Avengers #23

By Jonathan Hickman and Leinil Francis Yu

I don’t care what anybody says, Infinity has been awesome. To heck with the naysayers who hate it because they don’t understand the story. This is some great work and it is looking like it’s going to go out with a very satisfying finish.

Avengers #23 serves as a setup for the final battle. Last issue was a time for reflection, but now the you-know-what is ready to hit the fan. A number of characters who haven’t had much to do in Infinity finally have their moments. Gladiator is a classic character, but has only stood around and acted as somebody for Captain America to strategize with. In this issue, he actually gets to throw down and let out some of that aggression that has surely been building for a long time. Shang-Chi and Ronan also join the fight and act as the badasses of the week. If anybody has been wondering why Shang-Chi is hanging out with The Avengers now, here’s why.

So far, Leinil Francis Yu has done some great work on this title. That’s why this issue is a tad puzzling. It’s not a bad looking issue at all, it just looks rushed. Character’s faces and bodies are nowhere near looking as good as they have been. His best work is always the sci-fi spaceship stuff, but even those scenes aren’t as sharp. I’m sure there’s probably a tough deadline for this book, so I’m willing to let this one slide. It’s still disappointing, though.

Even though the art takes a step back, this issue still does everything else that you need it to do. Plot-wise, this is one of the best parts of Infinity yet and I personally can’t wait until next week’s Infinity #6. Avengers Assemble, indeed.