Avengers: Twilight #2: That’s Not Who We Are

Avengers: Twilight kicked off strongly with its first issue, and now with the second finally out, it seems that the series is more mixed in its execution than previously suggested. While Daniel Acuña’s work on this series continues to be near-perfect, Zdarsky’s balance between writing a story that’s interesting because of its themes and one that’s interesting because of its nature as an alternate universe story.

This issue has a lot going on, picking up with Steve Rogers now fully engrossed once again in his role as Captain America. Taking to the streets as a Defender, the issue spends a good amount of time focusing on the sacrifices those fighting for greater ideals make. There’s a particularly engaging moment between Steve and a now-adult Kamala Khan that debates the legitimacy of standing still in the gaze of fascism, saying so much more about the relevant moral quandary at the core of this book than later scenes are capable of.

On the flip side, a lot is going on with future versions of iconic Marvel characters, such as the Thunderbolts, that take up some page space and time in an issue where solidifying the motivations of our main team was more important. It’s hard to believe in the war Cap is beginning to wage against the U.S. government because the people he’s trying to help are given little time or agency to prove their want to be freed. We constantly see him saving citizens, but said citizens are given little character.

The art continues to slap. It’s color-rich and breaks the bounds of traditional comic book structure at times to ensure the story being told is delivered with the finest amount of visual artistry possible.