by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Olivier Coipel (pencils), Mark Morales (inks), Laura Martin (colors), and Chris Eliopoulos (letters)
The Story: The battle with the Void concludes, leading to the dawning of a new chapter for the Marvel Universe. Oh, and two major characters die.
What’s Good: The majority of this book is one gigantic fight with the Void. This big stuff and the sense of scale are pretty dwarfing, as is the sheer number of heroes involved. That being said, amidst all the battling, Bendis is very particular in how he uses his heroes and who lands what blow. If it wasn’t clear before, it is now: Siege is an Avengers book more than anything else. As our heroes team up on the multi-armed Void, you get a kind of nostalgic feel as you realize that we’re basically seeing another classic scenario where the Avengers team up against a big monster. And what a team-up it is. Bendis goes for the always fun “everything but the kitchen sink” dynamic, as the Avengers throw themselves at the former Sentry.
That being said, what’ll get most people talking are the two major deaths. While one is fairly expected, the other really is something of a surprise, especially given the character in question’s natural ability to get out of scrapes. What’s even better is the way in which the character goes out. I couldn’t have imagined it being done any better, as he/she does so purely because he/she acts entirely contrary to his/her pattern of behaviour. For a brief moment, he/she makes a stand and becomes perhaps the most heroic figure in this entire book. It’s a major moment of redemption for the character.
On the art, this is some more amazing work from Coipel. The explosions are jaw-dropping, the burial of the dead character above (a cremation in the Sun) is touching, and the Void looks truly terrifying. As far as being a big-time artist, Coipel has most certainly gone far above and beyond earning his stripes.
The best thing about the issue though is its end and where it leaves the Marvel Universe. It truly feels like a fresh beginning and will surely leave Marvel fans excited for what’s to come. Oh, and Steve Rogers ends up in a very, very interesting position.
What’s Not So Good: Most of the issue is just a gigantic battle. Bendis is more concerned with moving the Marvel Universe forward and getting it where it needs to go and seems content to leave the more emotional, character stuff to the aftermath Avengers issues that also came out this week. I understand that this issue was never meant to accomplish anything more, and as a result it doesn’t necessarily feel particularly lacking.
Also, in the few moments where it actually tries for some emotion, it doesn’t always hit the mark. For instance, while one character death is handled well, the other was so expected by this point that it really just felt like another case of Bendis just doing what he had to do in moving the Marvel Universe forward. The emotion he tried to wring just wasn’t there, and we all saw it coming from a mile away.
But really, that goes for much of this comic. As fun as it is, this is really just Bendis getting the job done in dragging the Marvel U out of the Civil War/Secret Invasion/Dark Reign era and starting over. It’s a case of moving the pieces more than telling a story, though it’s still damned fun to watch.
Conclusion: The quintessential comic blockbuster that brings much promise for the Marvel U.
Grade: B
-Alex Evans
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