Captain America and the Avengers receive a distress signal in outer space. Hopping aboard a Quinjet, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes fly to save the day, only to encounter the Xenomorphs. Maybe, they encounter face bursters that infect Wolverine, giving us a Xenomorph with an adamantium skeleton and a massive healing factor. For the most part, this seems like the making of a traditional crossover between Marvel’s premiere superhero team and some of cinema’s scariest creatures. Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic have not taken this route and in creating a story that is so unexpected and against the grain, have perhaps created one of the greatest crossovers for either franchise.
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Things are not looking good for the Avengers in our second issue of this crossover epic. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are much older than readers are used to and the tide is turning against them. While Tony Stark has been able to wade off the advances of Weyland Yutani in the board room, thanks in part to wielding some Iron Man-esque tricks up his sleeve, the elderly Avenger has come to a horrifying conclusion. Humanity is doomed and the Avengers need to save who they can. In what might be a final display of heroism for some of Marvel’s finest, the final pages of issue two introduce a very interesting element to the conflict which might put a hamper on humanity’s chances for survival.
A Comic Book Crossover For The Ages
Jonathan Hickman is a genius in terms of world-building, having a firm grasp on the characters that are a part of whatever sandbox he is helping to build. Aliens Vs. Avengers feels as grand as Secret Wars, arguably one of Marvel Comics’ greatest crossover which both Hickman and Ribic were in charge of. This fact helps create a different, more earth-shattering feel for this crossover, helping readers to invest more in these characters that act as reflections of the Avengers of Earth 616. On top of this, Hickman has weaved a very different threat to the world at large.
The alien scourge, which is currently overwhelming humanity and threatening its very existence, is far from the only threat that is facing Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. In working on this story, Hickman is truly incorporating all the elements of the “Alien Universe” to present a multi-tiered threat to the Avengers. Weyland-Yutani and its androids specifically almost act like Hickman’s “Builders”, a key part of the writer’s Avengers run that kept the band of superheroes on their toes. In the final pages, we are given a look at the Engineers, a long tenant in the Alien universe that offers a very different threat. Aliens Vs. Avengers is a story that hits the heroes on all sides and it makes for an amazing read in doing so. This series is the pinnacle example of “expect the unexpected.”
In extrapolating this point, I need to point out Miles Morales and the hilarious new symbiote that Brooklyn’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is partnering with. It’s an ingenious way to blend the two universes together and that is such a strength here for Hickman that it’s worth focusing on that point specifically. The merging of these two universes feels so natural that you could see it happening in either landscape, which is another major strength of the series.
Abandon Earth
Of course, a great comic book series needs a great artist to accompany a writer and Esad Ribic once again hits the heights of his career with this story. Ribic can both capture the menace of the xenomorph scourge and the heroism intrinsic in what is left of humanity in their final push for survival. While the Avengers might look greatly different from what we’ve seen in the past, you can tell through Ribic’s art who is supposed to be who and the emotion that is apparent on their faces in this darkest hour.
Aliens Vs. Avengers is an example of what truly can be done in the world of comic book crossovers. In the past, we’ve seen both the Aliens and the Predators creating some fantastic crossovers in meeting with the likes of Batman, Superman, The Justice League, Wolverine, and more, but Hickman and Ribic are on another level with this series. I am hard-pressed to think of anything I don’t like about this series, turning each page on the edge of my seat, and I can’t wait to see how the creative team brings this one to an end.
Published By: Marvel Comics
On: Wednesday, November 6th, 2024
Written By: Jonathan Hickman
Art By: Esad Ribic
Colors By: Ive Svorcina
Letters By: VC’s Cory Petit
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Image Credit: Marvel Comics
