I’ve been looking forward to this event for what feels like forever. While a lot of readers checked out during One World Under Doom, I actually really liked that storyline. Plus, the fallout over in Captain America and a few other titles has been great, so hearing we were getting a direct follow-up had me beyond ecstatic.
Beyond that, I had another major reason for wanting this book to succeed: Jed MacKay’s recent Avengers run was a real snorefest. On paper, that run had all the right ingredients. The lineup was completely stacked with Captain Marvel, Thor, Iron Man, Sam Wilson, Black Panther, Vision, Scarlet Witch, and even Storm joined in. Yet, the execution just wasn’t there. Watching them spend the majority of the run trading wordy, boring dialogue with the Twilight Court didn’t work, even if MacKay is usually a great writer. We desperately need a proper, genuinely good Avengers book to get things back on track.
Naturally, Marvel already leaked what the next team looks like and who’s writing it. While it’s not the most original lineup, it’s exciting. Either way, Avengers: Armageddon #1 is the match that sets it all off.
Title: Avengers Armageddon #1
Creatives: Chip Zdarsky (Writer), Delio Diaz & Frank Alpizar (Artists), Jesus Aburtov (Colorist), VC’s Cory Petit (Letterer)
Characters: Captain Marvel, Iron Man, Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes, Namor, Vision, Spider-Man, Wolverine, David Colton, Fantastic Four
Villain: Thunderbolt Ross (Red Hulk), Gamma Squad
Format: Event Series / Debut Issue
Our Rating: 8.5/10 Stars
Red Hulk’s “New America”
Right out of the gate, I noticed that Chip Zdarsky just throws us right into the thick of it. There are a few sentences to quickly establish the setup, but mostly it just gets straight to the business of things, which I always appreciate. We find out that Thunderbolt Ross, aka the Red Hulk, has officially taken over Latveria after Doom’s fall. He’s really leaning into it, too, renaming the country “New America.” Yeah, it’s incredibly on the nose, but with an ultra-patriotic meathead character like Ross, you almost expect that level of subtle-as-a-brick branding.
Also, I gotta say, I’m loving what Marvel is doing with their villains lately. It feels like over at DC, the big threats are always Darkseid or maybe Lex Luthor, but no one else ever gets a turn in the spotlight. Marvel actually uses the full might of their deep character catalog. I mean, can you imagine General Wade Eiling leading a massive summer event at DC? Of course you can’t, because they’d never pull the trigger on it. Beyond that, I love the absolute irony of Ross claiming that America was founded by patriots banishing a king to install a proper “democracy,” all while his own personal goons hoist a brand-new flag over a country they just stole. Zdarsky, you absolute genius.
The Ironalert System and the Gamma Squad
Interestingly enough, we learn that the regular folks of the MU don’t want the superheroes interfering this time. The non-powered populace is basically trying to sideline the Avengers, telling them to stay out of Ross’s “democratize the world by force” campaign and let them handle it. We all know the heroes aren’t just going to sit on their hands, but it’s a great dynamic for showing where the public stands.
When we cut to the heroes, things are a mess. Steve Rogers is currently in a coma (and also in hell, if you’re keeping up with the current Captain America run), but a solid crew consisting of the Fantastic Four, Captain Marvel, Sam Wilson, Bucky, Namor, Vision, Iron Man, and even Spider-Man are ready for the ride, terrible jokes and all. To keep tabs on everything, Tony Stark builds a new monitoring setup called the Ironalert System. It basically tells him that Ross has some incredibly powerful, predictive future-sight tech of his own. Whatever the heroes throw at Thaddeus isn’t going to hit, because the old man is consistently twenty steps ahead of them. Look, it’s definitely not the most inventive plotline we’ve ever seen, since Marvel even recently did the whole “predicting the future” thing in Civil War II, but that doesn’t mean Zdarsky can’t get creative with it here.
Recruiting a Human Cheat Code
While Ross is busy bringing democracy to foreign lands by force, the Avengers get to work recruiting. They stop by the X-Men first, who rightfully turn them down. It’s definitely not a mutant fight, but Wolverine is hanging around and points them toward a guy with the perfect power set for this kind of suicide mission: David Colton. You might know him from the Weapons of Armageddon miniseries. I don’t think that book is essential reading to understand what’s happening here, but it makes for an awesome companion piece.
Colton is a total badass in this issue. He’s out here wrecking old super-soldier programs, busting up the Pentagon, and even smacking down Captain Marvel. Granted, they only had them fight to show off how insanely strong the new guy is, and they really had no business throwing punches at each other in the first place, but hey, it’s comics, so I’ll let it slide. He’s awesome, though. He’s essentially Captain America with the raw power of Hyperion, which is bound to make things interesting down the line. Plus, his outfit looks like a shiny, custom character dropped right into a story cutscene.
On the downside, the conversation between Bucky and Namor felt incredibly contrived to me. It’s written like Bucky suddenly doesn’t understand why a military dictator like Ross is doing dictator things, and Namor is talking like he’s trapped in a prose novel, spouting all these sage-like words that don’t actually mean anything or run that deep. That whole interaction just read as a little bit cringey.
Then you have Spider-Man, who suddenly gets cold feet before the big launch. He’s worried about the regular people back home in New York, and he’s stressed because the team is technically forbidden from doing the exact thing they’re about to do. I don’t buy into the idea that this mission is somehow outside of Peter’s depth, especially since the guy saves the universe on any given Tuesday, but Tony Stark tells him he can sit this one out since David Colton is bringing the firepower anyway. Tony drops a few cool, inspiring words, and the Avengers take off to bring down the Red Hulk and avenge Steve Rogers.
The Art Team Delivers
The art duties on this book are shared by Delio Diaz and Frank Alpizar. To be completely transparent, I’m not super familiar with their work, so it’s tough for me to pinpoint who drew what because the style stays incredibly consistent throughout the issue.
I love how grand they make these characters look. The heroes are big, bold, powerful, and bursting with that classic, valiant heroic energy. You can see it clearly on that spectacular final splash page where the team is assembled and ready to avenge Steve. That spread right there could easily be a poster on my wall. I would frame it in a heartbeat; it looks that great.
If I had one minor critique, it’s that a lot of the faces look very similar, especially the women, and a bit tiny at times. But generally speaking, I love the overall look and feel of the issue. Red Hulk looks phenomenal. Between his sinister demeanor, the intensity of his scowl, and his gray military uniform that feels tailor-made for his transformations, it brought me pure joy.
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention the colors by Jesus Aburtov, because they are absolutely gorgeous. Everything on the page just pops and has this beautiful, shiny finish. His lighting work is stunning, and it easily stands out as his greatest strength in this book. There’s a ton more I could say about his colors, but the work really speaks for itself and elevates the entire issue. Finally, VC’s Cory Petit does a great job with the lettering. The speech bubbles have a classic, clean look that’s incredibly easy to read, and when the action kicks off, the effects don’t crowd the panels or get in the way of the art.
The Verdict: Should you buy Avengers: Armageddon #1?
Avengers: Armageddon #1 is an incredibly solid debut. Sure, it spends a significant amount of time setting up the chess pieces, but that’s exactly what a first issue is supposed to do. The foundational pieces are right where they need to be, the roster is killer, and the art team brings a massive sense of scale back to the book. After months of feeling totally disconnected from the main Avengers title, I’m happy to say we are so back.
‘Avengers: Armageddon’ #1 Review: Zdarsky Saves Earth’s Mightiest Heroes
Avengers: Armageddon #1 is an incredibly solid debut. Sure, it spends a significant amount of time setting up the chess pieces, but that’s exactly what a first issue is supposed to do. The foundational pieces are right where they need to be, the roster is killer, and the art team brings a massive sense of scale back to the book. After months of feeling totally disconnected from the main Avengers title, I’m happy to say we are so back.
