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There's so much to love about Hickman, but then also some I dislike.
He certainly has some of the most original stories in modern comics, and they often span the entire universe (if not multiple universes). In this volume, two wars are being raged simultaneously. Thanos the mad tyrant attacks Earth while most of the Avengers are off planet joining with a war council of other planets to defend the universe from the Builders.
What's fun here?
The story is fast paced, and the foe seems unbeatable at first. That follows the well-worn archetype for any great story where the heroes start off as the underdogs. Considering the reputation of the Avengers, it's not easy to make them seem so helpless, but Hickman does a good job of it. It's an original storyline with a lot of depth, and will appeal to anyone who likes comics that feature huge battles off planet.
What am I going to nitpick?
As much as I like the grand scope that Hickman takes, it always feels like his characterizations are rushed. Don't get me wrong, he obviously tries. He makes the Builders seem outright evil at times, so you definitely fear and hate them, but I never UNDERSTOOD them. That bothers me. I never felt like I had a good idea as to why they suddenly changed course and went from being promoters of life to destroying it.
Moreover, a line from Cap really bothered me. He told another Avenger that there is no hero's journey that we follow, there's only the choices we make. This is a dramatic moment, and it's the sort of moment where Cap is supposed to shine as the Earth's greatest leader. Cap can't fly, doesn't have the Hulk's strength, etc. What makes him worthy of leading the Avengers is that people always follow him - he inspires us! I felt inspired at first as Cap was holding his own and proving himself a great tactician even amongst the most brilliant leaders in the universe, but then this moment came. It felt like Cap was suddenly a nihilist. There was none of the personal charm we see in the Avengers films, or the heroic inspiration we see in the Captain America standalone movies. This was a huge missed opportunity.
Despite my complaints about some of the characterization, it's still a story well worth reading. Hickman is a master storyteller when it comes to plotting intricacies, and a lot of his characters are actually quite intriguing (I think he writes Namor, Black Bolt, and Black Panther particularly well). Some lackluster characterization of Cap and the Builders made me dock a star from my review.
He certainly has some of the most original stories in modern comics, and they often span the entire universe (if not multiple universes). In this volume, two wars are being raged simultaneously. Thanos the mad tyrant attacks Earth while most of the Avengers are off planet joining with a war council of other planets to defend the universe from the Builders.
What's fun here?
The story is fast paced, and the foe seems unbeatable at first. That follows the well-worn archetype for any great story where the heroes start off as the underdogs. Considering the reputation of the Avengers, it's not easy to make them seem so helpless, but Hickman does a good job of it. It's an original storyline with a lot of depth, and will appeal to anyone who likes comics that feature huge battles off planet.
What am I going to nitpick?
As much as I like the grand scope that Hickman takes, it always feels like his characterizations are rushed. Don't get me wrong, he obviously tries. He makes the Builders seem outright evil at times, so you definitely fear and hate them, but I never UNDERSTOOD them. That bothers me. I never felt like I had a good idea as to why they suddenly changed course and went from being promoters of life to destroying it.
Moreover, a line from Cap really bothered me. He told another Avenger that there is no hero's journey that we follow, there's only the choices we make. This is a dramatic moment, and it's the sort of moment where Cap is supposed to shine as the Earth's greatest leader. Cap can't fly, doesn't have the Hulk's strength, etc. What makes him worthy of leading the Avengers is that people always follow him - he inspires us! I felt inspired at first as Cap was holding his own and proving himself a great tactician even amongst the most brilliant leaders in the universe, but then this moment came. It felt like Cap was suddenly a nihilist. There was none of the personal charm we see in the Avengers films, or the heroic inspiration we see in the Captain America standalone movies. This was a huge missed opportunity.
Despite my complaints about some of the characterization, it's still a story well worth reading. Hickman is a master storyteller when it comes to plotting intricacies, and a lot of his characters are actually quite intriguing (I think he writes Namor, Black Bolt, and Black Panther particularly well). Some lackluster characterization of Cap and the Builders made me dock a star from my review.