The good news is that this conclusion is the strongest chapter in the "Chaos" story arc. The bad news is that it's still flawed, suffering from clunky plotting and an overwhelming amount of background serving as the foundation of the story. Ultimately, I think the story suffered from the creators' desire to deliver a big surprise ending for the series. The art here captures an appropriately dark tone, but David Finch's work, which makes up most of the issue, is eclipsed by the more effective and expressive art of Olivier Coipel, whose different style is employed to set apart the flashback scenes. this storyline brings this series to an end, and it certainly boasts an epic feel, but ultimately, the storyline as a whole was disappointing.
Dr. Strange arrives at the smoldering ruins of Avengers Mansion, where the Avengers and just about every super-hero in New York, have staved off a Kree invasion, but at a great cost. Strange, appearing in his astral form, had been busy meditating in an other-dimensional cone of magical silence, unaware of the chaos that had befallen his colleagues. Upon his return, he immediately sensed a huge magical disturbance, and the source is one of the Avengers' own. Doubtful, the heroes seek out the source, and they discover a heartbreaking tragedy at the centre of their recent woes.
I've said my piece about Finch's artwork in reviews of previous issues. What's interesting about this issue is how snippets from past Avengers comics, from the 1960s to the 21st century, are incorporated as flashbacks here. I'm a bit torn regarding the method. On the one hand, the repeated shifts in style are jarring, but on the other, it reinforces the landmark tone that bendis is after here. One gets the sense this is an important moment, that this is a milestone, albeit an unfortunate one. Coipel's more extended flashback sequences stand out as the strongest art in this issue (and in the story arc). There's a darkness to most of his work, but he maintains a sense of wonder about the characters as well. Their reactions are more dramatic and engaging as well.
What makes this final chapter interesting is emotion. The person responsible for the disaster that's befallen the team has a good reason for what's happening, and there's no intent to hurt anyone. The heroes' outrage at Dr. Strange's allegations rings true as well; it conveys the strong bond of friendship they feel. Furthermore, the real tragedy isn't the extensive destruction or any super-hero death, but an unimaginable sense of personal loss that's revealed as the catalyst for what's transpired.
What's hard to swallow is how that catalyst was activated. One of the characters comes off as incredibly insensitive and vapid with a casual comment referring to the most traumatic and horrific event from a friend's life. Furthermore, the exposition to explain the rather complicated path that a specific character followed strikes me as being a bit on the incomplete side. Newer readers may be left out in the cold. 6/10
