The Avengers couldn’t stop the Blood Hunt. The Avengers couldn’t stop the Fall of the Mutants. In the face of such failures, how will the team proceed? Your Major Spoilers review of Avengers #17 from Marvel Comics awaits!
AVENGERS #17
Writer: Jed MacKay
Artist: Valerio Schiti
Colorist: Bryan Valenza
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Editor: Wil Moss
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: August 7, 2024
Previously in Avengers: In the aftermath of Blood Hunt and Fall of the House of X, where does that leave the Avengers? The team’s roster won’t be the only thing shaken up when a deadly threat sets its vengeful sights on Earth!
THE AVENGERS HAVE FAILED
Captain Marvel is incensed. After the vampire incursion, led by ancient bloodsucker Varnae, cost thousands of people their lives, she feels that her team has failed the world. Worse still, Captain America agrees with her. As they work to rebuild their headquarters and their team spirit, each member seeks counsel. The Scarlet Witch confers with her former husband, The Vision, while Black Panther takes the time to apologize to their sentient headquarters, The Impossible City. Iron Man checks in with Captain Marvel, reminding her that he’s her sponsor in A.A., while Captain America seeks out an old friend, Storm. As these various discussions go on, we are treated to a series of flashbacks wherein a mysterious being prepares for what feels like his final moments, giving us a dual climax, wherein Sam Wilson admits that The Avengers may have failed the mutant population, but he isn’t going to let that happen again, offering Storm a stop on the team.
Oh, and Hyperion is also on a literal crash course with Earth, which would be an extinction event.
A CHANGING OF THE GUARD
It’s always interesting to see how much a change in artist can change the tenor of a story, and this is one good example. Schiti’s more photorealistic style adds a great deal of emotion and gravitas to the character beats in this issue, especially the Wanda/Vision and Iron Man/Captain Marvel portions of the story. MacKay calls on parts of Avengers history that have been out of focus for a while, tying back to the Busiek/Perez era, Hickman’s Avengers World, all the while dealing with the fallout of the recent massive disasters. It’s not as nuanced as it could have been (most of the Avengers split between guilty self-flagellation and handwaving thousands of deaths as better than billions), but it makes for a reflective issue that is worth reading for more than just seeing Storm rejoin the team.
BOTTOM LINE: A PRELUDE
On the whole, Avengers #17 features an attractive new look with a greater focus on emotion and “acting” that fits perfectly with the focus on personal accountability, giving Earth’s Mightiest a brief moment of contemplation before the next fire needs putting out, earning 3.5 out of 5 stars overall. It’s a fun issue that adds another strong personality to the ranks of these Avengers, all of which promises more drama to come. What’s not to like?
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AVENGERS #17
It's a little hard to suspend disbelief about the heroes' self-recriminations, given the real world drivers of big crossover stories, but it makes for some well-written, well-drawn drama
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Writing7
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Art8
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Coloring7
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