Comic Browser:

#9
#10
#11
#12
#13
#14
#15
#16
#17
#18
#20
#21
Selector

Avengers World #18: Review

Mar 2015
Frank Barbiere, Marco Checchetto

Story Name:

Before time runs out Part 2

Review & Comments

Rating:
4 stars

Avengers World #18 Review by (March 20, 2015)
The non-cover team fronted by Marco Checchetto as artist mostly continues as it has from #14 and alternating issues for a while before that. But Frank Barbiere joined Nick Spencer as writer for #15-16, and became the sole scripter from last issue. Dept of misleading covers:- Zebra kids and Superia aren't inside. And Sunspot doesn't actually *succeed* in taking over AIM here. All the Aleph robots in this universe were destroyed during Infinity. In Av#35 Nightmask and Starbrand only see 1 Aleph, which Nightmask thinks indicates that the shrinking multiverse is causing things to shift between universes. But now we see lots of marauding Alephs and a Builder spaceship which presumably ties in with the multiversal Builder activities seen in New Avengers #30. Monica Rappaccini was Scientist Supreme at least of 1 AIM faction as 1st seen in the Scorpion stories in Amazing Fantasy (2004). She continued in that role until she was captured in Avengers (2010) #25. Dialogue in this issue suggests she was freed from prison as part of the AIM takeover deal. But if that's true I don't know where her appearances in Uncanny X-Men (2013) #15 and All-New X-Men #21 fit in. The current Scientist Supreme Andrew Forson welcomes her back this issue. But he was 1st seen in the role in FF (2011) #1, before Rappaccini was arrested. So presumably they were in different AIM groups.

#34 of the current Avengers ended with Captain America intending to gather all the Avengers to go after the Illuminati. Then Avengers and New Avengers titles jumped forward 8 months, with aged Steve Rogers leading a small Avengers group still trying to capture them. But nothing was actually shown in other titles continuing in the present day about an Avengers/Illuminati feud. The flashback with Steve Rogers and Sunspot does show Steve trying to get the Avengers behind him, and Sunspot refusing - leading to his leading the majority of the Avengers as we've seen in the future-set issues. This flashback does have some bearing on the continuity problem because it is aged Rogers trying to start the war not him as Cap in Av#34. So his aging and handing over to Sam Wilson must have happened in between. Namor's 2nd thoughts about the Cabal will lead to him betraying them in Av#40, and to another Black Swan/Sub-Mariner conversation in Av#42 which came out the same week as this issue.




 

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Avengers World #18 Synopsis by Rob Johnson
This is part of a sequence of stories detailing events in the 8 month gap in the Avengers and New Avengers series. As such the previously page shows events from the post-8-month future and the pre-8-month past. In the future in Av#35 Sunspot tells Cannonball he's bought AIM, and Nightmask and Starbrand discover Builders' Aleph robots from other timelines. In the past Sub-Mariner recruits the Cabal in NAv#23 to destroy incursion Earths from other timelines.

Now we see Corvus Glaive and Terrax killing the armoured defenders of Castle Fantastic on 1 such world. Namor has dealt with Reed Richards and now confronts Sue Richards. He intends to give her an easy death, but Proxima Midnight stabs her in the back. They all leave alongside the other Cabal members Black Swan, Maximus and Thanos as that Earth explodes.

Roberto Da Costa turns up at the Company he owns in Rio De Janeiro. Up to now he's been living off his trust fund and spending time as an X-Man and Avenger as Sunspot. But now he wants to use the company to help save the universe.

Nightmask and Starbrand have left South Carolina after the Kolobus affair in Av#34.2. They're in outer space looking for something bad they detected. Nightmask is getting younger and is growing some hair. Starbrand gets a nosebleed as something overwhelms his senses. And on the planet Orisia a Builder spaceship arrives and Alephs start slaughtering the population.

Bobby remembers inspirational advice from his father as he prepares to face the board of directors. He reminds them that Terrax just told the UN about the incursion problem and how the Cabal are solving it for them (as we saw in flashback in Av#37). He tells them that Da Costa International is going to seek an alternative solution.

Roberto announces that he has bought the criminal science organisation AIM. He introduces them to Monica Rappaccini, a former Scientist Supreme of AIM and now his liaison there. He points out that AIM are leaders in the field of interdimensional technology, which will be vital in this situation. He has met AIM workers before (Av#11) and they're just clever scientists whose bosses just happened to be evil.

Monica interrupts him to present an unscheduled video call from the current Scientist Supreme. Andrew Forson objects strongly to the takeover, and Rappaccini shows her allegiance by killing the members of the board. She then teleports to AIM Island.

Sunspot escapes as his Company HQ is destroyed. He has more flashes of memory, including refusing to help Steve Rogers hunt down the Illuminati (after Av#34). And he swears to get control of AIM 1 way or another.

The Cabal return to their base in the ruins of Wakanda's Necropolis. Black Swan takes Namor aside and accuses him of regretting his decision to form the group. She warns him against betraying them.



Marco Checchetto
Marco Checchetto
Andres Mossa
Jeff Dekal (Cover Penciler)
Jeff Dekal (Cover Inker)
Jeff Dekal (Cover Colorist)


Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Captain America
Captain America

(Steve Rogers)
Mr. Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic

(Reed Richards)

Plus: Aleph, Cannonball.

> Avengers World: Book info and issue index

Share This Page


Elektra