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Classic Review: Marvel Masterworks- Avengers Vol. 14

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Quick Summary

Pros: The action here is exciting and is fun to watch all the way through. The character development is great and makes the series better. History lessons expand the Marvel Universe as a whole and give specific characters some great backstory. The artwork is positive and is an asset to the volume.

Cons: Some actions from the villains feel almost random.

Overall: This volume feels like a shot of espresso for a series that is just now beginning to wake back up again. It centers around a longer story arc that generates equal levels of excitement and interest as it progresses from start to finish. It also enhances the series as a whole by providing significantly positive character development for a few heroes and some great history for the entire Marvel Universe. This is solid entry for the Avengers series that will appeal to newer fans and appeal even more to longtime readers.

Story

After a couple volumes of middling quality, Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 14, by Steve Englehart, puts the series back on the right track. The stories here detail high stakes adventures against foes who pose a serious threat to this group of heroes. However, these stories also advance these heroes on an individual basis, providing backstory and answering questions that have been present for a while. It even ends up going on to provide an interesting expansion to the Marvel universe as a whole. The entire trip is interesting and worthwhile the whole way through, especially for fans who have been following along for a while. Though there are still some places where the narrative stumbles, as a whole, this is a very successful volume.

(spoilers start here)

About half of Avengers Vol. 14 is essentially a large-scale clash between the Avengers and Kang the Conqueror. This fight has immediate stakes, as Kang is attempting to both kidnap an Avenger and further launch his attempt to rule all of reality. It also takes the Avengers across a variety of different environments and has them attacked in a variety of different ways; in one portion of the book, Kang attacks them by bringing back a series of dead characters while, in another portion, he attacks them individually with versions of himself from different time periods. The only downside here is seemingly random actions from the villains, such as future-Kang’s switch from villain to hero or Dormammu’s rather uncalled for appearance. Even still, the end result is a war that remains diverse, exciting, and full of suspense all the way through.

Alongside the action in this volume, a lot of great character development also takes place. The Swordsman proves his valor as an Avenger and completely moves past his villainous history by sacrificing himself for the greater good. The Scarlett Witch continues to go from a weak and underutilized character to a genuine powerhouse on the team. In addition, Scarlett Witch and the Vision’s relationship goes from a contentious flirtation to an actual marriage; a worthwhile change that moves the two past the petty jealousy that hampered the previous volume. All of the improvements here are appreciated and help the series develop.

The other half of Avengers Vol. 14 primarily focuses on revealing some interesting new details and stories from the history of the Marvel universe. Englehart expands upon the history of the Kree and Skrull civilizations through a captivating flashback from the far-away past. It explains that the Kree have been warlike for nearly their entire existence and that the Skrull have not always been the villains they now appear to be. In a similar way, Englehart also expands upon Kang the Conqueror by showcasing multiple versions of his character’s evolution. All of this is interesting to read and is an excellent addition to the overall mythos being constructed here.

However, the best history lessons are reserved for the volume’s main characters. Readers learn about Vision’s impressive pedigree, something that explains mysterious actions from his past and could have the potential to create interesting plotlines in the future. In addition, the near-complete uncertainty surrounding Mantis is finally cleared up. She receives an interesting and complete backstory and then concludes her “Celestial Madonna” story arc by marrying an alien being, something that is rather strange at first but thematically suits her arc overall.

(spoilers end here)

Art

Like the story, the artwork in Avengers Vol. 14 is a definite improvement over the previous volume. Sal Buscema, with Joe Staton, provides most of these positive visuals for the book. The artwork here ends up being detailed and energetic, allowing characters to look good whether they are standing around talking or beating up villains. It is also structured well, flowing in a way that makes sense and assists with the storytelling. There are a few chapters, mostly done by other artists, where this level of quality dips a bit and the consistency of the visuals take a hit. However, in the end, the positives still outweigh the negatives and make for a pleasant reading experience.

Continuity

Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 14 continues the story from Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 13 (Review).

The story here continues in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 15 (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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