Avengers #36: Our Work Here Is Done

It says a lot about the tumultuous history of the Avengers when the most surprising thing the team can do is disband cordially. Yes, after nearly three years of adventure, the squad has decided to quit while they’re ahead. No drama driving wedges between them, no sudden betrayal by a hero turned bad, and no mysterious new villain crushing the team to establish the stakes of Marvel’s next event. There may be stormy clouds on the horizon with Chip Zdarsky’s Armageddon inbound, but Jed MacKay is taking full advantage of the sunny weather while it remains.

With Kang locked away in an intergalactic prison and his omnicide prevented, all that remains is one long epilogue. While other finales would be occupied tying up loose ends, MacKay’s focused storytelling and strategic pacing have left him ample time to prioritize characters over plot. What he delivers is something far more introspective, as Captain Marvel decides to step down from her position as Avengers Chair, talking the decision over with each team member one-by-one.

The clear metaphor here is veterans returning from war, or any public servant retiring from duty: individuals who ponder every action taken and decision made over the course of their career, questioning if they made enough of a difference in the world, and what to do with themselves next. T’Challa, Wanda, Storm, Vision and Tony all have different perspectives on the matter, and each conversation is organically philosophical in a subtle way. The Avengers also say bon voyage to Camelot, the living city they came to call both “home” and “friend” over the course of their adventures. While it may not be a tearjerker, the moment tugs at the heartstrings; the city was an experimental yet fresh addition to the cast, more memorable than the other original characters writers and artists have attempted to force onto the roster in years past.

The lack of action is no detriment to artist Farid Karami, who brings the series home with an extra infusion of humanity that sells every exchange of dialogue. Simple but relatable details, like the playful way Carol Danvers chucks a pumpkin into a hippo’s mouth as if it were a basketball, or the casual way T’Challa runs his fingers along the wall of a familiar hallway as he walks down it feel so candid and gentle. Simply having varied facial expressions and hand motions each panel makes the conversation more engaging than most. By issue’s end, Kang has escaped confinement to plot his revenge once again, while Tony and Carol open the polls to elect the next team of avengers. Who knows which Marvel heroes this roster will consist of and what wider role they’ll serve; the future is unwritten (except for those who have peaked ahead at May’s solicits).