REVIEW: ‘Avengers’ Issue #7

Avengers #7 is published by Marvel, written by Jed MacKay, art by C.F. Villa, colors by Federico Blee, and letters by Cory Petit. The world is dead, the Vision is dead, but the Avengers will still avenge until their last breath. 

At the start of a new arc, this issue certainly grabs the attention quickly. Beginning at what looks to be the end of a battle, the issue opens with a haunting and dramatic scene. From there, the sense of finality and peril only gets bigger. The surprise comes from how early in the comic that happens and the fatal tone that comes with it. It raises confusion and mystery instantly. Much of the comic is subsequently a devastating but epic fight, filled with pain and pent-up rage. There is a slow pace that allows for the gravity of the situation to sink in, as one by one, the Avengers launch themselves into battle with shocking results. But during the fight itself, that pace gets quicker and is relentlessly brutal. The cause of these events has many possibilities, and the mind begins to wonder. There is a double reveal at the end. One answers this issue, while the other merely unleashes questions for the rest of the arc.

Avengers #7 features a fantastic script. The dialogue is dark and powerful, but it is the captions that are exceptional. MacKay describes a poignant scene, and the narration accompanying the battle is stunning. It follows each of the individual Avengers as they storm into combat, with a superb description for each one. It also indicates a motif for the writer, as the captions follow a familiar vein, as when the Ashen Combine rolled into town. What initially seems to be a faceless, omniscient narrator is a real character, one who will be identified later. It always creates a worthwhile mystery about who the figure is observing the Avengers from afar. While all the heroes are involved in the issue, the story is centered on Scarlet Witch, opening and closing with her. And what is tapped into is the fury and the wrath that is within Wanda when she is grieving.

The art is spectacular, and the first signs of things not being quite right within the story. The characters have very different costumes, indicating a lengthy conflict and something strange. Similarly, the entire planet has been ravaged, another signifier of a hidden, untold story. The monster the Avengers fight is terrific, but it’s almost insignificant considering everything else. This is the last stand of the team, and yet what they face is beside the point. It is a display of their power and their desperation. The ultra-powerful team has one last burst of their might to give, and Villa’s depiction of that is excellent. Each member brings something unique as they attack one by one. The spectacle unfolds with each page, and the artist isn’t afraid to tear bodies apart.

The colors are fantastic. Under a sickly red sky, the shades help to present the devastation. For much of the book, the costumes are less vibrant than in other issues, crushing hope as the brightness of the burning fires around them drowns out their majesty. The lettering is consistent and always accessible to read.

Avengers #7 starts a new arc with the most drastic of issues. Opening with the end of everything is a bold choice, but it is as captivating as possible. Every issue of this run has been hardcore, so it would be out of place for this chapter to be any less. It’s a strange experience to see the team go into such an enormous and negative confrontation, especially within the first pages of the book, and the fight itself is extremely satisfying despite the confusion. 

Avengers #7 is available now wherever you buy comics.