Fanboys Anonymous

I'm not going to start off with a lame introduction to this issue, because I want to jump right in. WOW. Uncanny Avengers has impressed me a lot in the past, but this latest issue stands out even more than its predecessors as a truly well crafted and visually brilliant piece of work.

The book begins with the introduction of a long-time Avengers antagonist, Kang the Conquerer, who has a role that is yet undefined in the whole scheme of things. Still, there is a connection there that whets the appetites of readers without confusing them. Next, we jump into the recruitment of some new Avengers to the team. Writer Rick Remender has chosen his characters well, playing with individuals that are both connected to the current set of mutant Avengers but also that have been influenced greatly by the late Charles Xavier.

The most moving part of the book is Alex's speech to the media. Taking off his mask and identifying himself as the kid brother of the now mutant terrorist Scott Summers, he speaks truly to Xavier's dream and shows that he is indeed capable of leading this new collaboration between humans and mutants. But, then again, what's an Avengers book without some action? Another long-time Avengers villain shows up to ruin the day and some events occur that may be game-changing for one or two characters.

The writing style of Remender seems to have changed from the narrative-heavy style of the previous issues to a more hands off approach. This is complemented by the introduction of Olivier Coipel's artwork, which tells a whole other story by itself. There are no other words to describe this art than "eye candy." There is a fine attention to detail that is refreshingly potent, and the characters are expressive and dynamic. Heck, it's eye candy simply for the fact that Captain America takes three whole panels to put his shirt on (not to mention some classy highlighting of some female characters' assets)!

Uncanny Avengers #5 is an impressive book. If you haven't picked up a copy of this series yet, then I would recommend starting now while you still can. I would even go so far as to say that Uncanny Avengers stands as the flagship Marvel NOW! series and represents the pinnacle of what it means to make comic books.


Score: 10/10