader interest. Echo also makes an appearance, and she’s not happy either.
How cool is that punching bag.
Credit: Marvel
While the Multiversal Masters of Evil is a wildly cool concept that gives the series artist Juan Frigeri plenty to play with, Aaron continues to explore the Starbrand character, who is no longer a baby but a small child. She’s got a lot of spunk, and probably shouldn’t be left alone with all that power. Avengers #52 issue opens with Captain America attempting to connect Starbrand to her mother, which helps shed some light on her character.
As this series plays out, we get a series of matchups between the Avengers and the Multiversal Masters of Evil. Frigeri’s larger-than-life style shows off the Black Skull (a Red Skull/Venom combo from Heroes Reborn), and a Ghost Goblin (a Ghost Rider/Green Goblin combo) take it to some of your favorite heroes. Both look fearsome while taking out Deathlok after Deathlok. You get the sense that even two of these Multiversal Masters of Evil characters are formidable. Combined with colors by David Curiel, it’s great fun to see what sorts of attacks they have as they clash with the heroes.
As one might assume, this story is partly about how weak the Avengers can be when split up. Something that feels a bit lacking with this story arc is the utter defeat the Avengers should be feeling, but it doesn’t quite feel that way. Yes, the Multiversal Masters of Evil achieved a goal, but the Avengers who fought multiversal enemies didn’t do too poorly. There were no significant losses, death, or damage. The general feel of the book is quite bright, thanks to the color choices. Eventually, though, a threat involving all sorts of Mephistos rears its head, setting up the next story arc and seemingly a more significant threat than even the Multiversal Masters of Evil.
Avengers #56 ends up feeling like a complete departure from the previous issues, but ends up looping back. Featuring Jane Foster, who is no longer Thor, the idea of her being a housewife is explored, and it’s completely out of character. That’s on purpose. Aaron is clearly showing Jane is not and will never be content as a housewife and is instead in some kind of hell.
Something’s not quite right…
Credit: Marvel
There’s some incredible imagery in this issue. In one scene, Jane is painting only to realize she’s painting herself as Valkyrie. Soon, feathers are fluidly bursting from her back, and we see many Valkyrie paintings littering the room. Garron is very good at rendering little details, like a feast of food for Thor in one scene or the rubble of their newlywed house in another. Colors by David Curiel are fabulous at looking bright and fun. Given the multiversal story here, the bright colors add to the fantastical nature of the tale.
If you’re interested in Marvel’s current grand plan of the multiverse, definitely check out Avengers By Jason Aaron Vol. 10: The Death Hunters. The story arc here sets up the Avengers’ understanding of a larger multiverse that threatens everything while having lots of fun creating new amalgams of significant villains. Throw in some interesting character work with Jane Foster, and it’s a must-read for modern Marvel fans.
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