Avengers #20

By Jonathan Hickman and Leinil Frances Yu

There has been quite a bit of action going on in the pages of Infinity and its 10 bazillion tie-ins. Avengers #20 is a little different. Hickman decides to let the characters take a breather, so naturally, this issue can get a little chatty.

It’s not necessarily a bad thing, though, to have a little more dialog in issue #20 as we get a chance to see where a few of the galaxy’s leaders are at and how they view their current positions in the war against The Builders. However, the overall flow suffers from a few hiccups. One of the problems with Age of Ultron was the massive amount of down time and plot lines that just did not matter in the slightest. We have no evidence to suggest that Hickman is going that route, so at least we’ll be able to avoid having another mostly boring major event.

Another issue is the fact that the scene where Captain Marvel’s team being rescued has been shown in about 4 titles, all playing out the same way. People who aren’t reading everything won’t really notice, but the more diehards will be rolling their eyes by this issue.

Captain America has had a number of memorable moments in his long history (Infinity Gauntlet comes to mind). Infinity is no different and having Hickman writing his dialogue certainly helps. He speaks in a very larger-than-life manner that demands respect and attention -not that he needs talk, because Cap also speaks with his actions. Infinity has really showcased Cap’s ability to lead, and this issue continues this.

Leinil Frances Yu’s work is best suited for epic set pieces, so the lack of action in this issue really doesn’t play to his strengths. He still makes it work as there are plenty of chances in the story for him to draw intense facial close ups that draw on the power of the situation. Captain America looks stunning in certain panels, which helps with Hickman’s powerful Cap dialogue.

Issue 20 is the weakest issue of the core Infinity titles (so far), but it’s still a fun read and is by no means a bad issue. Hickman at his absolute worst is still better than most comic writers out there. That’s high praise that he has certainly earned.