MIGHTY AVENGERS #1
Written by Al Ewing
Art by Greg Land
Published by Marvel Comics
Release Date: September 11, 2013
Luke Cage returns to the world of Avengers as Thanos’ forces descend on New York City in this new title spinning out of Infinity.
Ewing does a superb job in this comic of distinguishing it immediately from the other Avengers books by setting a very distinct Cage-centric tone. Much as New Avengers was a book like no other Avengers title before it, Ewing is carving out a similar part of the Marvel U for his Mighty Avengers, and it is definitely welcomed. Ewing surrounds Cage with some entertaining foils, including a charming Monica Rambeau (now known as Spectrum), a take-on-the-world protege in the new Power Man, and the ever arrogant Superior Spider-Man. This unconventional roster (which will be growing) leads to some very entertaining moments within the first issue and dysfunctional will definitely be a word to describe this team down the road.
As many Avengers teams before them, they are thrown together out of necessity, which is part of the fun of this issue. Few circumstances other than the Infinity invasion could bring this crew together, and Ewing unfolds those events very naturally in the issue and doesn’t force anything to occur too quickly. This team feels like it has come together naturally and though they may not get along at times, it feels very organic rather than manufactured. Ewing’s voice for each of the characters is unique and very strong, and he nails the tone we’ve grown to love from Cage. This guy is willing to do the right thing the hard way, and his dialogue on the final page of the issue is pitch perfect. Mighty Avengers #1 looks to be a great return to the Marvel Universe for Cage, who has found a good home with Ewing.
Greg Land’s art is solid throughout the issue, doing Ewing’s script justice. Many of the common criticisms of Land’s style are evident, though less so than his run on Iron Man. His pencils are clean and crisp and suit the title well and the layouts move the story along nicely. The colour work by Frank D’Armata is very strong and gives the world of Mighty Avengers a great look and feel. This title is more vibrant and energetic than many other team books out there, and the colouring gives it a nice visual punch.
Ewing’s Mighty Avengers #1 has a great tone and unique voice in the Avengers stable of books. It’s impact on Infinity isn’t felt in the first issue, but the framework for an entertaining series is set up in this first issue. Land’s art doesn’t exactly wow throughout the issue, but it is consistent and doesn’t let the book down by any means. The sharp lines and excellent colour work will make this title stand out and I recommend giving issue #1 a shot.
Verdict: 8.0/10
