Whirlwind has tried to kill The Wasp dozens of times. So, why is she trying to solve his murder? Your Major Spoilers review of Avengers Inc. #1 from Marvel Comics awaits!

AVENGERS INC. #1

Writer: Al Ewing
Artist: Leonard Kirk
Colorist: Alex Sinclair
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: September 13, 2023

Previously in Avengers Inc.: Her name is Janet Van Dyne. She’s a hero. She’s a celebrity. She’s hunting a killer. His name is Victor Shade. He’s a villain. He’s an enigma. He just got killed.

And together, they’re out to solve every mystery in the Marvel Universe… starting with their own.

“WHIRLWIND WAS ONE OF MINE”

The Raft is New York’s maximum-security holding facility for the worst of the worst super-villain jerks, so secure that the likes of Venom, The Rhino, and The Absorbing Man can be held without incident. So, when somebody not only gets in, but manages to murder David Cannon, the mutant stalker known as Whirlwind, it’s a shocking moment. Janet Van Dyne, the wondrous Wasp, is called in to identify the body of the man who has stalked her since the mid-60s, only to find that FIVE more villains were simultaneously killed, all by a shot to the head. Mayor Luke Cage is unable to act or send in the Thunderbolts squad, but finds that he can assign a special investigator, asking Jan to take the case with a few caveats. First, no costumes. Second, any and all corpses are entirely her responsibility.

Of  course, that’s right about when the deceased villains all stand up.

NO COSTUMES, JUST AVENGING

From the solicitation copy, you might expect to see The Vision in these pages, but the return of Victor Shade, his former human identity is entirely unexpected. My favorite part of the issue is the way it side-steps some of the biggest cliches about a murder mystery, and how it handles the deaths of Anaconda, Griffin, Icemaster, Piledriver, Griffin, and especially Quicksand. Ewing’s script avoids the “disposable villain” problem that so often besets Marvel books, and builds an engaging and plausible reason for Janet to be front and center in the activities of Avengers Inc. The final pages reveal that the man behind not only this threat, but also the previous Wasp limited series, is [REDACTED], which explains why Whirlwind is so very afraid of them. That character’s return is visually dramatic as heck, though, and Kirk really nails the “shadowed figure” reveal. I’m less excited about the use of color, as Sinclair uses single-color palettes throughout, but even that is clearly meant to evoke classic black-and-white film noir.

BOTTOM LINE: YOU HAD ME AT “AL EWING”

This issue has quite a bit of heavy lifting to do in order to set up Jan’s new no costumes Avenger detective agency, but Avengers Inc. #1 pulls it off with skill and aplomb, and while I’m not thrilled with the coloring, the attractive art and a really charismatic lead character makes this one a winner, earning 4.5 out of 5 stars overall. I’m hoping that the mystery of what’s up with Vic Shade gets the time and space it needs to unfold, because an Ewing book is always a treat.

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AVENGERS INC. #1

90%

90%

The Man Who Wasn't There

You have to love a good mystery, especially when every twist makes it more incredible, and Ewing's Wasp makes a great protagonist I'm not as hyped about the coloring, but it's a good read.

• Writing

  10
• Art

  9
• Coloring

  8
• User Ratings (0 Votes)
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