REVIEW: ‘Avengers: Armageddon’ Issue 2

Avengers: Armageddon Issue 2 is published by Marvel Comics. Written by Chip Zdarsky, art by Delio Diaz and Frank Alpizar, colors by Sonia Oback and letters by Clayton Cowles.

This is the second part of the summer blockbuster event. The Avengers wage war against the Red Hulk, but many more parties want to get involved. Avengers: Armageddon Issue 2  wastes little time stepping into the action and stays in it until almost the very end. The Avengers, backed by the Fantastic Four and a cabal of heroes, hit Red Hulk and his army hard. Symkariaa becomes a battleground for an intense battle.

The pacing of Avengers: Armageddon Issue 2 is incredible. It’s rough and ferocious, with the fighting taking place right in the heart of the city. Zdarsky stays with the important fights. Red Hulk is being challenged by Colton, the Captain America he helped to create, who is now incredibly powerful.

Each blow has the potential to cause enormous damage and leave casualties, and it only gets more dangerous. In the early blows, there is a unity among the team attacking Red Hulk. It’s surprising to see how effective they are in putting down Thunderbolt Ross’ forces. But then, at the end of Avengers: Armageddon Issue 2, things fracture, and control of the outcome is lost.

The political elements of Avengers: Armageddon Issue 2 are fascinating because, whilst there are potential connections to the real world, it uses the heroes’ influence to tell its own tale. The themes of interventionism and the downfall of democracy are crucial to the core of the comic, but ultimately, it’s the impact of the heroes that affects the plot. At the end of Avengers: Armageddon Issue 2, it’s more than certain that characters disappearing is a surprise, rather than a sudden entrance.

The dialogue isn’t the focus of Avengers: Armageddon Issue 2 because the action is so cacophonous. But we learn a lot about the different characters and the factions they represent. There are the classic heroes. Figures such as Iron Man are flagship, traditional superheroes. They are there to save lives and stop evil.

Ross represents not just a more violent side, but also a more imperialistic attitude. He has an American brashness and the means to enforce his will. Killing is just a part of it; casualties are an unfortunate but necessary means to an end. His way may have been acceptable once upon a time, but now it seems repugnant and excessive.

Then there is poor Colton, who has simply been a test subject for far too many governments and organizations. His power levels are almost unrivalled on Earth, and he was also created and raised by Red Hulk. So that violence is within him, too. At first, all we see is just how strong he is. But as Avengers: Armageddon Issue 2 nears its conclusion, it becomes clear just how angry and broken he is. Fused with his power, that makes him uncontrollable.

The art is breathtaking, as Diaz and Aplizar display a terrific spectacle. The heroes have entered, but there is a grittiness to the fighting. The battleground is turned into rubble and dust the superhumans go to war. Every hero has a superb design that showcases their costumes and powers. But it’s an intentional sprawling mess, indicative of a broken world. The Hulks that Ross created are disturbing monsters, and he has become gleeful in the destruction he causes. The detail on Ross’ own face is phenomenal, conveying so many small emotions.

Then there is Colton, unleashing his full power on someone who can actually take it. When he hits Red Hulk, he sends him flying, and the surrounding cities shatter. Buildings suddenly look so fragile when these men take their anger out on others. Colton’s costume is superb because it represents his army background, as he wears it on his shoulders like a burden.

The coloring also demonstrates the darkness of what the Avengers are venturing into. Both the fight scenes and the interactions with politicians are dark and shadowy, influencing each other and highlighting how murky either battlefield is. Even the heroes who typically have brighter costumes, like the Fantastic Four or Captain Marvel, seem to struggle to lighten the comic. The lettering is very clear and consistent throughout the issue.

Avengers: Armageddon Issue 2 erupts into action. The first chapter featured a lot of talking and preparing, as the Avengers unit gathered its forces. Now that it is unleashed, it is a glorious first battle. The comic may lack vibrancy, but that only helps set the tone.

What Zdarsky and the art team accomplish is a sense of atmosphere and ominous foreboding. We are watching every punch and crash, because it seems like the consequences are coming. This eruption is only the beginning of something much more destructive.

Avengers: Armageddon Issue 2 is available where comics are sold.