A limitless horizon

This volume contains episodes 1-6 published in 2013, written by Jonathan Hickman, drawn and inked by Jerome Opena (episodes 1 to 3, with Dean White color layout), and by Adam Kubert (episodes 4-6) . This series takes place simultaneously with that of the New Avengers, also written by Jonathan Hickman (with the help of Nick Spencer).

The story opens with an omen: that of destruction on an unprecedented scale that has its roots perhaps in the release of Hyperion, perhaps in the defeat of the Imperial Guard Shiar, or possibly be in the terraforming of Mars by a humanoid entity called Ex Nihilo. Anyway it all starts with 2 individuals: Steve Rogers (Captain America) and Tony Stark (Iron Man). Stark had a new idea for improving the efficiency of the organization of the team; Rogers valid. A team (consisting of Captain America, Hulk, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Iron Man and Thor, yes as in the film) went to Mars to explain Ex Nihilo, Aleph Abyss and they do not have the right to remove human life on Earth. Subsequently, this team receives reinforcement Captain Universe (Tamara Devoux), Wolverine, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, Spider-Woman, Falcon, Spiking (Izzy Dare), and still other 4 Manifold (surprise).

In 2012, Marvel Comics editor decides to converge the X-Men and Avengers series in a generalized crossover major Avengers VS X-Men (AVX for short). After this event, it is an opportunity to restart most of the series with a new number 1 and the new teams of designers, especially new writers who have the difficult task of creating stories integrating editorial dictates, themselves caused by the success of the Marvel movies, starting with Avengers (2012). After 9 years as writer of the Avengers series and then in parallel with the series "New Avengers" (via a series of "Mighty Avengers" and "Dark Avengers"), Brian Michael Bendis is replaced by Jonathan Hickman who just finished his stories for Fantastic Four (beginning with A solution for all).

This is an unusual experience of playing superhero story, even for a jaded player. Hickman respects all forced crossings. There is of course the Avengers recruitment phase to form the team. Rather than bring members remaining in a room around a table, or to involve a government organization imposing its choice, Hickman demonstrates how Tony Stark has redesigned the recruitment radically to cope with potential attacks, and how he submits his project to Rogers who is the soul of the team. In one case, he recalled how the Avengers had found Rogers prisoner of the ice, and the changes it has generated for Stark. Hickman has an uncanny ability to quote a known event of readers, the synthesizing to draw the very substance and show the emotional impact of a hero of great art. If all recruitment sequences are not shown, those that are worth the trip (eg Sam and Bobby Guthrie da Costa on a lounger sunbathing Wolverine receiving a call).

Of course there are new recruits. But Hickman is not limited to go digging in the bloated catalog of Marvel to give a spotlight on a particular underutilized character (rightly or wrongly). He also chooses for mythological. Captain Universe (VO) widens the horizon of narrative to that of the universe. Smasher establishes a connection with the alien race of Shiar. The skill of storytelling is such Hickman seems to succeed the challenge of making plausible a form of unifying theory that would make all mythological approaches discussed, both compatible and consistent.

Of course, the reader watches the new enemy to the extent justifying the need as a superhero team to handle it. Hickman opens the story by him, explains his motivations in fact an agent of change and progress. If the fight happens well in good and due form, it occurs several unexpected events that complicate the situation, which was to be expected given the number of characters involved. And yet it still manages to insert moments devolved to relationships between the characters, and even more incredible sequences between normal human beings.

The first 3 episodes enjoy the beautiful illustrations Jerome Opena, supplemented by scholarly setting colors Dean White (they had already worked on the series Uncanny X-Force). The choice of colors and their arrangement is remarkable, very different from a regular job in computer graphics where the artist can not help but make my face with the capabilities of its software. White (assisted by Justin Ponsor, Morry Hollowell, Frank Martin and Richard Isanove) mainly uses colors a little dark and a little washed out, outlawing too garish colors. The overall appearance then moves away pyrotechnic codes superhero comics for a more ambivalent atmosphere. The work of Frank Armata and Frank Martin for the following 3 episodes is less sophisticated, while remaining within the same approach. Opena draw realistically, with a taste for certain elements within the science fiction. He knows how to find hieratic postures superheroes without giving the reader the impression that he has already seen dozens of times. It is limited to facial expressions in detention, except some malicious expressions for Tony Stark, very playful idea of ​​being able to innovate. By comparison, the 3 episodes drawn by Adam Kubert seem less sophisticated, more common in the composition of the pages, and postures of the characters, or at least more conventional. This remains a very personal work and a good level that does not harm the immersion, but do not provide a qualitative increase in the equal of that provided by opena and White.

Following these 6 episodes, the reader emerges with full stars head, widening his horizons on a cosmic scale, open up infinite possibilities for future missions of this team. He longs to start alongside these successful individuals and organized, while a adventure awaits an unimaginable scale. Beside series "The Avengers" and "New Avengers", there are also a series activist rapprochement between mutants and superheroes (Uncanny Avengers Rick Remender) and a series combining 2 different superhero story by (A + X, the team- up). If you're still lacking Avengers, there "Avengers arena" and Dennis Hopeless "Young Avengers" Kieron Gillen. And just for fun: "Secret Avengers" Nick Spencer.