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Classic Review: Marvel Masterworks- Avengers Vol. 16

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Quick Summary

Pros: Vision’s story is interesting, especially in how it relates to the ongoing question regarding his humanity. Some of the challenges facing the Avengers are compelling. The artwork is mostly positive.

Cons: The entire book’s structure is frustrating, as it interrupts the larger narrative with intrusive subplots and fails to properly cultivate interest. Most story arcs play out in a similar, predictable fashion. Flashbacks and explanations appear far too often and become annoying after a while.

Overall: This collection is one of the more disappointing entries in this era of this series. Though it contains a few solid character arcs, these positive aspects are mostly covered up by negative ones. Problems with structure, exposition, and general storytelling make it hard to really get on board with what is happening here. The only major benefit is that a heavy reliance on flashbacks might make it a worthwhile entry point for newer readers but, other than this, the volume is pretty lackluster.

Story

Avengers Vol. 16 is plagued with problems that make it pretty hard to enjoy. The stories here are far too predictable, flashbacks dominate the narrative, and the entire volume has structural problems that make it hard to become deeply invested in the narrative. There are a few redeeming qualities found throughout the book, specifically those focused on the Vision and a few other characters, but these are not present often enough. All in all, this volume’s dedication to flashbacks might make it a good entry point for newer readers, but its problems make it hard to recommend.

(spoilers start here)

Starting with the positive, Avengers Vol. 16 contains a number of stories that read well and a few that really manage to stand out. The return of Wonder Man creates a tension that is felt in many heroes and villains. Specifically, Wonder Man’s entrance led to my favorite chapter in this volume: Vision’s battle against the stone facsimile of the Black Knight, an emotional fight that perfectly highlights all the complex problems that are running through Vision’s mind at this juncture. In addition, Ultron’s return is handled well and the expansion of Hank Pym’s mental instability presents interesting possibilities for the future.

Unfortunately, these positive attributes are hampered by a number of negative ones. The largest of these is that the structure of nearly every story throughout this book feels incredibly erratic. The mystery behind Wonder Man’s reintroduction is pushed off for far too long, which makes his contributions to the team feel frustrating rather than exciting up until the very end. There are also chapters that just don’t fit into the narrative of this series at all, like the team’s bizarre trip to Louisiana or the far too sudden appearance of Graviton.

What’s more, almost all of these stories play out in a far too predictable fashion far too many times. The story will open with the Avengers working out personal problems, then a villain will appear and easily defeat the team, then the Avengers will recover somehow and manage to save the day. Having the entire team almost completely defeated multiple times over the course of a few chapters makes the “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” seem like a bunch of pushovers, which makes their adventures less interesting to watch. It also removes all tension from the story, as readers are well aware exactly how it will all play out.

Avengers Vol. 16 is also even more difficult to enjoy from the perspective of a long-time reader. The book opens up with two chapters that almost completely focus on rehashing the history of the Avengers; they even reuse old pages in a few places. From here, just about every other chapter contains some sort of flashback or narration designed to explain plot points from previous story arcs. There are even places where the same explanation is given in multiple different places. This might be nice for newer readers but even they will find the numerous explanations regarding Wonder Man’s origin repetitive. I enjoy reading stories that enhance elements from a comic’s past but relying so heavily on the past so many times in a row is a bit frustrating.

(spoilers end here)

Art

The artwork in Avengers Vol. 16 is positive, if a bit inconsistent. Each of the individual artists working on this book provides solid work on an individual basis. George Perez continues the work he started in the previous volume, providing great character depictions and compelling page structures. In addition, Sal Buscema’s return to the series marks a couple impressive pages that certainly help the visuals in this book. There are places where the textures and styles shifts as the collection rotates between artists but these flaws are not significant enough to take away from the collection’s visual positives. All in all, the artwork in Avengers Vol. 16 is pleasant and helps make up for some of the mistakes made in the storytelling.

Continuity

Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 16 continues the story from Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 15 (Review).

The story here continues in Marvel Masterworks: Avengers Vol. 17 (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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