REVIEW: Avengers: Ultron Forever #1

STORY BY:Â Al Ewing
ART BY:Â Alan Davis, Mark Farmer
COLORS BY:Â Rachelle Rosenberg
LETTERS BY:Â VC – Travis Lanham
COVER BY:Â Alan Davis, Mark Farmer, Rachelle Rosenberg,Skottie Young , Mike McKone , Jason Keith , Ryan Meinerding

Behind a multitude of variant covers, we have what you would have to assume is Marvel upping the fervor for the upcoming Avengers sequel Age of Ultron.

So, the world’s are in trouble From across time Doctor Doom assembles a team of Avengers featuring the old, the current Â and the future. Once he has the team, it’s off to take the battle to Ultron and his brain wiped minions.

Al Ewing, known mainly for his work on 2000A.D., is the scribe and its easy to see that his previous work has stood him in good stead, with the dark future-scapes that exist. Characters for the most part, are well rounded, with the necessary explanation of the future Captain America handled well. Fellow brit, and a personal favourite of mine, Alan Davis turns in his usual clean lines, sculptured faces and overall energy, throughout both the action and dialogue panels. Of the panels, the layout works well, with panels layered over others to help draw your eye and therefore, focus on key elements. My only concern, minor though it is, is the early version of the Hulk. I am not sure if it’s the art or the writing. If this is the early version of the Hulk, he is certainly more verbose than I have read.

This book, maybe channels Days of Future Past, more like Days of Past and Futures Future, with the end of the world scenario and the possibility of the team failing it’s task. It’s hard to get past the idea that whilst the book is pretty to look at, there will be no real changes to any of the timelines, with everything being as it was. Of course, Marvel has its own reset button hanging over its current book line with the not so Secret War, so the cynic in me asks what is the point of the book?

The answer lies in the first paragraph, and on a couple of the variant covers. It is to get everyone excited about Ultron who as a villain, is not a household name like Doctor Doom for example. For us in the know, if you love the Avengers Â you should like this book. As a fan of Davis, it’s great to see his work. If you are neither, then take the book for what it is, a passable interlude and introduction to the implications of the the villainy of Ultron. As no doubt, you will be seeing him in cinemas next month.

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network