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Avengers #31: Review

Oct 2012
Brian Michael Bendis, Mike Mayhew

Story Name:

(no title given)

Review & Comments

Rating:
4 stars

Avengers #31 Review by (October 17, 2012)
This issue begins the 4-part End Times arc, after which Brian Michael Bendis's run will end and the Marvel NOW Avengers will start with a new #1. Cap's costume is pre-Marvel NOW. As is Iron Man's armour on the cover (he's in civvies inside). So this adventure should precede AvX: Consequences and Uncanny Avengers. I assume that the alien world in inner space is a micro-world. I'm guessing that the woman is the Wasp. There was no body after she died in Secret Invasion #8. It was unclear what actually happened to her. I figure she shrank, and all the power floating around (including from Thor's hammer) caused her to shrink all the way down and into a micro-universe. In #7 Wonder Man claimed that one of the things he had against the Avengers was that they had led to the deaths of Scarlet Witch, Wasp, Ant-Man and Jack of Hearts. (He didn't mention Hawkeye and Vision who had already been resurrected. And various other temporary dead if you want to go even further back.) Since then Scarlet Witch, Ant-Man and Jack of Hearts have returned. Only Wasp is outstanding, but I expect this arc to close the gap.

An afterthought:- Of course Wasp's appearance in the after-life in Incredible Hercules #129 rather tells against my theory. But then it wouldn't be the 1st time such a discrepancy has occurred. E.g. Green Goblin was shown as deceased before Marvel retroactively said he wasn't.




 

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Avengers #31 Synopsis by Rob Johnson
This issue starts with Star Wars chase on jet-bikes. A female is on the run, her face and hair hidden by rags. She takes out the pursuing craft, then has to defeat one of the aliens in hand-to-hand combat, finally killing him with his own energy spear.

The Avengers (Captain America, Hawkeye and Spider-Woman, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Wolverine) are all relaxing in their own ways in Avengers Tower. Cap is scanning media comments on the recently-concluded Avengers vs X-Men event. People are demanding answers, especially from the Avengers, and in particular from him.

Wonder Man pops up, in his ionic way. He seems conflicted. Part of him wants to apologise to Steve for leading the Revengers against the Avengers teams back before Fear Itself in the Avengers and New Avengers Annuals. But another part is still angry about the Avengers who have died. He thinks maybe being an ionic being has given him a nervous breakdown.

Cap offers help on behalf of the Avengers. But Red Hulk interrupts their tete-a-tete, leading to a 2-page fight. Wonder Man wins, but then leaves, saying he's going to earn his way back into the Avengers.

The female from the opening scene is now in a town full of diverse aliens. (Star Wars cantina scene, anyone?) She persuades one of them to transmit a signal for her, using an Avengers Priority Card. Tony Stark gets the signal in the Tower.

The other Avengers, including Vision, are discussing Wonder Man, when Stark tells them of the Avengers distress call he's just picked up from inner space.



Mike Mayhew
Mike Mayhew
Jason Keith
Brandon Peterson (Cover Penciler)
Brandon Peterson (Cover Inker)
Letterer: Cory Petit.
Editor: Lauren Sankovitch.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Captain America
Captain America

(Steve Rogers)
Hawkeye
Hawkeye

(Clint Barton)
Iron Man
Iron Man

(Tony Stark)
Red Hulk
Red Hulk

(Thunderbolt Ross)
Spider-Man
Spider-Man

(Peter Parker)
Spider-Woman
Spider-Woman

(Jessica Drew)
Wasp
Wasp

(Janet Van Dyne)
Wolverine
Wolverine

(James Howlett)



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