With the Falcon and Viv Vision prisoners of the High Evolutionary. Earth and Counter-Earth phasing through each other. The Avengers and Champions must find a way to rescue their teammates and save the world!
AVENGERS #673
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Javier Pina with Paco Diaz
Cover Artist: Alex Ross
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Publisher: Marvel Comics
What You Need to Know:
The High Evolutionary has enacted a plan to phase shift both Earth and Counter-Earth together. Allowing his creations to invade and conquer in his attempt to rule over both worlds. The Avengers and Champions have joined forces to try and stop the High Evolutionary. However, things are getting tense as both Viv Vision and the Falcon have been captured by the Evolutionary. The Vision, desperate to save his daughter, has nearly let his emotions get the better of him. This just adds to the underlying tension that has been growing between both teams as the veteran Avengers have pushed their weight around. Causing the Champions to feel dismissed and disrespected.
What You’ll Find Out:
Held prisoner, on Counter-Earth, the Falcon and Viv come face to face with the Evolutionary. The Evolutionary takes a keen interest in the Vision’s daughter and intends to upgrade her. When their attempt to escape fails, both the Falcon and Viv are separated to be experimented on. As this is happening, the Vision, erratic and desperate to save his daughter, nearly scrambles the brain of one of the Evolutionary’s henchmen. The Avengers and Champions learn that as the two worlds phase within each other. Creatures from Counter-Earth will appear in their world and just as Falcon and Viv did, will phase into the other.
The Vision takes charge and commands the Champions to stay behind and handle the zealots of the Evolutionary that “bleed” into Earth. That allows the Avengers to use Mjolnir to travel to Counter-Earth in the attempt to rescue their teammates and stop the Evolutionary. Nova objects as he feels that he should be allowed to go as he is one of the few who have been there. This almost begins an argument as the Champions feel they should be allowed to save Viv. The Wasp halts the argument and exchanges places with Nova, allowing him to go. Unbeknownst to either team, the Evolutionary has “upgraded” Viv Vision. She now looks like a normal human girl.
What Just Happened?
This is another solid issue by Mark Waid, as he hits every tone and moment just right. Especially with the initial reaction of the Vision who responds as any parent who wants to find and save their child. This is the foundation of this crossover event as the relationship between Vision and Viv, father and daughter, showcases how adults treat, not just their children. But young adults in general, in that grownups, will always feel that they know best. It is a great way to tie the relationship of the Avengers to the Champions. Considering that the Champions broke away from their older counterparts because they no longer thought that the Avengers knew what was best anymore. This gives the crossover heart and doesn’t make the team-up of the Avengers and Champions superficial.
Pina and Diaz are just great comic book artist as there is no wasted space on the pages. The visuals are just as solid as the facial expressions. Nothing gets lost or muddled in the pages and everything is clear and tells a great visual story. Rosenberg is just the icing on the cake of this well-written event. The colors here are so good that Rosenberg nails the creepy scenes with the Evolutionary just perfect. And of course, Alex Ross delivers another astonishing cover that only Alex Ross can do.
Rating: 8.5/10
Final Thought: I don’t know how to put this any other way except to say, this is just a good, damn comic book story. The Worlds Collide crossover is what most comic books should be when trying to tell a classic superhero story. Nothing is rushed or out of placed and each moment means something. Waid is using six issues total to tell this and he knows he doesn’t have to be in a rush to get anywhere. And because he is the writer on both series, his love of every character just shines through. Champions have been a great book from the word go and while I can’t say the exact same thing for Avengers. This event just helped breathe new life into a title that was weighted down by the over complexities that were Secret Empire. There is still three more parts of this story to go, so the overall judgment is still to be made. Considering how fun this has been so far, I can’t wait to see how it all pans out.