cmbohn's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
mschlat's review against another edition
2.0
When you tell super-team stories, I see two basic directions you can go. You can emphasize giant inventive threats (à la Grant Morrison's JLA or Ellis's Authority), or you can go more soap opera (see Avengers by Roy Thomas or David Michelinie or Kurt Busiek). I like both, but I prefer the second.
Aaron here is doing the first. We get a glimpse of the Avengers team circa 1,000,000 BCE (led by Odin), and the whole plot revolves around the nature of the Celestials (one of my least favorite pieces of Kirby creation). It's partly cosmic and totally world threatening. There's some nice character work (especially with Robbie Reyes as Ghost Rider providing the new-to-the-Avengers perspective), but not enough to balance out the overwhelming nature of the plot.
Aaron here is doing the first. We get a glimpse of the Avengers team circa 1,000,000 BCE (led by Odin), and the whole plot revolves around the nature of the Celestials (one of my least favorite pieces of Kirby creation). It's partly cosmic and totally world threatening. There's some nice character work (especially with Robbie Reyes as Ghost Rider providing the new-to-the-Avengers perspective), but not enough to balance out the overwhelming nature of the plot.
laurenbaggy's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
boards_books_and_brews's review
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Avengers vol 1: The Final Host
Written by Jason Aaron
Art by Ed McGuinness
Book 67/200
Genre: Superhero, Fantasy
Format: Digital, Graphic Novel
Pages: 160
Published: 2018
Rating: 7/10
Collects: Avengers (2018) 1-6
This book has some pretty interesting ideas and cool moments, but it feels pretty convoluted. I will probably continue on to see where this goes, but from what I've heard, I'm not super optimistic.
Written by Jason Aaron
Art by Ed McGuinness
Book 67/200
Genre: Superhero, Fantasy
Format: Digital, Graphic Novel
Pages: 160
Published: 2018
Rating: 7/10
Collects: Avengers (2018) 1-6
This book has some pretty interesting ideas and cool moments, but it feels pretty convoluted. I will probably continue on to see where this goes, but from what I've heard, I'm not super optimistic.
duncan_mcguire's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
kegriese1's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
flexmentallo's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
The first arc in this collection is truly dire, and I almost bailed a couple issues in. The Final Host is just badly handled, none of the characters have particularly interesting voices, and the action is gibberish. When Aaron settled down into the bigger picture of his run, the international intrigue the Avengers choosing Black Panther to lead them sets off, the series becomes much more interesting. Aaron just is NOT good at big cosmic action.
wbforeman999's review against another edition
So add this to the pile of books I didn’t finish I got to issue 4 and I just wasn’t engaged. This book should be a big hit Jason Aaron knows how to write and on paper it sounds like an interesting story. ancient god robots are attacking earth, and Loki is the catalyst with a good avengers team. But it just wasn’t clicking One reason I’d say is the art isn’t bad, but it wasn’t to my liking. This book just felt average
drolefille's review against another edition
4.0
I often don't enjoy the "mood" of Avengers comics, this felt like it captured much of the MCU energy that I personally enjoy, and uh, She-Hulk is a win. So is Ghost Rider!
With the Eternals getting a movie, I could see this approximate plot turning into a future Avengers MCU movie.
With the Eternals getting a movie, I could see this approximate plot turning into a future Avengers MCU movie.
koriwatson's review against another edition
3.0
This book is a lot of issues with a lot of contributors so I’m just calling this a lot of a lot and rounding my rating up into 3 stars.
Love the Ghost Rider stuff it’s convinced me to go back and read more or this iteration even though I’ve never been into the car.
Some of this feels contrived and out of character but I don’t have all the context from this time but don’t really want all the context because I’m over investing time and money into understanding stories I didn’t like that much in the first place.
I feel Marvel Legacy #1 should have been included as it’s referenced so many things and it’s not like it’s neatly slotting in another book.
The Cap and Ghost ridder dynamic felt unearned and Hulk and Thor’s make out in annoying and I don’t like the 1st kiss is a lifesaving kiss trope for a lot of reasons.
Had to take breaks from this book as it’s a lot of a lot and is almost definitely leading up to a lot of a lot that I’ll probably never have time to get round to. This is why I prefer following characters over teams or events.
One of the 1st Avengers book I’ve read “an actual avengers book and not a book that happens to have avengers in it” and it’s not sparking a burning desire to read more.
Making avengers some sort of cyclical destiny deal is just annoying and I’m going to just pretend this primordial goo business didn’t happen unless I have to.
Marvel can’t decide if earths position on the intergalactic totem poll so I’m just taking it on a story by story bases. There’s enough alien races also heavily populated by humanoids that have super citizens that the earth being exceptional kind or rings hollow, it’s just the planet we hear about most.
I’m probably going to go back to sticking to less established characters with less baggage for now and stick to figuring out most of the spider based lore before branching back out to maybe Wakanda, Asgard and Atlantis then eventually maybe Avengers.
Also I find the one panel where T’Challa’s face is to small in #11 hilarious
Apologies for any typos I’m dyslexic and on mobile.
TL;DR I Liked volume 2 more than volume 1 but this book has put me off avengers for a while.
Love the Ghost Rider stuff it’s convinced me to go back and read more or this iteration even though I’ve never been into the car.
Some of this feels contrived and out of character but I don’t have all the context from this time but don’t really want all the context because I’m over investing time and money into understanding stories I didn’t like that much in the first place.
I feel Marvel Legacy #1 should have been included as it’s referenced so many things and it’s not like it’s neatly slotting in another book.
The Cap and Ghost ridder dynamic felt unearned and Hulk and Thor’s make out in annoying and I don’t like the 1st kiss is a lifesaving kiss trope for a lot of reasons.
Had to take breaks from this book as it’s a lot of a lot and is almost definitely leading up to a lot of a lot that I’ll probably never have time to get round to. This is why I prefer following characters over teams or events.
One of the 1st Avengers book I’ve read “an actual avengers book and not a book that happens to have avengers in it” and it’s not sparking a burning desire to read more.
Making avengers some sort of cyclical destiny deal is just annoying and I’m going to just pretend this primordial goo business didn’t happen unless I have to.
Marvel can’t decide if earths position on the intergalactic totem poll so I’m just taking it on a story by story bases. There’s enough alien races also heavily populated by humanoids that have super citizens that the earth being exceptional kind or rings hollow, it’s just the planet we hear about most.
I’m probably going to go back to sticking to less established characters with less baggage for now and stick to figuring out most of the spider based lore before branching back out to maybe Wakanda, Asgard and Atlantis then eventually maybe Avengers.
Also I find the one panel where T’Challa’s face is to small in #11 hilarious
Apologies for any typos I’m dyslexic and on mobile.
TL;DR I Liked volume 2 more than volume 1 but this book has put me off avengers for a while.