Avanvolk's Profile

Story is just okay, but my goodness is Scalera's art ever a treat to look at.

Actually pretty good, albeit too wordy at times. Art was incredible.

Rafael Grampa is a good artist, but a very poor writer. I'm sad to say that there was absolutely nothing remarkable about this series. I'm not sure what the point of it was other than "rich people are bad" and "Batman needs Bruce Wayne", both of which are such unoriginal and tired ideas it's exhausting having to read about them yet again. Anyway, I don't have much to say. I wanted to like this but didn't really. It was very forgettable, which is a shame because the hardcover deluxe edition is absolutely stunning and it makes it really hard to want to get rid of it.

Also, does Rafael Grampa not know how the Hangman game works? You write down ALL of the D's when that letter is guessed, you don't have to guess a letter more than once.more

The art is still good, and the story still underwhelms. Batman gets saved and then beat up by homeless teens? Please. And what even is the story being told here? Who is the main bad guy? What is the central plotline? It doesn't seem to have much direction. And I guess we have the Joker now? But he's a child...? I'm so confused.

This was a bit of a mess. The last couple issues were the best of the run so far, but this one drops back down to the low quality I'd come to expect. So much was happening and very little of it was clear, and then it all got resolved so quickly and easily that it makes you wonder what the point of it all was. Very disappointing from a usually stellar creative team. The best part of this run is Fla sh Thompson. Everyone and everything else is entirely forgettable.more

Rick Remender and Matteo Scalera are a match made in heaven.

The pacing in this issue was all over the place. Jumped from scene to scene with little to no warning, made it hard to follow what was happening. Writing is okay at best, and while the art is good, the story just isn't all that inspired. I'm not a fan of the alternative origins of Batman with young Bruce going psycho and then having his... *checks notes* ...memories erased? By a doctor? Ok then. P rofessional victim Nia is as unlikeable as Rafael Grampa seems to be trying to make Bruce Wayne in this story. For some reason, none of these characters are all that likeable, even Alfred and Gordon, which I'm sure wasn't the goal.more

A decent start. The art style was different and took a little getting used to, but eventually I decided I like it. There were some really cool panels, my personalf favourite being the silhouette of Batman in the basement hallway. The villain is really interesting and I look forward to learning more about him, although the murder investigation and reveal about Bruce Wayne seems a little unoriginal. It's the old "Batman uncovers something shocking about his or his parents' past and it changes EVERYTHING" trope. I hope it goes somewhere new and interesting, otherwise it's not likely to separate itself much from other Batman stories. I can already tell Nia is going to be an absolutely insufferable character, which I'm sure isn't what they were going for, so that's fun. I'm curious to see how they're going to fit her storyline in with the rest of the plot.more

FINALLY Secret Avengers starts to get good. Probably too little, too late, but also better late than never. Matteo Scalera's art really improves the overall quality. I also love me some Taskmaster and Remender writes him very well here.

*Some spoilers follow, read at your own risk*

There was a LOT going on in this issue. We get some big answers, which was very satisfying. We are also left with a somewhat open-ended conclusion that actually fits quite well with what has been one of the main themes of this series: Figuring out what alive means and figuring out how to BE alive, in the fullest sense possible. Throughout al l these time jumps, all these different characters and factions, everyone's main pursuit seemed to be ascending to something greater. Physical, technological, spiritual...they all sought advancement to the utmost. The irony is that for all of their efforts, the highest level of "alive" that anyone ended up achieving (ascendance to godhood) ended with them simply returning back into the world they came from, dead, and sometimes even before they were born.

My mind is a bit jumbled after reading this finale if I'm honest (though the narrattive timeline at the end was very helpful and much appreciated), and I feel like I'm going to need to sit with and chew on it for a while, and maybe even re-read it, before I figure out how I truly feel about it, but what I can say is that any series that makes me think this much and that stays with me after I've read it is a sure sign that it made an impact, and I can confidently say that it was a good one. I did thoroughly enjoy this series, despite its density and ambition. Ewing was operating on Jonathan Hickman levels of high concept ideas and top notch writing, and Simone Di Meo churned out some truly breathtaking art that was just perfect for the story. I enjoyed every issue, and I will absolutely be coming back to it again someday.more

This was an awesome penultimate issue. It's looking like we may finally get some answers, although at this point I think I may be content not to have all of my questions answered. Ewing has crafted such a compelling story that the journey has been engaging enough that the destination doesn't matter as much as I once thought it would. I would still love to know what happened to Georges Malik and wh at the gods are, but I'm realizing that the point of this story is simply to get readers to ponder the question: What is alive? If that's the only question that gets answered in the final issue, then I think I'll be happy.more

Okay story, great art. I love Taskmaster so hopefully he gives this run a much needed boost.

This issue was simply stunning. Incredibly written and gorgeously illustrated, this issue was a prime example of the potential of this series. I'm just worried that, so close to the end, we won't get a satisfying enough resolution. I hope I'm wrong, but even if I'm not, this issue on its own was spectacular.