Avengers #23

by kanchilr1 on November 20, 2013

Writing Jonathan Hickman Art Leinil Yu

 

Introduction

 

After reading the fast paced action present in Infinity, it is really difficult to go back to Avengers. The series has inched along at a snails pace, and really put the emphasis on some of the smaller moments in the series. But, in this case after the fifth explosive chapter of the title, readers are getting antsy to see what could possibly happen within the conclusion to the book. The entire Hickman saga has still been absolutely fascinating to watch, but readers are still lacking in some of the payoff they deserve after investing such a vast amount of time into the series and tie-ins like this one. Can Hickman really pull together such a drastically large amount of plot threads together in but a couple of issues? This series has still been absolutely necessary for readers who are trying to dive into the larger context of the full event so there is a reason for indulging in this book.

 

Writing

 

This issue is absolutely essential to the larger framework of the series, and has one moment that will be sure to blow readers away. Infinity has been a really great character study with villains that have been nothing short of opposing. In other words, the stakes are very high right now, even though there is a good chance that Thanos is going to be wiped out in the span of an issue. A lot hinges on the ending to this story, but this tale has been set-up masterfully in a manner that really plays on the framework of the greater cosmic stories. For those that are interested in a saga sweeping up the Marvel Universe, this is one of the greatest events in the past couple of years. Talking about the insides of the book would spoil what this issue actually is, so I will let fans discover those moments for themselves.

 

Art

 

Leinil Yu’s work has really hit the decline since the beginning of the series. His artwork has a scratchy vibe that does not amount to a pleasing singular comic. A definitive problem here has to be the color art of Sunny Gho and Paul Mounts. Yu’s draftsmanship is normally up to par with some of the best artists in the business, but in this issue all of that goes out the window, and he seems like an amatuer. It seems likely that Paul Mounts may have some of the troubled spots here. The opening page with the lion, is one of the most inconsistent pieces that I have ever seen from an Avengers title. Sunny Gho has been the color artists of this book since the fifteenth issue, so many should assume that the art would not be his fault. In fact there is a 50/50 split of some scenes that look okay, and others that make readers wish to gouge their eyes out. Readers should not stand for such a great artist taking a drastic dip in quality. Something has to be said for Marvel shipping books like this too often and spreading some truly great artists such as this one too thin. It gets rid of the opportunity for great artists to consistently stick with one story on the title. There are some moments in here where Yu looks like he barely finishes some of the pages. He flips between an immense amount of styles here, and makes this important comic look nothing short of awful.

 

Conclusion


This is hands down the best written issues of Avengers in a long time, but Leinil Yu is stretched way too thin. This issue is a must buy, even If I cannot wholeheartedly recommend the art.

Our Score:

8/10

A Look Inside