One of the knocks on Infinity so far as that it hasn’t really been fun. Sure, it’s good, it’s interesting, it’s well thought-out, but it’s dark and heavy and ominous. So if you’re looking for a bit more slam-bang in your Thanos invasion, Mighty Avengers is the place to get it.
If you haven’t read Mighty Avengers #1, do so, because it’s a good time (and I do not recommend Greg Land books lightly). That will get you up to speed on The Splendiferous Spider Hero, who helps make Superior Spider-Man such a ridiculous joy to read, thanks to Doc Ock being so easily offended even in the midst of Thanos’ emissary Proxima Midnight storming Manhattan in pursuit of desolation. Unfortunately for Luke Cage and friends, the big guns are off planet fighting Builder jerks in space. So it’s Cage, Spectrum (formerly Captain Marvel, Photon, Pulsar and “The Rambeau Woman”), Spider-Man and the Mystery Knock-Off left to hold the line. They might’ve had the new Teen Power Man and White Tiger, if Supey Spidey hadn’t demoralized them entirely and drove them off before the invasion hit.
Mighty Avengers #2 opens with Thanos’ other Black Order flunky, The Ebony Maw, playing his mind-fiddle on Dr. Strange, as we’ve seen in the big books, then shows us Dr. Adam Brashear, whom you may have seen around as the Blue Marvel, now a retired hero and science man who apparently hangs out with The Watcher. Uatu is silently nudging him to come out of his undersea hidey-hole and pitch in, even though He Cannot Interfere.
Cut to downtown, big fight, and “Spider-Man To All Spiderlings!” – which is a line you would never hear from Peter Parker, and is part of what makes Superior Spider-Man so goddamned entertaining. Then Spider Hero beats him to the punch on a few goons while swinging nunchuks, making me wish I knew more about Spectrum’s history, since this guy is somebody from her past. Dare we hope it’s The Captain from Nextwave or something? He wasn’t a nunchuk guy, though, and Hero seems much more competent and experienced than he’d ever be. I keep leaning Paladin, but hell, maybe it’s Night Thrasher back from the dead?
Anyhow, it’s fights! It’s civilian uprising! It’s the Black Order showing off! And then, suddenly, something huge happens. Maw-Strange stops by just long enough to summon he who fed on the screaming souls of dead universes, who drank the spoiled milk of dead stars, the emptiness outside all understanding – motherscratchin’ Shuma-Gorath, the crazy eyeball-tentacle monster from beyond insanity. That is actual Shuma-Gorath dialog, and though I never gave two squirts about Shuma-Gorath before reading this issue, now I absolutely love him. Or… it.
Al Ewing is really making for entertaining reading with this book (including a sort-of cameo from The Dude), and Greg Land is… well, Greg Land, but when he’s not attempting to draw someone smiling, you’re much less inclined to want to smack all his characters in the face. He’s also gotten better at making people in pain look like they’re in pain instead of being traced from porn. When Land’s Landness is unobtrusive, you can really get into his talent with form and action.
Mighty Avengers is a really fun book, and you should read it if you like awesome super-hero action.
