Avengers 20

   Those who've been following this blog since Jonathan Hickman took over the Avengers are no doubt tired of hearing me rave about his work (though to be fair, you may have tired of my raves when he was writing Fantastic Four or Secret Warriors, too).

   But the simple fact is, his writing has amazing complexity and depth to it, as he crafts stories that build over the course of years, without forgetting the human emotion at the heart of it all.

   He's doing it again in this series, weaving a story that runs over 16 issues in about six months. And that doesn't count all the groundwork laid in issues before that.

   Here we have a cosmic sage worthy of E.E. "Doc" Smith, as several galactic empires join forces with the Avengers to fight back against the Builders, an ancient race that has turned into a world-destroying force. (Though we're not sure why yet.)

   So there's a lot going on, but one of the things I like best is the role of Captain America, who shows his skill in wartime strategy.

   This series is more science fiction than superhero (well, sorta), and that's ok with me, because it's good science fiction.

   This issue marks the halfway point in the series - I can't wait to see where it goes from here. This is shaping up to be a classic along the lines of the Kree-Skrull War and Steve Englehart's origin of the universe (and the Vision).

   Great company to be in! 

Grade: A


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