With The Builders and Thanos thwarted, the Avengers Collective stands to inherit an Armageddon of their own design. Specifically, the Illuminati, who dipped their toe into the realm of destroying entire other worlds to save their own. If you thought writer Jonathan Hickman had hit his peak with Infinity, guess again. Hickman is launching an all out assault on the comic book world. One that demands readers be smarter, and pay very, very close attention to every last detail.
One thing is apparent right off the bat. Hickman has decided to make this next chapter in the Avengers saga much darker. It’s also obvious that Hickman has shattered the lines separating Avengers from New Avengers. These groups, at least in how Hickman is presenting them, are one unit. They rise together and, when it happens, fall together. New Avengers #26 reignites the idea of the Incursions, and their effect on Earth. Hickman is splitting this story into two sections, Earth 2039 and the present day. Within those stories are multiple levels of drama.
In present day Avengers, Reed Richards, Tony Stark and Hank McCoy are attempting to work with the Black Swan on a way to see the worlds that are approaching for each Incursion. What she proposes is an engineered mirror, a way to see the coming adversaries and prepare for them. Meanwhile, Doctor Strange has entered into a new level of darkness by using the Blood Bible. What exactly the Doctor is looking for is still a mystery, but he’s willing to give his life for a new idea of power. It’s behavior unlike the Doctor, set off by the events of Infinity.
Jump ahead to Earth 2039, which is where things really get confusing. In that timeline, the Avengers are using the technology presented to present-day Iron Man in the most recent issue of the Avengers. Two Earths are existing in the same space, with a thin dimensional wall separating them. From one Earth comes the Black Priests, who invade our Earth in 2039 and lay waste to everything, including the Avengers. Watching this go down are the Avengers in the present day, through the device Reed Richards constructed with Black Swan.
Hickman is gathering forces on a Shakespearean level for this run. As always, this is some of the best writing comic books have seen in ten years, but it isn’t easy. Hickman is looking to reexamine what a hero is, as well as break down the very fiber of what makes the Avengers so strong. It’s heady stuff, intellectual and wonderful. Hickman approaches comics like literature, and never allows what he’s doing to become convoluted.
Stepping into the art for New Avengers #13 is Simone Bianchi. His art style is quite particular, and it might not sit well with everyone, but it is perfect for this story. Hickman’s decision to stake out a darker territory aligns with the harsher, jagged and more disjointed style Bianchi has. The work with shadow in this issue is staggering, as is the detail work and the overall vibe of the issue. Look no further than the pages with Doctor Strange to see just how gorgeous Bianchi’s work is.
Jonathan Hickman’s staggering talent has injected a much needed shot of intelligence and adrenaline into New Avengers. Bianchi’s art is equally devastating. An absolute gut-punch of a book.
