New Avengers Volume 1 Everything Dies TP Jonathan Hickman S Epting Illuminati

Description

NEW AVENGERS VOL. 01: EVERYTHING DIES SC (MARVEL COMICS) The Illuminati must reassemble to prevent the collision of our universe with another! It’s the Marvel Universe’s most powerful and brilliant team – Black Panther, Iron Man, Dr. Strange, Black Bolt, Mr. Fantastic, Sub-Mariner and the Beast – armed with the six Infinity Gems against an infinite legion of parallel realities. But their task is complicated by old wounds, lies and secret agendas. When the Illuminati experiences its first dimensional incursion, can the members of this loose brotherhood trust each other enough to use the Infinity Gems in unison? And when they learn Earth is the center point for the death of the universe, doesn’t that mean destroying it might save everything else? Enter the world-eater, Galactus, as the Illuminati do the unthinkable! Jonathan Hickman and Steve Epting revamp New Avengers in a multiverse-spanning saga! Collecting New Avengers (2013) #1-6. [(W) Jonathan Hickman (A) Steve Epting (CA) Jock]

Paperback: 152 pages

The Marvel Universe’s Illuminati. A small group of the most powerful men banded together to make the hardest and grandest decisions for earth. First they were six: Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic, Professor X, Dr. Strange, Black Bolt, and Namor. Black Panther was asked to join but his conscience said no. Where would their power and desire to control end?

Times have changed. Black Panther witnesses an incursion event, where an earth from a parallel universe starts to cross over into their space. He sees the isolated overlap from his home nation of Wakanda, He also sees a mysterious group led by the Black Swan destroy that other earth. Black Panther calls upon the Illuminati (NOW! minus Professor X, but with Beast in his place, and Captain America) to help him discover her intent as well as what what these incursion events mean for a multiverse of worlds.

First of all, the irony by calling this book “New Avengers” is clever (although probably more of a branding strategy by Marvel call as many books “Avengers” as possible) since they are neither word, and fit nicely with Jonathan Hickman’s themes. They are old men and are not the “Avenging” superheroes we know and love, they are a secret group making murky decisions in dire and drastic situations.

This book may put off some readers, or be found to be boring, as it is not a typical good guys versus bad guys setup. Not even a story of an anti hero dirtying their hands to defeat the hard to beat villain. It is about men who think their intellect gives them the right to govern the world secretly, some who happen to be superheros, making decisions and the actions the make coming back to bite them.

There is a lot happening in this series but not of the way of big action sequences. There is a bit of that, but this is a heavy sci-fi political thriller and Hickman is just brave and crazy enough to pull it off in a superhero universe. He really makes your stomach turn at some of the decisions that some of our most beloved superheros are making. Characterization is limited but each group member gets enough screen time and the right lines so they are not generic. There is some tension between some members and even higher between others that plays out nicely. The Black Swan is an interesting new character and what secrets she holds really does terrify.

Steve Epting is perfect for the book. His predominant widescreen paneling choice is perfect for such an epic tale. The range of emotions shine through in his faces from intrigue to despair.

Hickman is really rocking a hard sci-fi cosmos spanning epic in this series and it’s sister title, Avengers proper, which is a great read as well. This is really not an Avengers book, but the Illuminati’s and the consequences of their choices with sci-fi elements. Very well written and great art, the cliffhangers left definitely leaves me fascinated for more as well as the event it will eventually tie-in to: Infinity and leads into Secret Wars.

978-0-7851-6661-0

Collects New Avengers (2013) 1-6. 1st printing, near mint condition.