Jed MacKay’s Avengers run has been exploring the idea that shape the Avengers. What do they represent in the space of the Marvel Universe? Why are they “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” instead of the Fantastic Four or the X-Men? Nowhere is this more prominent than with the Twilight Court, the figures based in Arthurian lore that Kang shaped during his role as Myrddin. The Court takes center stage in Avengers #33, as MacKay and Javier Pina reveal what happened to them after Kang sacrificed them in his pursuit of the “Missing Moment”.
Even the opening pages take a hard shift. Usually, it designates which Avenger has which role – Captain Marvel is “The Star”, Iron Man is “The Engineer”, Captain America is “The Icon”, Thor is “The God” before passing that role onto Storm, Black Panther is “The King”, Vision is “The Construct” and Scarlet Witch is…well, “The Witch”. The Court was literally constructed to take those roles, and this issue is dedicated to showcasing how they fill it out. Artur, who naturally takes the role of “The King”, even says “What would the Avengers do?”
The answer is that the Avengers save lives, but they do so by working together as a true team. The Court takes that to heart, and in a major moment, Artur renounces his kingly title in order to be truly equal with the rest of the court. MacKay slowly starts to give the Court character, reshaping them from Kang’s foot soldiers into a group that could truly be a new Knights of the Round Table. Whatever happens in Avengers #800 and beyond, I’d love to see more of these characters.
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Pina gets to draw some pretty epic moments, including when the Court finds their ship, Camelot, which was recently revealed to be the Avengers’ new base of operations, the Impossible City. Camelot has become a character in its own right, and Pina – as befits the Arthurian imagery that surrounds the Court – draws its original form as a giant sword that literally cleaves through time and space. He also has a chance to redraw certain moments from MacKay’s run, including the horrors of the Ashen Combine as they invade Camelot and reshape it to their own purposes.
In deep contrast, the Court stand as truly heroic figures. Whether it’s Artur’s shining silver body, Lancelot’s sleek red, black and white suit, or Galehaut’s muscular build, Pina makes sure these characters not only fit their roles but look like heroes – or rather knights. It helps that he has Federico Blee’s bold colors to back him up, since each member of the Court has their own distinct color scheme.
While the idea of exploring the Court is a fine one and well-executed, I can’t help but think it would have hit harder if it had been delivered an issue or two earlier. Putting this right before the big blockbuster blowout that Avengers #800 unfairly diminishes what’s a great standalone tale, and quite honestly, I think it makes a great companion piece with Avengers #31, which delved into Kang’s machinations as Myrddin. That way, you’d get two halves of what’s essentially one story.
Avengers #33 is a well-crafted character piece, even if its placement in the story leaves much to be desired. Now that all the pieces are in place, I trust MacKay to deliver a hell of a finale.
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