Luke Cage has reformed the Defenders, bringing an elderly Steve Rogers out of retirement. Find out if they can stop their totalitarian government in Avengers Twilight #2 by Marvel Comics!

AVENGERS TWILIGHT #2

Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Daniel Acuna
Colorist: Daniel Acuna
Letterer: Cory Petit
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: January 31st, 2024

Previously in Avengers Twilight: Steve Rogers was stripped of his Super-Soldier Serum and now lives a quiet life with his wife, Rosa. He is haunted by “H-Day,” which was a battle that resulted in the death of many heroes and civilians. The original heroes have been replaced by new Avengers working with the government. Among these is James Stark, the son of the original Iron Man and the Wasp. James keeps his father’s brain in prison and uses that knowledge to help with his inventions. Luke Cage has reformed the Defenders, allowing Steve to recreate the Super-Soldier Serum to become a symbol of truth once again.

STAND UP AND FIGHT

Avengers Twilight #2 starts with the original Captain America trying to help people, but since the government controls the media, no one is aware of his actions. Steve tries to recruit people to his team, including Kamala Khan, who has a family but, in turn, may have sacrificed his marriage. Meanwhile, Jarvis and James Stark recruit the Thunderbolts to take out Captain America and threaten the president, showing who is in charge. Captain America tries to set up a plan to broadcast the truth on New Year’s Eve, and ultimately, Steve gives a heartfelt message that falls on deaf ears. The Defenders plan their next step as they escape from the Thunderbolts and their reluctant sniper, Bullseye. They must continue to do the right thing even if people won’t listen. Luckily, the Defenders have found Tony Stark’s location. We also learn who the enemy really is; Jarvis is working on bringing back Ultron!

DYSTOPIAN IDEAS

I often give dystopian literature to my students to read. One of the things that I ask them to think about is what problem this world is trying to solve and how do they overcorrect it? When applying that thought process to Avengers Twilight #2, superheroes are the problem that is overcorrected. Whatever the H-Day event was, it gave the government total authority over the media and superheroes, allowing them to control the superhero narrative. The equivalent would be, what if the government started to replace and maintain celebrities? And I can’t decide if I am on board with that. I open up my social media, and I read stories that spread similar rhetoric to what the Defenders say, and I’ll admit I write those real-world examples off.

The art is fascinating. The line work is detailed, but the colors explore the chaos of the setting in an incredible way. We get that bright neon reminiscent of cyberpunk while remaining down-to-earth with the more straightforward depiction of the older heroes. Those are good ideas overall.

BOTTOM LINE: INTERESTING PREMISE

Old Man Captain America is a fascinating concept that works well on the page. But there are also a lot of questions I want to explore, like who the new Avengers are, their role in the world, and why Matt Murdock was killed in the last issue. These ideas make me want to keep reading, even if the themes aren’t the best for my current headspace. 4 out of 5 for Avengers Twilight #2, and I’ll pick at least the next issue.

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