It’s been a while since we’ve talked about what’s going on in ‘Infinity’, but that doesn’t mean that we here at ScienceFiction.com aren’t loving Jonathan Hickman’s incredible crossover event. For instance, that super heroic moment with Thor saving Hala from that Builder was great! Seeing the underdogs get a win like that was absolutely necessary for morale. However, that doesn’t mean that the Avengers and their allies are out of the woods yet.
In the latest issue of ‘Avengers’, the fight with the Builders continues as the Galactic Council continues their fight across the universe to regain control from their captors. There are some wins and some losses along the way, but when a last resort tactic fails, things are once again looking bleak for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
If you include ‘Avengers’ and ‘New Avengers’, there are only five issues of this event left. Without the other two titles, there are only two issue left. Either way, Hickman definitely has a lot of ground to cover in not a lot of time. I doubt this will happen, but I hope that the ending isn’t rushed and cramped into whatever space is left. I don’t want that “Is this it?” feeling that I had with ‘Age of Ultron’. That would be the bummer of the century considering how intricate and interesting ‘Infinity’ has been so far. Again, based on my knowledge of Hickman, his process, and his past results, this probably won’t happen, but I’ve been conditioned to remain weary about these big events because sometimes they just drop miss the net wildly after taking the final shot needed to win the game.
Despite my caution, I really like where the story is going right now. Yes, things look extremely bleak, but Captain Universe is back in the game after being sidelined for a bit and I sense that her mysteriousness and unpredictability will play into the outcome of this war in some way. But she’s not the only one who’s unpredictable. The Builders are the biggest threat I’ve seen the Avengers face in a really, really long time. And at this point, I’m starting to think that they could totally win this thing. Of course, knowing how things usually go in comics, they won’t, but I legitimately believe that they could right now.
At the end of the day, while we don’t have that many issues left, we still have a way to go on this journey. Hickman is definitely keeping things interesting though. So far, I haven’t found the event to drag at all and I’m constantly on the edge of my seat as each new chapter in the story is released. And while I like what’s going on back on Earth and in ‘New Avengers’, I find myself being more interested in this fight against the Builders in the pages of ‘Avengers’. Hopefully our heroes are able to get close to getting the upper hand once again in the next issue.
Final Score:
AVENGERS #21
Written by Jonathan Hickman
Art by Leinil Yu, Gerry Alanguilan, & David Curiel
Cover by Leinil Yu & Laura Martin
