Chuck Austen begins his "Once an Invader" story arc, which I believe marks his final few issues on the title. His run's been an uneven one, and the last story arc, "Lionheart of Avalon," was not one of his better efforts. Fortunately, this new arc starts off on a stronger note. An interesting new subplot and some striking visuals make for an engaging issue. The greatest liability here is the continued presence of the new Captain Britain. The character's origins and status quo just aren't strong enough to sustain the slightest interest. Even some of the heroes in this story question her ongoing role in the adventures of the Avengers.
The Avengers return to America where they make the late Kelsey Leigh an honorary Avenger for her sacrifice during the team's recent mission in England. Little do the heroes know that Leigh lives on, masked in the guise of the new Captain Britain. She's been inducted into the Avengers herself, but her rage gives some members reason to question the wisdom of offering her membership. Meanwhile, in the Middle East, a one-time government agent and super-hero visits with a man who's been held captive in the region for decades, offering freedom and a new purpose in life for him and his remarkable powers. Meanwhile, a new relationship blossoms between two Avengers.
If I interpret the credits correctly, the line art in this book was reproduced directly from Scott Kolins's pencils, and I have to say I'm impressed. Kolins brings an intense and iconic quality to the characters here, and the he establishes a thoroughly creepy and chaotic feel in the scenes set in the Middle East. I also love the artist's vision of the graveside statues in the Avengers memorial cemetery. Kolins's work on The Flash was always colored with a muted, stark color palette, reinforcing the working-class quality of the setting. Here, Chris Sotomayor's vibrant colors bring energy to the story and characters while never eclipsing that darker edge that's inherent in Kolins's style.
Captain Britain's secret seems to be out of the bag rather soon after it was first established, and I can't imagine why she's been incorporated into the cast of characters. The male members of the team don't trust her and they really don't know enough about her powers or abilities to know if she'd be an asset or not. They do know enough about her attitude, though, to see her as a liability. Furthermore, subjecting the Leigh children to a memorial service and the sight of their mother's final moments given form in a statue seems rather cold.
Austen brings two longtime friends and teammates together here, and I'm surprised at how well the connection works. Though he didn't really lay the groundwork for such a development, the characters are so familiar with one another through their ties to the Avengers, there's a logic to it.
Austen's resurrection of a Golden Age Marvel hero is a lot of fun, but he also brings a modern edge and cynical degree of plausibility to it as well. The character makes for a striking visual. I'm also enjoying the establishment of a team of heroes to serve as rivals to the Avengers. The use of the Invaders name makes sense, given Captain America's links to both teams. I also enjoyed seeing the return of John Walker, the one-time Captain America and U.S. Agent. It seems as though Marvel has no idea what to do with this character -- last we saw him, he was a marshal responsible for apprehending escaped super-villains -- but I like the return of the harshness and apparent hatred in the character. He was always more interesting as an antagonist as opposed to the hero of the story.
