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brandonadaniels's review
4.0
Update after finishing the whole series:
All together this series feels pretty crucial to Hickman’s run. I highly recommend it for anyone doing a reread in the future.
I’ve been considering doing my fourth or fifth reread of Hickman’s Avengers run in anticipation of G.O.D.S., but I rediscovered this book which I always meant to read but forgot. I’m glad I finally got around to it, but I do wish I had read it when it was coming out. Hickman’s Avengers is one of my favorite superhero comics of all time, but I’ll admit that it has flaws. One flaw is that the first dozen or so issues set up several stories, plant several seeds that, from what I can remember, feel like go nowhere. Well, some of them seem like they are being more explored in this sister series.
Nick Spencer does a pretty good job of capturing the same tone and characterization as Hickman, and there are some really compelling character moments, the Shang Chi story in particular. The art is stellar; Casselli is a favorite, and the issues that Frank Martin colors are particularly impressive.
All together this series feels pretty crucial to Hickman’s run. I highly recommend it for anyone doing a reread in the future.
I’ve been considering doing my fourth or fifth reread of Hickman’s Avengers run in anticipation of G.O.D.S., but I rediscovered this book which I always meant to read but forgot. I’m glad I finally got around to it, but I do wish I had read it when it was coming out. Hickman’s Avengers is one of my favorite superhero comics of all time, but I’ll admit that it has flaws. One flaw is that the first dozen or so issues set up several stories, plant several seeds that, from what I can remember, feel like go nowhere. Well, some of them seem like they are being more explored in this sister series.
Nick Spencer does a pretty good job of capturing the same tone and characterization as Hickman, and there are some really compelling character moments, the Shang Chi story in particular. The art is stellar; Casselli is a favorite, and the issues that Frank Martin colors are particularly impressive.
mschlat's review
3.0
I keep on reading Hickman and not being impressed. There's high concept galore here --- three different threats of different types --- but little to ground the work. It's as if you took the concepts from Ellis's Authority or Morrison's JLA and crammed them into one work, but removed much of the reason to care. A prime example is what happens to the island nation of Madripoor --- it (spoiler alert) rises out of the water, revealing that it rests upon the head of a dragon. So, A+ for gaga visuals and strangeness, but after the initial impact, what happens? You just see more visuals of a city on top of a flying dragon. No resolution (at least in this volume); not even much consideration of the problem.
There's some nice characterization here; we have Cannonball and Sunspot filling in the junior-male-joking-duo role to good effect (think Blue Beetle and Booster Gold from a JLA reboot). And who ever is responsible for Bruce Banner's dialogue (Hickman or Spencer) does the best job I've seen in a long while of showing the character's scientific mania. But then you switch scenes to another sterile crisis and the whole book stalls.
There's some nice characterization here; we have Cannonball and Sunspot filling in the junior-male-joking-duo role to good effect (think Blue Beetle and Booster Gold from a JLA reboot). And who ever is responsible for Bruce Banner's dialogue (Hickman or Spencer) does the best job I've seen in a long while of showing the character's scientific mania. But then you switch scenes to another sterile crisis and the whole book stalls.
crookedtreehouse's review
3.0
Hickman's Avengers run is all over the place. Like most of his Marvel books, it's filled with lofty ideas, complex pacing, and a cross-your-fingers-and-hope-it-ends-as-good-as-The-Fantastic-Four feel.
While Avengers is the main storyline that's designed to lead us to The End Of The Marvel Universe (aka Secret Wars), and New Avengers focuses on the Heavy Hitter Avengers and The Illuminati, Avengers World expands the backstories and mythology of the Avengers Undercard. In addition to getting a little more time with Starbrand, Manifold, Smasher, Captain Universe, and Nightmask, we also see Shang-Chi in action, and get a taste of what Cannonball and Sunspot are up to.
Pacing can be the biggest hurdle to overcome in a Hickman superhero book, and I found this book a much easier and satisfying read than the other two Avengers books it supports. It's not that it's better, it's more accessible (Spencer has a much more approachable style than Hickman).
I reccomend it as a solid support book to the overarching Hickman Avengers series. On its own, it's just kind of okay.
While Avengers is the main storyline that's designed to lead us to The End Of The Marvel Universe (aka Secret Wars), and New Avengers focuses on the Heavy Hitter Avengers and The Illuminati, Avengers World expands the backstories and mythology of the Avengers Undercard. In addition to getting a little more time with Starbrand, Manifold, Smasher, Captain Universe, and Nightmask, we also see Shang-Chi in action, and get a taste of what Cannonball and Sunspot are up to.
Pacing can be the biggest hurdle to overcome in a Hickman superhero book, and I found this book a much easier and satisfying read than the other two Avengers books it supports. It's not that it's better, it's more accessible (Spencer has a much more approachable style than Hickman).
I reccomend it as a solid support book to the overarching Hickman Avengers series. On its own, it's just kind of okay.
mjfmjfmjf's review
3.0
So Avengers need to work with SHIELD again. Whatever. Lot's of setup here an attempt to tell a big plot story. But there's really not much here. And it is hard to take Star Brand seriously as a character, but then again as compared to here. In this book as in many, Steve Rogers just feels kind of flat. Maybe the next book will be better. Okay writing and art otherwise.
vroodles's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Super chaotic setup to a story! This feels a bit like a kitchen-sink plot method - there's actually 3 (or 4?) main disasters happening at the same time. The dialog is pretty good and Cannonball and Sunspot's friendship is always the absolute best, but most of this book is just about Avengers being cops and I'm not super into that as a story.
standardman's review
3.0
An OK companion to Hickman mega run on Avengers. There's nothing wrong with it but it feels familiar while being inessential.
toystory242's review
4.0
This was awesome.
Giant ensemble: check. Yes. Thank you.
*sings* I WOULD LIKE THE NEXT ONE
(I will say it did get confusing though)
Giant ensemble: check. Yes. Thank you.
*sings* I WOULD LIKE THE NEXT ONE
(I will say it did get confusing though)
jhstack's review
3.0
A good start to the series, thanks to Hickman's hand-off to Spencer, but the focus is a little too divided. Maybe that's because I've been reading it issue to issue. Or maybe the newer Avengers aren't as familiar as the mainstays. (And I'm not taking points off for the "Binghamton" misspelling.)