The Avengers #18 - Mobile Edition

Marvel Comics
The Avengers #18
By Hervé St-Louis
November 16, 2011 - 22:03

Marvel Comics
Writer(s): Brian Michael Bendis
Penciller(s): Daniel Acuna
Inker(s): Daniel Acuna
Colourist(s): Daniel Acuna
Letterer(s): Cory Petit
Cover Artist(s): Daniel Acuna
$3.99 US

After the total defeat of the Avengers, a strange SHIELD agent collects the rest of the samples she needs from the wreckage to do something with it. Elsewhere the Avengers are thinking about who will join the new team now that it’s been defeated again.

Doctor Carolina Washington, the former agent of SHIELD collecting all the samples from the crime scenes seems like a clone of Victoria Hand and has motivations similar the one she had a few years ago. Obviously, her usage here will probably be limited to giving Norman Osborne and his villainous acolytes a lot of data on how to replicate the powers of the Avengers. What I did like was how Captain America and his team just took over the old Avengers’ mansion back from Luke Cage’s team without any warning and as if it was normal. Cage’s complaint that he bought it for a dollar is not very credible, but what is more incredible, is how captain America goes through a routine he has done several times – rebuild the Avengers. It’s all interesting so far.

Acuna is the right artist for this storyline which is less explosive than the previous one. I’m actually glad to see John Romita Jr. gone from this series. He was really pushing it to the ground with his rushed artwork and dirty lines. His work was all sketches and no finishes. It’s good to see a totally different take here with Acuna whose work is somewhat painterly and much more stylized. There are even hints of crime noir in his work. I’m hooked again.

Rating: 8/10