Avengers 4 review

Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers series has been a little disappointing so far. While there’s no denying that the first three issues were epic, they have very little character work with the Avengers themselves, and the third issue felt very anti-climactic. Sure, the “villains” were kind of interesting and the action was fun, but that’s all there was to say about them. This issue is much better, but it’s still not flawless.

After the first three issues, which mostly served as a basic introduction to Hickman’s expanded Avengers team, this issue focuses on a much smaller group of characters. Thor has a few minor character moments, and several of the others have some great subtle characterization as well. The main focus however is on a new character, Hyperion, or at least a new version of him. This team focuses on a small problem related to the situation in the last three issues, leading to a quick, yet entertaining fight scene.

While the character focus is good, I can’t help but be reminded of Superman. Judging by this comic alone, Hyperion both has a similar history to Superman, and his abilities are also similar. I’m not really sure how I feel about this, but those are my personal feelings. It does a great job at introducing this version of the character and what he cares about. It’s also neat how this Hyperion’s origin ties into the story from New Avengers.

The art is alright, but nothing special. The jungle scenes look interesting with the oddly coloured plant life, thanks to the garden bio-weapon from the last story arc. The fight scene, while short, is easy to follow. There isn’t all that much detail, but it’s colourful enough to look interesting. On the down side, there are some panels where characters’ faces are oddly proportioned. Captain America is barely recognizable on the first page, and it looks as if something is wrong with Hyperion’s jaw in his flashback scene where he’s trying to hold two planets apart. The art’s not necessarily bad, but it’s not all that impressive either.

This is a huge step in the right direction for the series. Personal feelings aside, the art is the only thing that seriously holds this issue back. If Hyperion’s similarities to Superman don’t bother you, this comic is an easy recommendation for Avengers fans.