The Avengers are going global, but is their expansion worth your time & money?

Here is the summary from Marvel:

The greatest heroes in comics together on one unbeatable team! Now shipping twice a month, the Avengers “go large,” expanding their roster and their sphere of influence to a global and even interplanetary level. When Captain America puts out his call – who will answer? Big threats, big ideas, big idealism – these are the Avengers NOW!

Captain America & Iron Man have come to the conclusion that the Avengers need to expand on a global level, but before they can act on their plan they respond to a disturbance originating on Mars. Cap, Iron Man, Black Widow, Hulk, Thor, & Hawkeye travel to the now green Mars to confront this dangerous new enemy head on, and the aftermath of this prompts Cap to activate his and Iron Man’s plan earlier than expected.

Jonathan Hickman takes the reigns from Brian Michael Bendis, and gives the book that signature touch that made his run on FF so great. Succeeding in making this title very reader friendly, using the movie team in order to entice fans of the summer blockbuster, while also crafting a enjoyable introduction into the opening issue. Setting up future plot pints in the beginning of the story that will pay major dividends as the book rolls on. The villian, while a bit complicated for newer readers, is a big enough threat where the you are able to believe it is an Avenger-sized problem.

Jerome Opena’s artwork is glorious, with a very realistic style that is just gorgeous to look at. With excellent detail and dynamic poses, you can feel the presence of the team as they arrive on Mars, the fight scenes are also done very well. A nice tactical, team based attack by the Avengers, but also shows it falling apart when the enemy starts to gain the upper-hand on them. Lush backgrounds and gives the book that epic feel. Dean White’s colors also stand out. Fitting really well with pencils, with nice muted tones and vividly colored action sequences.

If Avengers succeeds the most in one area, it is scale. The book is big, it feels big, with a nice set up, familiar characters, newer characters and it’s epic presence. In terms of an introductory issue, it also succeeds in every avenue, finding a way to gain new readers, while also keeping the older ones hooked at the same time. Balancing both the movie and comic ideas, while also crafting a smart story. Highly recommended.

4.5/5