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Uncanny Avengers #30: Review

Dec 2017
Jim Zubkavich, Sean Izaakse

Story Name:

Finding the future


Synopsis

Uncanny Avengers #30 Synopsis by Rob Johnson
Wonder Man floats down out of the sky to meet Scarlet Witch in a park. They remember how they made love in #13 of the 1st series of this title, but almost immediately (due to a time loop) in #22 Simon Williams was trapped in Rogue's head. He only escaped from there in our #22 (a coincidence of numbers), and left with his old pal Beast after #23. This is the 1st time he's met up with Wanda Maximoff since his return (Secret Empire got in the way).

Wanda tells him some of what she's done while he was 'away'. She doesn't mention she and brother Quicksilver getting yet another origin in our vol 2. She does say she's explored her magic heritage (in her own 2nd series where she met the spirit of her mother who was a Scarlet Witch before her). This defines her now, not her brother or the Avengers or her ex-husband Vision ... or Simon. So she gives him the brush off (again - I'll soon be documenting Avengers West Coast #69 where she did it before, and just like then he leaves in a huff). She also omits Secret Empire where she was taken over by Chthon.

Elsewhere Human Torch and Rogue are enjoying flying around. They land to discuss Johnny Storm's new status as a billionaire (he inherited brother-in-law Reed Richards' money in #28). He tells Anna Marie he's decided to found some educational charities and grants for scientific research (we see 1 of those in Marvel 2-In-One #1 out this week). He can't save the Fantastic Four's old home the Baxter Building (after it was sold when Parker Industries went bankrupt - Secret Empire again), but he *has* bought Avengers Mansion (that Tony Stark had to sell when *he* had cash flow problems) and  given it back to the Avengers.

Team member and Inhuman Synapse is in an Inhuman hospital being treated for the severe injuries she suffered during the fight with Juggernaut last issue. She meets Hellion again, who is helping out there. They met before in #6 when he was driven mad by the M-Pox (the effect the Inhumans' Terrigen Mist has on mutants) and telekinetically attacked New Attilan - Synapse stopped him and the Inhumans later cured him. Now he works here out of gratitude.

(The fact that Hellion has no hands or forearms and does everything by telekinesis (including controlling the artificial hands which float disconnected from his body) isn't due to the M-Pox. He lost those in an earlier fight with a Nimrod Sentinel (X-Force v3 #27).)

Julian Keller gives Emily Guerrero a letter from Quicksilver, and leaves her alone to read it. Pietro Maximoff apologises for having caused her injuries by his unthinking pride last issue. His sister ordered him to leave the team and he's gone to contemplate his sins. (But he's still on the cast list this issue.)

Wanda is meditating while levitating in the lotus position. Doctor Voodoo comes to see her. She tells him she has been seeking a balance between duty and personal needs. She recommends he does the same. Jericho Drumm has been concentrating too much on mental things - so she kisses him. She suggests they explore both sides of their lives together. He readily agrees.

We next see Rogue in a courtroom as a character witness for Shocker, Herman Schultz. In #24 she found him robbing a bank during the Secret Empire blackout. But in #25 he helped her fight the Darkforce monsters. She believes he is open to a chance at redemption.

Then she joins Beast and Wasp where Avengers Mansion is being renovated under the supervision of Edwin Jarvis and Johnny Storm. Captain America, the 'returned' Steve Rogers (after he was 'replaced' by the Hydra version for Secret Empire), has come to see Rogue. They clear up for us the fact that it was bad Cap who disbanded the Avengers Unity Squad (back in #14). He commends her for keeping the team going unofficially and asks her to continue leading them as part of the rebuilt Avengers. But she says they'd rather remain independent - but they'll help when needed (like in the upcoming Avengers weekly adventure 'No Surrender'). Steve is taken aback but agrees.

We end with Beast, Cap, Dr V, HT, Rogue and Wanda standing in front of the re-placed statue of the original Avengers team. Which has the extra female seen in Marvel Legacy, who will be important to that weekly tale.


 

Review / Commentaries

Rating:
4 stars

Uncanny Avengers #30 Review by (December 23, 2017)
The team has been busy since I last wrote about them in #23:-
Dr Voodoo, Human Torch, Quicksilver, Rogue, Synapse and Wasp spent #24-25 fighting demons in Manhattan under the Darkforce dome during Secret Empire.
Scarlet Witch joined them after being freed from Chthon's influence (Secret Empire again) in time to fight Graviton in #26-27.
Beast and Wonder Man's names got briefly added to the cast list in #28 but they didn't meet the team, just fought Whirlwind. Meanwhile the team fought Juggernaut in #28-29.
Now B&WM are back on the cast list again for this issue but only Beast seems to (possibly) join them.

Jim Zub took over as scripter from Gerry Duggan for all those issues, with Sean Izaakse joining as artist from #25 after a fill-in by Kim Jacinto.

This is a tidying up issue, and the characters on the last page might be the ongoing team. Except this is also the last issue (despite being only the 3rd issue under the new Marvel Legacy banner). The series joins US Avengers (and Occupy Avengers earlier) in being cancelled to make way for the weekly Avengers story arc which we are told will involve all the teams.

The last 3 issues were also cover-titled 'Stars And Garters'. This refers to Beast's catch-phrase begun when he was an Avenger - especially when he buddied up with Wonder Man. So I expected it to centre around the duo, maybe their addition to the team.  True, they took up nearly half of #28 - but without meeting the Avengers. But then they weren't in last issue, and they're only peripheral players here - without any clear indication of their ongoing status. We'll have to wait for the Unity Squad's apps in Avengers to see what's what.



> Uncanny Avengers comic book info and issue index

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Holy smokes, Batman!
(The Boy Wonder)

Sean Izaakse
Sean Izaakse
Tamra Bonvillain
Terry Dodson (Cover Penciler)
Rachel Dodson (Cover Inker)
Additional Credits
Letterer: Clayton Cowles.
Editor: Tom Brevoort.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Beast
Beast

(Henry Phillip McCoy)
Captain America
Captain America

(Steve Rogers)
Doctor Voodoo
Doctor Voodoo

(Jericho Drumm)
Human Torch
Human Torch

(Johnny Storm)
Jarvis
Jarvis

(Edwin Jarvis)
Quicksilver
Quicksilver

(Pietro Maximoff)
Rogue
Rogue

(Anna Marie LeBeau)
Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch

(Wanda Maximoff)
Shocker
Shocker

(Herman Schultz)
Synapse
Synapse

(Emily Guerrero)
Wasp
Wasp

(Janet Van Dyne)
Wonder Man
Wonder Man

(Simon Williams)

Plus: Avengers Unity Squad, Hellion.