Avengers: Armageddon #1 – The History of Humanity, Is War

Steve Rogers may be dead. Doctor Doom is gone. Salvation has been swallowed by a rebellion. In the vacuum, Thunderbolt Ross, the Red Hulk, claims Latveria, the sovereign homeland of Doctor Doom, for himself. This is a threat that requires all hands on deck. The Avengers, Fantastic Four, and others must stand together against General Ross, intent on bringing democracy to every country, even if it means doing it by force.

This review is brought to you by Nerd Initiative’s Megan and Shawn!

Creative Team

Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artists: Delio Diaz and Frank Alpizar
Color Artist: Jesus Aburtov
Letterer: Cory Petit
Cover Artist: Dike Ruan
Cover Color Artist: Moreno DiNisio

Writing

Megan: Avengers: Armageddon #1 is here, and boy oh boy, is there a lot happening. Thunderbolt Ross, AKA Red Hulk, is the main villain, and usually, with the Avengers there to save the day, it would be a quick victory. However, Tony has used his tech to find the dangers of the world and can see what no one else can: that Red Hulk has already won. On top of that, the Avengers were told not to interfere, but can they actually stay out of the fight? Especially when Ross has plans to conquer the entire world? Absolutely not.

Chip Zdarsky starts this series off with a bang, bringing in familiar faces and even unfamiliar faces into the great war that’s about to take off. We get a chance to see who’s worried, who plans on entering the war at full force, and who’s willing to work together as a team. With some incredible heavy hitters working on the same team, there’s no denying that this war will be something for the ages.

Shawn: What an absolutely amazing start to this series. A lot is happening in a short amount of time. Chip Zdarksy deserves an amazing amount of credit for this issue. I would have loved to see this issue be 10 or so more pages long, but it never felt like it needed to be. Zdarksy manages to put a lot of action, characters, and story into the pages in a way that feels natural, easy to read, and understandable. With the hidden power of Ross, it seems as if Zdarksy has truly created a terrifying version of Ross that seems limitless.

Art

Megan: Delio Diaz, Frank Alpizar, Jesus Aburtov, and Cory Petit bring a lot of depth to the story, mostly playing off the emotions of the characters. The story benefits heavily from that, as the stakes are high and the energy is even higher.

Dias and Alpizar bring excellently detailed panels that leave nothing to the imagination. You can see the emotions of the characters clearly, letting their faces tell the story themselves. Aburtov, who always delivers high quality when he’s on the creative team, continues to do just that. Having a beautiful juxtaposition of vibrancy and muted tones makes each page absolutely stunning and impactful.

Petit, who handles the lettering of the comic, perfectly captures the tones of the story through the dialogue, letting the reader feel every emotion of the characters. All in all, the artists truly knocked this out of the park!

Shawn: Delio Diaz, Frank Alpizar, Jesus Aburtov, and Cory Petit take a bow, gentlemen. You absolutely killed it for this debut. Diaz and Alpizar crafted high-stakes and energetic panels at every turn. The art makes each panel feel urgent. As Ross and his attacks escalate, the art makes the panels feel like they tilt or bleed into one another as you’re drawn from panel to panel as the crisis deepens.

Jesus Aburtov and Cory Petit help bring the story home. With the palette, Aburtov crafts a contrast between the heroes’ desperate but hopeful planning and the volatile threat posed by Ross. The greens and crimsons surrounding the world of Red Hulk leap off the page while casting just the right shadow on his jagged look. With a massive cast, Petit executes a flawless dialogue placement. Readers are easily guided through crowded briefing rooms, desolate Doomstadt Democracy City, and various players in this drama.

Final Thoughts

Megan: 9/10. Avengers: Armageddon #1 is such a strong start for this series, and I’m very excited to see where it goes. With a creative team as stacked as this one, it was guaranteed to be a slam dunk!

Shawn: 10/10. With the tone that was set with Wolverine: Weapons of Armageddon and Captain America, combined with the amazing art skills of this creative team, it was hard to think this would be anything other than a great issue. This creative team delivered, ensuring a solid launch to this earth shaking series.

Overall Grade: 9.5/10

Did you like the opening issue of the series? Let us know in the comments