Avengers #42 is a rock solid comic featuring a huge cast and some strong lead-up to what is hopefully going to be one hell of a finish. Hickman and Caselli are on the top of their games with this issue and if you are interested in Secret Wars, go snag some old issues of Avengers and don't blink until you've finished #42. The stinging in your eyes will be worth it – it's a damn fun ride. Read Full Review

This issue does make me wish Hickman had focused more on Cyclops and his mutant nation in recent months. Many key plot developments occurred off panel in the eight month gap that set up "Time Runs Out." Unfortunately, this is the oe that most needed fleshing out considering how little the X-Men have factored into Hickman's work before now. The Cyclops-centric scenes lack some of the impact they might have had because here's been so little build-up. Read Full Review

In sum, this issue has all the earmarks of a classic "end of the final season" ramp-up episode. As much as Jonathan Hickman loves to sprawl a story out for eons, "It All Comes Crashing Down" is fantastic proof that he can execute tight, poignant "revolving cam" action just as well. In a book divided into eight scenes, only one (intentionally) felt like the "B" plot. Secret Wars will be well-served following in kind. Bring on Battleworld! Read Full Review

Ostensibly a place-setting issue, Avengers #42 nonetheless transcends itself based off the strength of Hickman's dialogue and the handle he has on his various characters. Providing a teasing glimpse of what's to come, Avengers #42 ignites anticipation for the final event as 'Secret Wars' looms ever closer. Read Full Review

Avengers #42 is great as a build up to a finale. While it doesn't kick the story forward a lot, it plants a solid foundation for a fitting end, both with the threads it dangles and the characters it develops. With only two issues left, and an interlocking story with New Avengers, there's still a lot of ground to cover. Still, Hickman is providing the path towards the end. And while the future doesn't look so bright for the intergalactic heroes of this issue, we can rest assured that they'll be given a proper send off by a talented team or writers and artists. Read Full Review

Its great to see a buildup issue that neither feels like a holding pattern nor that its focused solely on the plot. Hickmans ability to consistently have characters drive plot, rather than the other way around, means a lot more investment in the outcome, even if that outcome is in a major comic company, thus having only a few real variations. Its the mark of a great creator to take these preconception of how events will turn out and STILL make the reader care about the goings on within them. Read Full Review

"Avengers" #42 is impressive because it doesn't try to be impressive; Hickman is simply using what he's already presented to bring his massive story to a close, and Caselli merely brings it to life. Most remarkable, perhaps, is that Hickman's story still has legs after all this time and, as executed, it remains just as engaging as -- if not more than -- many of the issues leading up to it. Read Full Review

I'm very excited about this.

Guess the universe finally caught up with the Incursions, this'll be quite the battle.

Why more Guardians of the Galaxy?