Avengers Forever (2021) # 1

"The Lords of Earthly Vengeance, Part 1: Where 'Hope' is a Four-Letter Word"

Cover Date: February 2022

On Sale Date: December 2021

Writer: Jason Aaron

Artist: Aaron Kuder

Inker: Cam Smith

Colorist: Jason Keith & Triona Farrell

Letterer: VC's Cory Petit

Assistant Editor: Martin Biro

Associate Editor: Analisse Bissa

Editor: Tom Brevoort

Editor in Chief: C.B. Cebulski

Cover Artist: Aaron Kuder

On Earth 818, Tony Stark is the Astonishing Ant-Man and is searching underground and through the Black Skull's Venom-Ants to find the abandoned hammer Mjolnir, once wielded by Odin in prehistoric times. The Black Skull's War Machine soldiers give up their search for Stark when they are attacked by Robbie Reyes, the Ghost Rider of Earth 616 who was transported to this alternate reality by a Deathlok. Ghost Rider and Deathlok manage to stop the Crematrain, which is shuttling hundreds of people to the Black Skull's death camps. Refusing to leave them behind, Robbie pulls the train across the desert with his Hell-Charger, but is forced to stop when he reaches a roadblock commanded by the Black Skull himself. Stark watches all of this and departs with Mjolnir to his secret base, where he has gathered his own team of Avengers to fight back against the Black Skull.

That Kuder artwork is something else, people!

THE ROADMAP

Robbie Reyes was transported by Deathlok to Earth 818 in Avengers (2018) # 50.

CHAIN REACTION

Avengers Forever debuts with a renewed focus on Ghost Rider, finally giving Robbie Reyes his due after months of being in the background.

Jason Aaron's work with the Avengers has certainly had its detractors online but the man certainly has no shortage of big ideas writ large against the backdrop of the entire Marvel Universe. His writing hasn't quite clicked with me on the man Avengers series, I stopped caring once Robbie Reyes stopped being in the spotlight, but this title has sucked me back in. It delivers on a lot of the promise of Avengers # 50 by throwing the spotlight solely (almost) on Ghost Rider and his new multiversal adventures. I love, love, love the way Aaron has made Ghost Rider the heavy hitter in this issue instead of the untried rookie of the previous series, it shows a maturation of the character that is well-deserved and really sells him as the anchor for this title.

What doesn't work as well is the fact that Robbie Reyes has been so fundamentally removed from what made him an intriguing character in the first place that it almost doesn't seem like the same Ghost Rider. What made Robbie interesting way back in 2014 was his everyman presence, a mechanic in Los Angeles that takes care of his little brother and struggles with bullies in high school. That all went out the window the moment Felipe Smith stopped writing the character and was replaced by Jason Aaron's hard sci-fi approach. That type of storytelling is appropriate for the Avengers, sure, but Robbie has lost what made him so unique in the beginning by making him just another face in the crowd. I mean, it's obvious that Aaron loves Ghost Rider and the renewed focus on him instills me with hope, I just wish Robbie hadn't lost what made him so special to begin with.

Speaking of creators that have history with Ghost Rider, Aaron Kuder returns after his abbreviated run on the solo series with Ed Brisson, and his work here is literally ON FIRE. I love the kinetic motion of his work, there's such a level of detail to every piece of flame and every mound of dirt. His rendition of Robbie's Ghost Rider is now my favorite, even if he's taken away the metal stylings of the skull in favor of the traditional boned look. I'm very happy he's got a second chance to draw a Ghost Rider series.

I recommend this comic with hesitation over where things may go from here. I'm optimistic, but I felt similar when Jason Aaron began his Avengers run in the first place and was soundly disappointed.

Seriously people, THE ARTWORK!