After nearly 60 years and 750 issues, Avengers # 50 celebrates Marvel’s first team of superheroes in an oversized epic featuring the talents of Jason Aaron, Aaron Kuder, Carlos Pacheco, David Baldeón, Ed McGuinness, Javier Garrón, and Rafael Fonteriz. The issue is chock-full of content, moving the Avengers beyond their adventures with the Supreme Squadron of America and into a future filled with new variations of classic Marvel heroes and villains. Along the way, Aaron and the lineup of featured artists tackle many key storylines from the past few years. While not necessarily an easy primer for fans unfamiliar with the franchise, Avengers # 50 is a sensational tribute to Earth’s Mightiest heroes that reminds readers why they’re the best at what they are. make.
Although Avengers # 50 is divided into several interwoven narratives, the crux of the matter is the conclusion of “World War She-Hulks” by Aaron and artist Javier Garrón. The script started in Avengers # 46 and transformed Jennifer Walters into the Winter Hulk, a Soviet superpower with enhanced abilities. In this issue, Jen fights her Winter Guard program and races to save Atlantis from the fallout of a gamma bomb. It’s a satisfying resolution that brings She-Hulk back to his traditional status quo while also helping to ease tensions between Namor and the Avengers. This development allows Aaron to highlight She-Hulk as one of the most versatile members of their team and shows how valuable his talents can be when applied correctly. As always, Garrón’s art highlights the action and emotional depths of the story, making it suitable for the larger-than-life characters featured. In particular, Jen’s glittering homepage emerging from the blast echoes John Byrne’s time on the hero, almost breaking the fourth wall to say, “She-Hulk is back.”
Another essential narrative present throughout Avengers # 50 is the story of Ka-Zar traveling through time to see the different incarnations of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes from several millennia. Drawn by Ed McGuinness, Carlos Pacheco and Rafael Fonteriz, these stories draw on the set Avengers story that Aaron started in Marvel Legacy # 1. Each artist brings a unique skill to the story. McGuinness’ grandiloquent silhouettes project a sense of power and entice readers by directing them into the action with a foreshortening. Elsewhere, Pacheco’s intricate details make the Omni-Avengers feel like characters in their own right, despite their relative novelty.
Besides, Avengers # 50 lays the groundwork for the next themed multiverse Avengers forever. As such, Jason Aaron and Aaron Kuder’s exploration of the Multiversal Masters of Evil takes many of the ideas from recent years and takes them into the unknown. As the Avengers grapple with the threat lurking beyond the horizon, Doctor Doom’s new team are already busy slaying the Orb, a longtime favorite of Jason Aaron who has appeared in many of his. comics over the years. Since the villain could observe all of reality, killing the Orb gives this story a sense of finality and helps uplift the villains – since they effectively ended one of Aaron’s oldest sons.
Ultimately, Avengers # 50 features a Short History of Novelist Christopher Ruocchio and Artist Steve McNiven. In it, Thor defends the not yet King Arthur from an attack by Brood in the fifth century. It’s a fun bonus that complements Thor’s encounter with Brood from “Starbrand Reborn”. It’s incredibly accessible and offers a welcome respite from the central narrative’s high-octane action, with enough quality character work to warrant its inclusion. This tale is Ruocchio’s first comic book, so the novelist could have a bright future at Marvel Comics.
Avengers # 50 is filled with everything fans can ask for from Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Aaron, Garrón, McGuinness, Pacheco, Kuder, and Fonteriz craft a gripping tale that sums up everything the Avengers have been, are, or will be. Completed by a captivating back-up from Ruocchio and McNiven, Avengers # 50 catapults the team into Avengers forever with style and flair the powerful Marvel way.
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