writer: Jonathan Hickman / artist: Mike Deodato
This is a Hickman special so you just knew that eventually you would get seven different plot threads all converging on each other at some point. And here we are: the Illuminati are still kicking everyone’s ass on the ground, the AIM Avengers have come to the party and Reed Richards is still recording Captain’s Log / Art of War lessons for Val. Just another day in the neighborhood. For the time being, the New Avengers and Avengers books don’t really exist as much as the Time Runs Out story featuring members of the Avengers. Just as Reed does to Steve Rogers, Hickman shows the readers movement with his left hand and totally blindsides you with the right. The Long Game is Hickman and I don’t know who even challenges him.
Also, I have come to the decision that I only want Mike Deodato and Leinil Francis Yu drawing my favorite Avengers characters. Deodato’s pencils have a majestic and almost mythic feel to them that is befitting to characters of this stature. He handles action about as well as anyone in the game.
Hickman continues to surprise as he’s truly playing chess with his Time Runs Out storyline. There still seems to be a lot of legs to this story, considering how encompassing it is and what’s at stake.