Comic Review: Avengers (2018-) #30

Avengers (2018-) #30

Marvel Comics

Writer: Jason Aaron

Artists: Ed McGuiness, Francesco Manna

There’s a new Starbrand in town and some people are going to fight about it! Avengers #30 brings us the end of this current Starbrand arc. The Avengers (most of them) are in space and searching for the new Starbrand, only knowing they’re from Earth. On the other hand, Silver Surfer, Firelord, and Terrax are trying to destroy the Starbrand. Also in the mix, on the side of “let’s kill the Starbrand” is Gladiator of the Shi’ar empire. 

Right off the bat, I’ll say that I’m loving this story arc. It’s wild and crazy and so out there it’s hard not to. If you’ve been reading this arc, you will remember that the Starbrand is a pregnant woman. If you haven’t been reading, you can probably guess what happens in this issue based on that sentence. I like this issue, but it’s not as, how did I put it… “wild and crazy and out there” as the rest of the story arc. It’s not bad, but it takes us from a 10 to a manageable 5.

There are some cool moments, don’t get me wrong. The first part of the comic has the Avengers fighting the heralds and Gladiator. But the back half takes a turn, and we see the backstory for the pregnant Starbrand, and how she got to space. And then if that weren’t enough, when the thing with the pregnant lady happens, the heralds take a turn as the three wise men. It’s weird. Not “weird” weird, but it’s something I didn’t think I’d see happening. 

There’s a small parallel to stories you hear in real-world immigrants in this issue. It’s heartbreaking, for sure, and it’s the type of thing that comics have done forever. It comes out of nowhere, though. It’s literally in the middle of the action-filled beginning and the peaceful-ish slower end. I think it would’ve been better if it was worked throughout the whole story arc, but it’s still good and effective as it is.

The art is great, as it’s been. The characters, fitting in with the story as a whole, are big and bold and look great. There’s a good amount of action shots in this issue, and you can’t complain about that. Even in the back half, when things settle down, it’s still the Avengers in space, with other cosmic heroes/villains. I’m still not on board with the costumes some of the team have, but it’s something that I can live with, and it’s not like they’re permanent.

Again, I like this issue. I could see where this one was heading before I even read it like I think most fans could. But it’s still enjoyable, and it gives the comic something very different to play around with going forward. The action is good in the first half, the back half takes a slower pace, but it’s not anything worth complaining about. It’s a good ending to the story arc, and one of the better, more fun story arcs of this Avengers run.