Richard Gratton's Fantastic Reads 4 U
Uncanny Avengers #13
Marvel Comics
Release Date: 08/31/2016
Generally, I don't like event tie-ins, but Uncanny Avengers #13 is different. So many event tie-ins I've read in the past are just excuses to put major characters on the covers of books fans might not usually read and pass them off as must haves, or more relevant than they really are just to make more money. This one is different. This one is relevant. It's directly related to the events in Civil War II. And most importantly, it's a really good story with solid, dynamic art; plus, it sets the stage for what is soon to come in the Marvel Universe.
This issue is essentially, two separate stories – one a solo, and the other a duo. In the first half of the comic, Deadpool attempts to break Hawkeye out of prison. He has even gone to the extreme of having a completely new identity set up for Clint. The interplay between the two characters is ironic on so many levels that I was immediately drawn into the story. I was looking for answers from Hawkeye, which turn out to be less than I expected, but truly believable nonetheless.
The comic then shifts to Captain America dealing with Cable, and a war that Cable is supposedly about to start. There is plenty of tension between these two characters which leads to Cable's departure from the team – which we knew would come eventually, since Cable himself joined the team on a temporary basis anyway. What I didn't expect, is that he would take Rogue with him. And I would suspect that this is a prelude to the upcoming event: Inhumans Vs. X-Men.
Throughout the comic, the art is solid, dynamic and engaging. I have never disliked Stegman's art, but I am not a big fan of his in general because of how odd his work can be at times; but this story is so good that any flaws the art may have I completely missed or overlooked because of how engrossed I became by what was going on.
The only thing missing in this issue is the rest of the team. I may be old-fashioned, but when I read a team book, I expect to see the team in some form or another. Does the book suffer as a result? Not at all. In fact, the story is so well plotted and paced that the addition of any more team members would actually detract from the story's impact rather than add to it.
Uncanny Avengers is easily one of my favorite books Marvel is currently publishing and if they continue to put out issues like this one, it will stay a favorite for a long time. If you are not reading this title, you are missing something special. Solid art matched with great storytelling is not always the easiest thing to find in the world of current comics, but Uncanny Avengers has both.
Scale of Awesomeness: 9 out of 10
