Avengers #35: The Battle of Birth and Death

Kang has been beaten. The Avengers and Twilight Court have restrained Kang but not before the Grail, an artifact of immense power, has been activated. With the Grail activated and the Avengers facing down the end of all existence, they must team up with the Twilight Court again to figure out how to stop the grail from ending this universe and creating another from scratch. This time, saving the universe may be too big a task even for the Avengers in this penultimate issue of Jed MacKay’s Avengers run.

Creative Team

Writer: Jed MacKay
Penciler: Sergio DaVila
Inker: Aure Jimenez
Colorist: Federico Blee
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit

Writing

MacKay continues to be one of my favorite writers in comics today. This issue, combined with the previous issue #34, definitely is a swan song for MacKay’s run. You can feel it in the words. The writing is very reflective while still being narratively and thematically relevant. MacKay is telling the story he wants to tell all while looking back fondly on his time with the Avengers. Utilizing the Twilight Court and also using them to create synergy with the Avengers was a brilliant idea.

MacKay reminds readers a few more times at the end of the run that he truly gets the characters he’s been charged with writing. The characters’ behaviors and actions feel consistent with the best of these characters’ traits that we’ve come to know and love. Captain Marvel can still be powerful and save the day while also maintaining her competitive streak. While this is the end of MacKay’s time on Avengers, I can’t imagine a better way to wind it down than tying up the loose ends regarding the Avengers, the Twilight Court, and the Grail. I can’t wait to see what comes next in the final issue.

Art

The art for this series continues to be amazing. DaVila, Jimenez, Blee, and Petit do a great job crafting a world that brings MacKay’s words to life. The colors, lines, and shading are perfect for showcasing familiar characters in a way that manages to feel both familiar and fresh.

Highlights of this issue include an amazingly drawn and colored panel displaying an example of the raw power possessed by Captain Marvel, Storm, and Lancelot. Seeing a full power Artur drawn and colored is also such a great sight to see. It’s a beautifully drawn character that really just oozes power.

Petit’s beatiful job with lettering just adds to the aforementioned scene involving Artur. One thing all of the letterers at VC seem to have down pat is making an impact on a comic without taking over and making it about them. Petit does that so well. Every choice oozes with intention in a way that contributes to the story being told and the art being displayed.

Final Thoughts

Overall Grade: 10/10

MacKay is on a generational run when it comes to writing. Every single series MacKay has touched has been an absolute pleasure to read and Avengers is no exception. These final few issues feel like a reflection on not only MacKay’s Avengers run but the entire 800+ issue history of the Avengers and what they have meant to comic book fans around the globe. With MacKay’s writing you get what you expect and always so much more.

The art team continues to knock it out of the park with every single release. This issue really let the artists show off their skills with some of the team’s more cosmic heroes and it was beautiful to see. The colors pop and the lines are drawn and inked perfectly. The only bad thing about this issue is it means there’s only one more issue remaining with this killer creative team.

Until next time, may your pulls be magical and your multiverse remain stable

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Did you enjoy Avengers #35? Are you sad to see Jed MacKay’s Avengers run winding down? Let me know in the comments below