REVIEW: ‘Avengers Forever’, Issue #4

Avengers Forever #4 is written by Jason Aaron, illustrated by Jim Towe, colored by Guru-eFX, and lettered by VC’s Cory Petit. It’s published by Marvel Comics. “The Forever Storm” travels to the end of time where Thor’s granddaughters Frigg, Ellisiv, and Atli discover that his hammer Mjlonir is suddenly floating and generating lightning. They use the hammer to travel to Earth-818, where the Invincible Ant-Man and his fellow Avengers are fighting a legion of Black Skulls.

Throughout his career at Marvel, Aaron has penned nearly every major Marvel hero from Ghost Rider to Wolverine. But the hero most fans remember him for is Thor; under Aaron’s pen, the God of Thunder faced the malevolent Gorr the God Butcher, confronted his own worthiness, and led a war of the realms that finally saw him take the throne of Asgard. (Even Taika Waititi was a huge fan of the run, to the point where Thor: Love and Thunder draws upon Aaron’s work.) Throughout Aaron’s Thor run, the future of the Odinson was teased – including his granddaughters. For them to play a role in Avengers Forever shows the grand scale of the story that Aaron is attempting here.

Towe steps in from regular series artist Aaron Kuder, and he does a phenomenal job. The action in the issue is breakneck; readers will be pulled through the end of time to the wastelands of Earth-818 and the mysterious multiversal tower that Avenger Prime inhabits. Towe also illustrates a ferocious battle between the Avengers of Earth-818, the Goddesses of Thunder, and the various versions of Black Skull – including warped versions of Captain America and the Vision.

Guru-EFX brings a lush color palette to the proceedings; the end of time features grey skies and brimstone hurtling toward the earth, the barriers between worlds are comprised of bright pink energy, and Avenger Prime’s headquarters is located on a world filled with red skies and lightning. Petit’s lettering shifts depending on the character. Ghost Rider’s is pure white letters against black word balloons while the Goddesses of Thunder have the same rune-shaped letters as their grandfather.

However, I feel like the issue could have used a few more pages, or ended in a way that doesn’t feel so abrupt. Once Thor’s granddaughters enter the fight, the Black Skulls are easily defeated and subjected to Ghost Rider’s penance stare. Considering the last issue made a big deal of an army of multiversal Nazis, I was expecting them to prove to be a bigger threat. Hopefully, the rest of the Multiversal Masters of Evil proves to be a bigger threat.

Avengers Forever #4 brings the battle of Earth-818 to a close while touching upon elements from Jason Aaron’s Thor run. The final page teases yet another team of multiversal Avengers – including Captain Carter herself – so I expect more multiversal madness in future issues. Especially since the next issue will focus on the Multiversal Masters of Evil’s leader, Doom Supreme.

Avengers Forever #4 is available wherever comics are sold.