Review: New Avengers Vol. 4- A Perfect World

Quick Summary

Pros: Tension is palpable throughout this entire collection. The central battle here is unique and gives the comic more meaning. The entire experience is well-written and elaborates on important concepts from earlier moments in the series.

Cons: Character motivations seem off in one moment. The artwork is lackluster and does not match the tone of the book.

Overall: This is an excellent end to this era of the New Avengers series and a tremendous lead-in to the next era. The narrative here is emotional, meaningful, and, above all, incredibly intense. These factors create a memorable read that stands out among mainstream comics and among the other volumes in the New Avengers series. Though the art isn’t the best, the story more than makes up for this slight failing. Readers who have enjoyed this series thus far are sure to love this volume.

Story

New Avengers Vol. 4: A Perfect World, by Jonathan Hickman, is an incredibly suspenseful ride that encapsulates everything great about the New Avengers series. It has the Illuminati participate in conflicts and make decisions that test both the will and the conscience of each individual member. These trials are filled with meaning and continue the development of themes central to this series. This entire comic is also filled with a level of tension and intensity that makes for a truly gripping reading experience. All in all, this book may contain one of the most worthwhile narratives of this entire series.

(spoilers start here)

A Perfect World starts out right where the previous volume left off, with the Illuminati ready to face off against another reality ending collision between universes. This produces an explosive and intense encounter as both sets of heroes size one another up and, ultimately, engage in an incredibly destructive battle. The tension throughout this battle is then further enhanced by the timer counting down the extinction of both worlds.

The unique part about this entire encounter is the complete absence of celebration and revelry throughout this entire battle. The guardians of this Earth-counterpart are a group of hopeful and magnanimous heroes rather than the villains the Illuminati has faced up to this point. This gives the battle a somber mood that only intensifies as the fallen heroes beg the Illuminati not to destroy their world. Though this sounds depressing, it adds an entirely new dimension to the comic that imbues it with meaning and elaborates on themes that have been present since the very beginning of the New Avengers series.

All of this leads up to the book’s most intense moment, wherein the Illuminati has to decide whether they are capable of actually destroying another world. This is a gut-wrenching moment that pushes these heroes to the absolute ends of their own resolve. I honestly wasn’t sure if any member of the group would have been able to actually pull the trigger, which only made the lead up to the final decision even more tense. The only noticeable problem with this portion of the book is that the individual members of the Illuminati’s reluctance to destroy a world feels slightly out of place, especially considering how resolute they were in their battle against the Great Society.

From here A Perfect World closes with a final chapter that is just as memorable as each chapter preceding it. Each member of the Illuminati has given up on their mission to destroy other worlds and has accepted that Earth is doomed. As another incursion approaches, each hero attempts to make peace with their actions. This creates a reading experience that is both emotional, as it shows each hero’s regrets, and intense, as it seems as if the end of the universe is arriving. All of this comes to a head in the chapter’s final few pages, where Namor and a group of villains prevent the universe’s destruction by taking up the Illuminati’s role as world-killers. This final chapter is an emotional roller coaster that gives this already great volume a worthwhile conclusion.

(spoilers end here)

Art

The most instantly noticeable feature about the artwork in A Perfect World is how radically different it is from the previous three volumes. While previous entries in this series saw a grim and somber take on the Illuminati and their adventures, this volume is more stylized and lighthearted. This change in art style is present in chapters from both Valerio Schiti and Kev Walker, making the entire book seem more carefree than normal. A change like this does not suit the tone of this book at all. In fact, this change couldn’t have come at a worse time, as this is the most somber entry in this entire series. Even the quality of the art leaves a bit to be desired, as there are more than a few places where facial expressions look strange and bodily proportions seem off. Overall, this is a disappointing volume in regards to artwork.

Continuity

New Avengers Vol. 4: A Perfect World continues the story from New Avengers Vol. 3: Other Worlds (Review).

The story here continues in Avengers: Time Runs Out Vol. 1.

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

• Mr. Fantastic mentions that he built something called the “Bridge” in the past. He build this device at the beginning of Dark Reign: Fantastic Four.
• Bruce Banner found out about the Illuminati in Avengers Vol. 5: Adapt or Die (Review).
• The Great Society from Earth-4290001 is meant to be an homage to the Justice League from DC Comics.
  • Sun God represents Superman
  • The Norn represents Doctor Fate
  • The Jovian represents Martian Manhunter
  • The Rider (Wayne) represents Batman
  • Doctor Spectrum represents Green Lantern
  • Boundless represents the Flash
• Iron Man’s trouble with Captain America is explained in Avengers Vol. 6: Infinite Avengers (Review).
• Namor’s actions against Wakanda are referenced a couple of times.
  • He drowned Wakanda in Avengers vs. X-Men.
  • He sent Thanos against Wakanda in Infinity (Review).