It’s a new era for the Avengers, which is a prime time to jump on board thanks to a new lineup, a new perspective, and a creative team. Avengers #1 launched today with Jed MacKay and C.F. Villa at the helm, and Captain Marvel is leading the charge for their team. Regarding superhero comics establishing the team and their focus, Avengers #1 is a clear frontrunner and one of the best to do it.
Avengers #1 is mainly about Captain Marvel, who leads the team in gathering the team together. It’s her call to pick each member, and this issue jumps between her asking people to join and a huge threat on Earth. Earth is a big motivation introduced early on. Captain Marvel makes the point that the Avengers are here to save Earth specifically, but also abide by the team’s name as a warning to each hero who serves that we cannot lose it.
As usual for MacKay, he nails each character’s personality at this point. That includes the rougher ones who have been going through a lot lately, like Black Panther. Vision might be my favorite as he reveals himself in a unique way tied to a recent event. He may be a robot, but he comes off as godly on some scale. Across all team members, MacKay makes a great case for each one and how they are unique and interesting from each other.
Thor is a heavy in this series, that’s for sure.
Credit: Marvel
Having Captain Marvel ask each member also works in reverse, as we get a sense of Captain Marvel as a person and a leader. For instance, her ability to guess why Thor joins the Avengers is a nice moment. It’s also nice to see Captain Marvel set the record straight from her point of view on the Avenger’s role as a team. Are they a police force or something else? It’s a nice moment that I think most Captain Marvel fans will be cheering. We’re in good hands with every member, and it’s an exciting start.
Art by C.F. Villa is largely why all these personal moments work. This is a top-notch book, from character acting to how well they are depicted. The action is exciting and epic, with a good sense of scale. If you’re worried about action scenes, Villa renders them well too. The team aspect is also apparent, with members jumping in as needed or working together at the right moments. Color artist Federico Blee brings the brighter colors you want in a superhero book.
All told, Avengers #1 gets the team together, has them fight a world-ending villain, and gives readers a resolution. Add in the cliffhanger that ties into the last Timeless issue, and we have a great introduction to a new era of Avengers. It’s no small achievement.
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