The Grandmaster’s duplicity has been revealed, Voyager’s true identity is no longer secret, and The Challengers is not happy. Will this mean good things for our Avenger pals? Your Major Spoilers review of Avengers #687 awaits!
AVENGERS #687
Writer: Mark Waid, Al Ewing & Jim Zub
Penciler: Paco Medina
Inker: Juan Vlasco
Colorist: Jesus Aburtov & Federico Blee
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: April 4, 2018
Previously in The Avengers: “The Avengers confront the traitor in their midst – but as the Earth begins to fall apart around them, their greatest enemy may be their best chance at survival.”
WORTH IT FOR THE JARVIS/BANNER EXCHANGE
We open with the assembled Avengers dealing with the fallout from the revelation about Voyager: Rather than being a time-lost Avenger, she’s actually the daughter of The Grandmaster, one of the architects behind the massive crisis the teams are lost in. This issue is a little bit of a breather, since Voyager is trapped in Doctor Voodoo’s force-field, giving us time to check in with The Wasp (who wonders if there’s actually good in Voyager after all), Lightning (who has a conversation with Wonder Man about pacifism that is remarkably nuanced for a fighty-fighty comic book) and a deep moment between Bruce Banner and Jarvis. The stage is being set for his new solo book, including Bruce’s belief that he might actually have been dead and is now in hell. Voyager tells her tale, Quicksilver finally figures out what he’s been seeing out of the corner of his eye, and The Grandmaster’s cheating ways have not only doomed him, but possibly Earth itself…
OH, AND THE HULK’S NOT DEAD ANYMORE
The fact that this series features the three creators behind the books crossing over helps immensely, but it’s impressive to see how many bits are being naturally streamlined into the massive story without feeling overcrowded. Lightning’s return to action, the Hulk’s resurrection, even the bits where the team has to deal with their false past are all handled well and cleverly plotted, with shifting focus on the heroes of the Avengers as we go. Knowing that these teams are a thing of the past soon makes the story even more satisfying (albeit bittersweet) and Paco Medina nails it all. His combat sequences are lovely, and the various flashbacks to Avengers history are modeled after the actual artists of the eras, which is a nice touch. I’m not sure how much of this crossover is left, but I’m amazed at the depth of character and the facial expressions that Medina can put on the page, especially an angry Challenger near the end of the book…
BOTTOM LINE: A BETTER CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS
When Marvel announced this big ol’ crossover, I was a little annoyed, as I thought it would mean losing the thread of U.S. Avengers, Uncanny Avengers and the main team for months at a time. I’m happy to say that I was wrong. Avengers #687 is a master class in balancing incident with emotion, advancing everything effectively with excellent art by Medina, making the giant interstellar crossover look effortless and earning 4 out 5 stars overall…
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