The Avengers Cool Down After Battle In #11
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
The Avengers are reeling from the clash at Hydropolis and recovering back at Avengers Mountain. Ghost Rider and Captain Marvel are working on the Hell Charger, Thor and She-Hulk are on a date in the Savage Land, and Black Panther has gathered superheroes from around the globe to discuss alliances going forward. Meanwhile, Agent Phil Coulson interrogates an unknown person about their alliance with the Avengers.
Avengers #11 is a cool-down issue after the titanic #700 that came out last month. We spend time with the Avengers at their base and watch their dramas, romances, and general conversations play out.
It’s a dialogue-heavy issue, but that could be said of most Jason Aaron’s Avengers issues so far. That’s less of a criticism here, though, as it’s necessary.
Each of the plot threads are interesting, though. Phil Coulson’s interrogation section shows a dark side to the character we’ve not really seen before. T’Challa’s dinner with the international superheroes brings back some characters we’ve not seen in some time like Sunfire, the Collective Man, and the Arabian Knight. Plus, it shows how the politics may work with this internationally-minded Avengers team.
The part I didn’t expect to enjoy as much as I did was the She-Hulk and Thor date. It was endearing, funny, and damn adorable at times. That was a fun addition to this book.
It is a little weird that we don’t get to see Blade at all this issue after the big deal that was made about him joining this team.
Ed McGuinness and Cory Smith are the artists on this issue, and they both do damn good jobs as expected. McGuinness’ muscular and somewhat cartoonish rendition of the Avengers ads some good visual personality. Smith adds a more toned-down style that suits the superhero meeting he renders. Erick Arciniega provides the color work, which is as bright and brilliant as needed.
Avengers #11 is another solid issue in Jason Aaron’s tenure. It’s fun, adds a lot of personality to the team, and it shows where things are heading in issues to come. It’s an enjoyable read and worth a recommendation. Check it out.
Avengers #11 comes to us from writer Jason Aaron, artists Ed McGuinness and Cory Smith, inkers Mark Morales, Scott Hanna and Karl Kesel, color artist Erick Arciniega, letterer VC’s Cory Petit, cover artist Ed McGuiness with Marte Gracia, and variant cover artists Alan Davis with Mark Farmer and Matt Hollingsworth and Carlos Pacheco with Aneke and Jason Keith.
