Uncanny Avengers #22
Writer Rick Remender
Artist Daniel Acuña
Review by Justin Townson
Uncanny Avengers feels like that book that you forget about. After all, there are so many Avengers books on the stands; this one seems to get lost in the shuffle. It’s a shame too, because in my opinion Uncanny Avengers isn’t just a great team book, it’s one of the best books Marvel is publishing right now. Each issue feels like an event, and this week is no different. After years of planning and set up by Rick Remender, we’ve finally come to the end of the “Avenge the Earth” storyline. Simply put, it’s pretty damn awesome.
While this was a saga that featured huge ideas like time travel and massive villains like The Apocalypse Twins and Celestial’s, the end was boiled down to a more simple concept. Take all of that out and we have one man fighting for the life of his daughter. The whole story comes down to Havok vs. Kang, everything else fades into the background. As a parent I found this to be particularly moving. Is one life worth the lives of billions? What kind of conviction would you have to have to make that kind of choice? There are no winners with that kind of decision, and the ending of the book drives that point home hard. While this saga may be over, Remender does lay out some more plotlines that will be followed with time. There are consequences for every action and the retribution that would seem to be coming towards Earth is going to be a sight to behold.
I’ve got to admit, Daniel Acuña’s art took some serious time to get acclimated to. His is a unique painted look that is jarring when compared to the standard Avenger artist. I think that most of the work he’s done on this series has been fantastic. Unfortunately, this issue is a little spotty at times. Certain pages and panels look terrific and certain ones look a little rushed. This isn’t the type of art that can be rushed and while that doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of the issue at all, it was something I had noticed. That being said you can’t talk about Acuña’s art without talking about his color work. The coloring in the book is fantastic; Acuña makes even the darkest of panels pop with the slightest hint of color. The way he draws and colors Shiro at the end of the book is especially beautiful. Beginning to end it’s still a gorgeous looking book.
Verdict.
Buy it. Don’t make the mistake of having too many Avenger titles to choose from keep you from this book. Rick Remender has a really good handle on what he wants to do and how to write these characters. With AXIS on the horizon this is the perfect time to jump on.
