Avengers: No Road Home #1: In Which a Team is Assembled

I don’t often review team books. It’s not that I don’t read a fair number of team books but the team dynamic so often confounds writers that there is the inevitability of having to write a review that states something along the lines of “the ensemble cast proves to be too many personalities for the writer to handle in conjunction with telling a cohesive story.” I hate writing that, but it I still have said it more times than I can count. For the first time in a long time, I feel that statement my not be necessary. The writing team takes great care in this first issue to ensure that each character stands on their own, with distinct voices and personalities.

In many ways, the over-arching narrative seems designed to facilitate, not hamper, character development. A number of the characters selected for this team enable interesting opportunities for interpersonal moments, from a friendship between Rocket and Hulk to the past-relationship between the now-dying Vision and the Scarlet Witch. We see Hawkeye, always in a struggle for relevance surrounded by gods, come face to face with the Immortal Hulk in a conversation that feels long over due.

The team dynamics coupled with a sharp and clean art direction (its a 10 week, weekly title, so I anticipate different artists rotating in and out) give this title a strong chance at success– far exceeding my initial expectations. Corey Petit’s letter, as always, is immaculate in terms of space on the page and font.