Review: ‘Avengers Forever’ #8 Gives Us Another Solo Spotlight Issue As These Alternative Avengers Begin To Form

Avengers Forever #8 continues to offer up glimpse into the ver-expanding Marvel multiverse and focus on one particular Earth and one particular hybrid hero. And on Earth-56337 we meet a down and out Thor, unworthy of lifting the mighty Mjolnir which haunts him wherever he goes. Even at the top of the mighty Mount Everest where he is met by Lei-Kung, The Thunderer who takes hm in and trains him up to be this world’s Iron Fist.

Writer Jason Aaron focusses much of this issue a great deal on the ensuing training, but that doesn’t make this a dull issue. And certainly not with the hyper-detailed artwork of Aaron Kuder who’s sharing up to be this generations Arthur Adams at this rate. String outlines off varying thickness create a sense of depth, while the fine lines he produces creates varied textures in this and of snow, ice and destruction. And while this is an issue set mostly against the backdrop of snow, colourist Cam Smith still manages to bring colour and light to this mostly white and blue environment. Although, the blood spilling from Thor as part of his training certainly stands out in dramatic contrast later in the issue. 

And so, with another alternative reality Avenger-in-the-making introduced, the drive for recruits continues. And these recent issue spotlighting solo heroes and their backstories certainly helps establish them in readers’ minds, making them more relatable in forthcoming issues when, no doubt, these Alternative Avengers unite to fight the Masters of Evil. A malevolent force who may not have reared their ugly heads this issue, but certainly have left their mark in bring about the downfall of Earth-56337, and thereby Thor’s new destiny too. There’s something very satisfying in learning that these Masters of Evil are sowing the seeds of their own destruction with every parallel Earth they bring down.

Avengers Forever #8 is out now from Marvel