The Avengers #1: Down, But Not Out!

Life as an Avenger was peachy keen under Jed MacKay, who blessed the team with their most jovial era in some time. His run wore its heart on its sleeve, almost overflowing with the sort of inspiration-fueled adventures typically found in shonen manga. The heroes never bickered, rarely even lifted their voices against one another, and always locked in to accomplish the mission, taking time to pat each other on the backs afterwards. Every issue felt like clocking in and out of a productive shift with the best co-workers.

It’s not a hot take to say that the last era played it safe, nor is it complaint against its quality. The earnest heroism of it may have been exactly what the franchise needed after years of lacking direction and corporate film synergy. But sanding down the characters’ rougher edges left them feeling a little too smooth, their smiles a little too wide, lacking the messy interpersonal drama that made Busiek’s or Bendis’s runs so iconic.

New series scribe Chip Zdarsky seems to think so, bringing the messiness in spades. The Avengers have had it too good for too long, and the superstar creative team of Zdarsky and artist Marco Checchetto aren’t afraid to knock them down a peg. Left humbled by the catastrophic events of Armageddon, Earth’s mightiest heroes are scattered and broken as a scrappier, street-level team forms to pick up the pieces. The time spent with each member of this ragtag squad is well-balanced, and the writing demonstrates a firm grasp on each of their unique voices. Zdarsky is able to catch readers up on the emotional baggage each Avenger has brought with them from previous stories and does so in impressively little panel space. For once, Spider-Man has the privilege of not being the saddest sack on a team, and the levity his familiar and comforting personality provides quickly makes him the heart of this book.

The most interesting development is the heated tension between a recently depowered Captain Marvel and Daredevil who, after one heart-to-heart, seem on their way to becoming friends with a few extra benefits. Its almost comical how quickly they develop eyes for each other, but with Chip behind the keyboard, the humor is always intentional. It’s practically written into contract that Matt Murdock must woo the nearest available woman in his supporting cast.