CREDIT: Marvel Comics
Rating: 4/5 – Talking Heads Done Right, Hickman’s Plotting Pays Off.
by ComicSpectrum reviewer Hank Johnson.
I have been a big fan of Jonathan Hickman’s work. Everything he has done for Marvel has been exceptionally well done with plots so intricately crafted the CIA would be jealous. Avengers 28 is one of those issues where all of the plotting and the “slow burn” finally pay off. There was no huge fight, no surprise death, just 20 pages of Bruce Banner and Tony Stark sitting in a room talking. While that might sound boring, each page was part of a larger symphony, where words and images collided to a rousing crescendo of emotion and intrigue. Thanks to Salvador Larroca’s art, you felt the intensity in every panel.
The execution of this book was near perfect. I started reading this issue after reading about 20 other comics and it really grabbed my attention. The dialogue in this issue was great and really drove home the tension filled conversation.The only downside to this issue is that despite its greatness (and it is truly comic booking at its best), it only has resonance at this particular point in Marvel history. It will read great in a larger volume of this story, but as a single issue, I don’t think it stands well on its own.
The bottom line is that if you have been following the Avengers titles, this book is a must read game changer. It was exceptionally well done and Hickman and Larroca should be complimented for nailing what could otherwise be a boring talking head style issue. This issued has moved Avengers up on my “must read” list.
Reviewed by: Hank Johnson
(hank@comicspectrum.com)
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