Avengers Inc.: Action, Mystery, Adventure is out next week from Marvel Comics, and it’s perfect for any readers looking for a bit more intrigue in their superhero books.
The series is by writer Al Ewing and artist Leonard Kirk, with colors by Alex Sinclair, and letters by Cory Petit. The covers are by Daniel Acuña, and artist Belardino Brabo assisted Kirk with inks on issue #3.
After a string of supervillains are murdered under suspicious circumstances, Janet Van Dyne (aka The Wasp, founding member of The Avengers) opens up Avengers Incorporated, dedicated to solving superhero mysteries. Joining Janet is the curious Victor Shade, whose name might sound familiar to you, but he’s not the Vic Shade you think you know.
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And that’s all you really need to know going into Avengers Inc., because, as you’ve probably surmised, this is a mystery comic, and figuring out what the heck is going on is half the fun.
Writing an interesting mystery story must be a daunting task, but Ewing is (not surprisingly) able to deliver. This five-issue series feels like a season of classic procedural television. Each chapter features its own intriguing case (how does one get murdered in Valhalla?) while a larger riddle continues on in the background, and you get a number of cameos from Jan’s super-friends (think of them as your “weekly guest stars”).
Mysteries need to lure you in and keep your interest; you can’t let your audience get bored with the story, and Ewing sure doesn’t. These cases keep your mind working as a reader—you’re trying to solve the mystery yourself alongside Jan and Vic. Plus, there’s still plenty of superhero fun to satiate any Marvel fan.
Kirk is given the big challenge, being asked to draw a superhero book where the emphasis is less on action and flashy costumes. In fact, due to mandates from former Mayor Wilson Fisk, costumes are outright forbidden for Janet and Vic. However, they are never missed, as Kirk and Sinclair are able to keep Avengers Inc. a visually engaging comic. It’s not devoid of action by any means, but even in more dialogue-driven scenes, you’re kept invested by the characters’ expressions and the dynamic color palette. And between Kirk’s panel layouts and Petit’s masterful lettering, there’s never a lull in the story. You can read this in one sitting (which also makes it an easy re-read when you’re jonesing for some superhero intrigue).
The only major downside to the story is that it wraps up somewhat quickly and abruptly, which is probably due to the creative team discovering issue five would be their final one. This isn’t an uncommon happening in comics, but at least here it’s handled with grace and doesn’t feel clumsy. And, though it might end quicker than you’d like, at least you can go into Avengers Inc. knowing that you’re getting a complete story.
Avengers Inc.: Action, Mystery, Adventure is out April 23rd. If you like superhero stories that take risks and try new things, be sure to pick it up so we can continue to get comics like this.
