Love is in the air.
The latest issue of All-New, All-Different Avengers has a rather obvious selling point. After decades of history together, Captain America and Thor are finally giving in to their mutual passion for one another. Sure, it’s Sam Wilson and Jane Foster rather than Steve Rogers and Thor Odinson, but one step at a time. Unfortunately, this issue continues the series’ trend of featuring covers that are more dynamic and compelling than the contents within. All-New, All-Different Avengers still isn’t the flagship Marvel book it should be.
Issue #4 slows things down a bit for the new team, allowing Mark Waid to focus more on character dynamics and team banter. The slower pace does nothing to add excitement to a series that was already lacking a compelling threat. Nor does the sudden reappearance of a minor Avengers foe in the latter half of the book do much to turn things around. It’s clear that Waid is building towards a much bigger conflict, but this issue reads like a minor stepping stone along that path.
The characterization in this issue is mixed, at best. Waid adds Jarvis into the picture, portraying him as a depressed man unhappy with the sorry state of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. That doesn’t really ring true considering Jarvis’ usually impeccable character. Some of the comedy involving the younger team members also falls a bit flat. But Waid’s portrayal of Thor goes a long way towards livening up the book. This is a much different take on Jane Foster than we’re seeing in Jason Aaron’s Thor comic. Here, Jane is joyful and uninhibited, urging her comrades to relish their heroic deeds and enjoy life while it lasts. As several characters point out, that’s an unusual philosophy coming from someone who’s ostensibly immortal. It’s a dichotomy that perfectly suits this new Thor. It’s just a shame the rest of the cast isn’t standing out as much as her or the remorseless, inhuman Vision.
Previous chapters of the series had a fairly rushed quality to the visuals. This issue at least helps get things back on track in that regard. Mahmud Asrar provides a clean, orderly set of pages that emphasize facial work and body language as much as action. Dave McCaig’s vivid colors further enhance Asrar’s elegant figures. The battle sequence late in the issue sometimes suffers from awkward or cluttered framing choices, but on the whole Asrar renders an enjoyable outing for the Avengers.
A more minor complaint concerns a sequence where this issue crosses into meta territory and acknowledges the silly online complaints about this book being “The PC Avengers.” It was cute the first few times Marvel’s comics addressed Internet trolls directly, but it’s becoming annoying seeing that trope pop up again and again. But maybe the real issue is that this book has too many fundamental flaws to address in terms of the team dynamic and their ongoing mission to worry about what the outside world is saying right now. Poke the bear when the time is right.
All-New, All-Different Avengers is still struggling to find its footing as it transitions from its first story arc to the second. The art quality improve in this issue, and Waid’s characterization of Thor is a highlight. Unfortunately, the general team dynamic hasn’t come together, and little about the conflict in this series is very remarkable.
