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Classic Review: Avengers- The Once and Future Kang

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Quick Summary

Pros: The characters are consistently well-written and some of them show some great development. The book’s second half is exciting and will be particularly enjoyable to fans who have read many past Avengers issues. The artwork is positive in most chapters.

Cons: The collection’s first half spends a little too much time setting up and tying into other comics. The collection’s second half relies on past Avengers issues in a way that may not appeal to newer readers.

Overall: This collection will appeal to some readers but not everyone. The volume contains fun adventures, interesting connections to past works, and a general sense of progression for the characters. However, at points, it relies so much on knowledge of the Avenger’s past or other comics that it may dissuade new readers from jumping in. In the end, this is not a book for new readers but longtime Avengers readers may find plenty to enjoy within.

Story

Avengers: The Once and Future Kang, by Roger Stern, has plenty of appeal but this appeal is rather limited. This volume details several exciting Avengers adventures, many of which have great moments from its characters. However, many of these great moments come from the sense of improvement the characters are experiencing, limiting their appeal to longtime readers. In addition, most of the volume’s story arcs rely heavily on past Avengers issues to craft an interesting narrative, which also limits their appeal to longtime readers. In general, this book has its fair share of positive but they may not be universally appreciated by all readers.

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The Once and Future Kang gets off to a bit of a rocky start. The majority of the chapters in the book’s first half are heavily tied to other comic books, which prevents them from standing as strong on their own. The second chapter is a big tease for the return of Jean Grey, the third chapter is a small tease for a future Avengers plotline and a current Captain America one, and the fourth and fifth chapters are Secret Wars II tie-ins. The book’s penchant for giving vague warnings about the future makes all of these chapters feel like commercials for something bigger, rather than engaging events on their own.

On the plus side though, these opening chapters have some great interactions between the members of the Avengers and a bit of character development to go along with them. Specifically, Janet shows her capability as a leader, Monica grows closer to her teammates, and Namor begins to prove himself. These factors work well with the continuing sense of improvement that has been present throughout this comic.

In addition, the volume, as a whole improves as it enters its second half. This half starts out with an exciting and engaging plotline surrounding Kang the Conqueror. This plotline is a deep dive into Kang’s history that is sure to be interesting for longtime readers. Then, the book’s closing story arc details a solid team-up between the Avengers and the West Coast Avengers. This team-up works well and I thought that utilizing Quicksilver as the arc’s villain was a great touch, especially considering his history.

However, the book’s second half also relies heavily on knowledge of the Avenger’s past. The reexamination of Kang’s history and the betrayal of Quicksilver will, likely, have little impact for fans who have not read their previous appearances in the Avengers series. Instead, I could imagine that it would confuse and frustrate a read with details that have little positive value.

(spoilers end here)

Art

The artwork in The Once and Future Kang continues the quality work that has been seen time and time again throughout this series. Penciler John Buscema and inker Tom Palmer do a nice job in presenting the events of this comic. They make the characters look good, they make the action look energetic, and they present the entire thing with a structure that flows well. This volume specifically does well in accurately depicting emotion on the faces of the characters, allowing a few moments to come across as more meaningful than they would otherwise. These positives are strong throughout the collection and help make up for any negatives.

These few negatives come in toward the book’s finale. Though Steve Ditko’s pencils are mostly positive, there are places where the inking feels far too light. In addition, there are places where characters’ faces do not accurately convey their mood or emotion. It complicates the read in a few places but not enough to have a serious impact on the appeal of the volume as a whole.

Continuity

Avengers: The Once and Future Kang continues the story from Avengers: The Legacy of Thanos (Review).

The story here continues in the second half of Avengers Epic Collection: Under Siege (Review).

This volume also makes references to other comic books, detailed below:

Previous Volume Review

All Avengers Reviews

Next Volume Review

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