A super evil is moving across the multiverse destroying worlds and conquering all of reality. The Multiversal Masters of Evil can’t be stopped unless a group of heroes from across the multiverse are assembled. Sound familiar? Avengers Forever #1 feels a bit like the classic Avengers mixed with the recent Dark Knights storyline from DC.
Written by Jason Aaron, Avengers Forever #1 kicks off a new multiverse story that feels like it follows the formula we’ve seen so often. Take familiar characters and twist them somehow, sometimes taking other characters and mixing them, then throw in some “dark” aspect about it all. It’s not necessarily a bad formula, it’s just something we’ve seen so many times before.
Avengers Forever #1 has Robbie Reyes’ Ghost Rider and Deathlok traveling to Earh-818 where we meet this world’s version of Tony Stark. Heroes have been destroyed making “hope” a four letter word. Take the Old Man Logan future, throw in Tony Stark as Ant-Man, and there you have the concept this opens with. It all doesn’t quite excite, instead focusing almost too much on Tony and too broad of action when it comes to Ghost Rider and Deathlok. It all feels like an event mini-series tie-in that is largely forgotten. There’s absolutely potential, the issue just never gets to an exciting moment to really care about it all.
The art by Aaron Kuder is ok. With ink by Cam Smith, color by Jason Keith and Triona Farrell, and lettering by Cory Petit, the style isn’t quite my thing. It just doesn’t click never taking advantage of what the story depicts. A sequence of stopping a train should feel far more epic than it does. Stark discovering Mjolnir and lifting it should have a grand aspect that’s memorable. It doesn’t and it doesn’t. Weirdly the comic doesn’t have an “eye” that’s focused in on what it needs to leaving an issue whose story feels like should be on the big screen but not delivering visuals that require it. It all weirdly feels like it’s almost too broad in its visual scope and doesn’t focus in on the aspects to truly make the story exciting.
Avengers Forever #1 feels like a been there, done that, sort of story. It doesn’t deliver a start that hooks the reader to bring them back for more. It’s a start that has a good idea but never delivers any new aspects that really stand out. Like so many “multiverse” stories that are now on the market, it takes a formula these comics deliver and little more. It’s clearly leading to a major event down the line but I’m not sure this is the series that’ll really make it an exciting one.
Story: Jason Aaron Art: Aaron Kuder
Ink: Cam Smith Color: Jason Keith, Triona Farrell Letterer: Cory Petit
Story: 6.0 Art: 6.95 Overall: 6.0 Recommendation: Pass
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – Zeus Comics
Source: Graphic Policy
