Avengers #6: Turning the Tide

Thanks to the preceding issue’s tense cliffhanger, Avengers #6 is free to jump straight into the action as the team continues their uphill battle defending Earth from the dastardly Ashen Combine. The issue’s narrative arc follows a predictable yet timeless path; having dragged its heroes down to their lowest point, it is now time for them to defy all odds and turn the tables on their opponents.

Whether done as intentional homage or pure coincidence, there is something incredibly nostalgic about the way Jed MacKay writes each Avenger’s victory over their respective combatants. Failure is an ideal opportunity for learning, as Iron Man, Thor, Scarlet Witch, Vision and Captain Marvel demonstrate. Having endured a beating from the Combine long enough to observe how their powers work, each of them wins by switching tactics and exploiting weaknesses.

They describe every subsequent action in great detail, providing a play-by-play that transitions into an uplifting monologue. The entire sequence feels like a remnant of Marvel’s wordier golden and silver age comics, especially with each character vocalizing their emotions. MacKay seizes the opportunity to give Vision some much-needed depth, as he explores his relation to Ultron and emphasizes how his good nature is the result of free will and conscious choice, not mere reprogramming.

Carols Danvers takes the most direct approach to success, using her limitless well of energy to overload and incapacitate the near-invulnerable Lord Ennui. This is far from the first time she’s barreled through a fight with sheer force, making her seem like a one-trick pony. The move is true to the character’s nature, but simultaneously feels like a missed opportunity to showcase a more grounded and clever side of Captain Marvel.

Still, the spectacle that is present cannot go unappreciated, as the page in which Carol practically goes supernova is aflame with beautifully rendered microwaves. Not quite fire and not quite light, the streams of energy pouring out from her glow in vibrant orange and red. Thor delivers on-par visuals when calling down a bolt of lightning in the center of Vatican City.

On top of all this, artist Ivan Fiorelli continues to pencil with the Lovecraftian designs of the Ashen Combine with expertise, granting them a mixed sense of majesty and horror. Fiorelli caps off the issue with all avengers assembled on a now liberated Impossible City, where there are abundant wide shots showcasing how serene the sentient metropolis has become. The Avengers have simultaneously gained a new ally and a new home base, setting up further questions regarding the city’s origin. The final page sells this grand sense of mystery and beckoning adventure with a low angle panel pointed upwards and outwards towards the city’s skyscrapers and the black void of space beyond.