REVIEW: ‘Avengers’ Issue #14

Avengers Issue #14 is published by Marvel Comics, written by Jed MacKay, art by C.F. Villa, colors by Federico Blee and letters by Cory Petit. This is part of the Blood Hunt event. With the primary Avengers team reeling from the vampire attacks, Captain America sends out a call for help.

With MacKay needing his current lineup within the pages of the Blood Hunt main book, it falls to a group of reserves and classic members to protect New York. The urgent pacing of the comic sets the tone of the entire issue. Each character has a whole page to introduce themselves, but the book keeps moving and instigates a battle at all points.

The fights are fun and exciting, finding various methods of vanquishing vampires with superpowers. It doesn’t take long for Avengers Issue #14 to develop a unique strand within the event, adding a separate context to the vampires that add extra layers to the issue. It’s something of a surprise, revealing an old enemy that lines up with the event.

A unique lineup is created for the tie-in that combines eras and teams across Avengers history. The figurehead of the group is Steve Rogers, the original Captain America. He is a lynchpin to rally around, and it is his longevity and history that the plot weaves around. Joining him is Quicksilver, a longstanding ally with other concerns within the story. Scarlet Witch’s role in the wider event draws his concentration and makes Pietro even more impatient. Hercules is the powerhouse. Kate Bishop brings the sass and representation from the Young and West Coast Avengers. And finally, Hazmat is an Avengers Academy graduate, and it is a delightful surprise to see them in a big book again.

The team is small but allows for more development within those five members. As they’re introduced, each Avenger gets a monologue in the captions. This displays their personalities to new and old readers while setting up where they are in this series. As of the first issue of the tie-ins, the relationships between the characters have yet to be established. Those with a history together, notably Captain America and Pietro, show that their connections mean something, but there is too much going on to dwell on the past. This group represents some fun and exciting methods for killing vampires, an essential factor in these comics.

The art is fantastic. Villa returns to the series to violently unleash his art style. Villa generates intense expressions in his characters, which works brilliantly considering the terror and drama of the situations. The five Avengers look superb in classic and iconic costumes. Some have adapted to face the specific threats against them. The inking of Villa’s lines can be pointy and sometimes scruffy, but that shines with the vampires’ brutal, vicious designs. Villa has a great sense of location, using objects and surroundings to help and hinder the heroes.

The colors have a dichotomy to contend with. Almost all Avengers have bright and vibrant costumes: blue, green, yellow, and purple. Around them, however, the city is struggling, so there is a sickly blend of beige and yellow to much of the panels. These shades are light, which helps the items in the foreground stand out. The letters are clear and very easy to read.

Avengers Issue #14 is a new lineup of old friends. MacKay brings some classic characters into the comic to fill the void whilst the rest of the team is needed elsewhere. MacKay is ubiquitous across this event, and his ability to write several books simultaneously deserves immense commendation. This book isn’t full of surprises, but it has a classic feel. Three of the team are age-old Avengers, whilst Hawkeye and Hazmat are terrific personalities. It is amusing that the Avengers teams can be swapped out but it is within all of them to answer the call when needed.

Avengers #14 is available where comics are sold.