Avengers 500 - Finale
Disassembled / Chaos / Finale

 

The end of the Avengers?  No.  A turning point for the series? Certainly.  Controversial? Somewhat.  End of an era for Ant Man, Jack of Hearts, the Vision and Hawkeye?  Quite possibly. Chaotic?  Most definitely!

 

Let me begin this review by admitting that I like to see a good shake-up happen in a comic series.  I'm a big fan of experimental storytelling and taking a chance with an established book especially when it defies expectations.  Honestly, when you get down to it you can only tell the same story for so many years before you have to surprise the reader breathing life into what can eventually become dull storytelling.  My yardstick for going too far is drawn at full series reboots (playing with the established history for the benefit of a fresh feel).  I'm a real fan of love term continuity within a title.  I enjoy a big change so long as it remains linear within the framework of the narrative history.  

 

In the final storyline for the current Avengers title, I found myself treated to this kind of satisfying change.  Did I like it?  Not as much as I hoped, but I'm not sure that was really a bad thing as the intention of this story run was clear from from the start.  It took the team through their darkest hour, broke their spirit and caused them to walk away making room for a change in direction within the series.  It was designed from the start to let the reader feel the chaos the team was feeling.  It wasn't pleasant for the Avengers and I'm not sure it had to be pleasant to a read who feels tied to these characters.  I liked the overall concept of the story and most likely would have enjoyed it a bit more had a certain national publication not given away the ending before I read it in the series.  

The pace... My one gripe would be that the story itself was a little rushed and I would rather have seen it take place over a six or even twelve part arc.  Admittedly, a year of this kind of hell for the group may have been a bit much, but it could have been bigger, more legendary and felt as if there were a bit more meat on the various bones that made up the story.  Four issues were far too few to tell this tale.

 

By now, you most likely know who served as the villain for this story.  If not, please stop reading now, get a copy of the issues pictured and return to this review later as spoilers lie ahead.

 

The villain...  I've always found the Scarlet Witch to be a sympathetic character who's seen her share of tragedy.  You have to admit that you have to go over to the X-men side of the Marvel Universe (Scott Summers and Jean Grey) to find a more confused family lineage from parents right down to offspring.  I mean you have a bovine nurse maid raising young Wanda (Bova), a mother who gave up her own life to protect her daughter (Magda), a father steeped in mutant history and terrorism (Magneto), adoptive gypsy parents (Django and Marya Maximoff), an adoptive father who died of a heart attack (Whizzer), an android husband spawned by a team nemesis (Vision), twin sons that we eventually learn didn't exist (William and Thomas), a lover who willed himself back from the grave and brother to her ex-husband (Wonder Man) just to name a few.  With all this mixed history, I felt Wanda reaching a breaking point was believable and an interesting take on a very traditionally viewed, sometimes two dimensional heroine.

 

The story... Where the story started to break down a little for me was the hollow feeling I was left with witnessing the sudden Kree invasion in issue 502.  I felt Stark's breakdown before the UN, the Ultron attack via the Vision, the return of Jack of Hearts and the breakdown of She-Hulk were shocking and surprising twists yet believable and very possible with a slight hex push.  Rather than the Kree invasion, why not something more closely tied to the Scarlet Witch's own past?  After the first two issues, the third seemed a bit forced and rushed.  Issue 502 did hail back to some of the fonder cosmic stories of the series past, but just felt a little out of place when compared to the heart-beat-a-panel feel of issue 500 and 501.  

 

In the end, I found myself agreeing with the questions posed by the Beast in "Finale"  I wanted to know why she killed some of the team but only hurt or embarrassed others?  Why she destroyed some things and not others?  How far she was going to go if she went all the way with it?  Just how powerful was she?  Did she slowly dip into madness, or did she snap?  How much control did she have over it all?  Was it only that day or was it slowly building?  What else did she affect that the team didn't even notice?  Extremely valid questions that I wish the series and the story had had time to answer.

 

As for character portrayal, I really liked the way Brian Bendis painted his characters (and great art supported this tale well).  I was emotionally drawn into what was taking place.  I felt the energy and the pain that the team was suffering, notice the tears and strain on Captain America's face, felt the frustration of Hank Pym and regretted the loss of each character as they fell.  Well done.

 

Did I like this closeout of the Avengers?  Yes.  Quite honestly I couldn't put it down.  Was it satisfying in the end?  Not really, but I think it did what it needed to do and left me wanting the lift we will most likely see in a rebirth of the series under the title New Avengers.  After reading these five issues I was searching the internet for the future of the team and curious about the new line-up.  That charge of excitement for the new direction is what Marvel was looking for with this story arc.  For me at least, they achieved their goal.

 

I really liked "Finale".  It was a nice chance to reflect on the rich Avengers history and pay respect to parting members.  It brought some closure, left an interesting tribute in the form of the destroyed mansion and felt very human.  I particularly liked the various characters take on their favorite Avengers moments.  Reminded me a little of the final episode of Cheers.  A nice relaxing end to a frantic final story. 

 

Do you think we've seen the last of Ant Man, Jack-of-Hearts, the Vision and Hawkeye?  No one knows for sure, but I would bet that we will see another Ant Man (though certainly not Scott Lang).  I think we've seen the last of Jack-of-Hearts.  As for the Vision, it's too easy to bring him back not to do it one day.  As for Hawkeye, the illusionary nature of what was happening (though Dr. Strange claimed otherwise) would make me think that (much like the death of Green Arrow over in the DC Universe) we haven't seen the last of Clint Barton.  Speaking of Hawkeye, did anyone else notice that the Avengers logo for issue 502 was cloaked in Hawkeye purple rather than the traditional red.  Nice touch.

 

Parting thoughts and links... Quoting a write-up in Cleveland, Ohio's The Plain Dealer, we get a small peak at the nature of the Avengers future...

"So even though the Avengers is officially canceled with next week's amazing one-shot issue called Finale, waiting in the wings is Bendis' new series, The New Avengers, featuring Spider-Man, Wolverine and a handful of other characters.  The lineup of The New Avengers will be much more fluid than in the past, as new heroes are brought in as needed for specific missions."

Check out the full article here (with New Avengers comments being found in the second half of the article).  Marvel.com also has a great preview of the New Avengers available on-line.  Finally, Hawkeye's old team the Thunderbolts are coming back together with a restart (aptly titled "Reassembled").  Here for all the details.

 

Scale of 1 to 10 ... Disassembled - Chaos: 7