Avengers Inc. #2: You’re Me? No, You’re Me!

Avengers Inc. #2 picks up immediately with the mystery surrounding the existence of this new Victor Shade. While the characters try to piece together what’s going on, a mysterious ghost stirs up trouble, creating another mystery for this duo to investigate. Much like the first issue, Avengers Inc. #2 is entirely narrated in a noir-esque manner by Janet Van Dyne, as she continues to be the focal point of the series. Vision guest stars here since the mysterious Victor Shade has taken one of his former aliases, creating a fun dynamic that builds upon the mythos of the series in a respectfully quick pace. In keeping with the detective/mystery aesthetic, Avengers Inc. #2 feels like a cross between Scooby-Doo and Bendis’s Avengers, picking out what makes both of those things work so well.

Al Ewing is no stranger to the long haul, having written a vast mythos for several characters and franchises within the X-Men and the Avengers, and that is very evident in Avengers Inc. #2. Sometimes these kinds of series will beat around the bush when it comes to tackling the larger narrative, favoring the episodic nature of the medium; however, Ewing shows an elegance in the way he is able to balance the two. This issue runs into the mystery trope where a mystery arrives in front of the detectives rather than them seeking it out. This is a lot of fun as it forces this duo to start working together for the greater good, despite the need to solve the primary problem. This creates a fun dynamic that looks to further grow beyond the stars in the following issue. Ewing is a master at the craft and Avengers Inc. #2 is a prime example of that.

Leonard Kirk does a great job establishing the unique aesthetic for this book, creating a dynamic that is befitting Mayor Luke Cage’s rule: No Costumes. This allows the book to establish itself in the super hero world without having to embrace a lot of comic book tropes that come with it. Instead, Kirk draws this like it’s a straight up detective series, with some super heroics sprinkled in. This is probably the most unique Marvel offering on shelves at this time, with Kirk spearheading that look and feel in an expert way. This is furthered by the specific color palette choices from Alex Sinclair, who gives this book a very washed out look. This helps de-emphasize the more “Marvel ” feel, ingraining this book in its own, self-contained world. By and large, this issue has an aesthetic that perfectly mirrors Ewing’s specific and deliberate script.

Cory Petit rounds out the creative team with the lettering, furthering the aesthetic of the book. Pushing that noir-esque aesthetic, Petit gives Janet a fun yellow inner monologue box, highlighting her alter ego as The Wasp, despite her not appearing in costume. This furthers the goals and ambitions of the series in a fun way, rounding out a truly exceptional creative endeavor from this entire team.