The Avengers, Vol. 1: The Impossible City

The Avengers (2023)

by Jed MacKay, C.F. Villa (Artist), Ivan Fiorelli (Artist)

A brand-new era for Earth's Mightiest Heroes begins here!

JED MACKAY AND STORMBREAKER C.F. VILLA TAKE THE REINS OF EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES! The Star. The Icon. The Witch. The Construct. The God. The Engineer. The King. The world is ever in peril, and a new team of Avengers mobilizes to meet any dangers that dare threaten the planet. But when TERMINUS attacks, a new and insidious danger rears its one that the Avengers know all too well, and one that comes to them in the most dangerous of guises - that of a friend.


Avengers (2023) #1-6 and Timeless (2022) #1

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book, Science Fiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 9, 2024

Reviews

[Noah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know, you’ll be tested / I’ll grow, your investment / I shine when my back’s against the wall / I don’t need anything at all… I don’t need anything at all (Bottom Line – Dom Fera).

I’m only going to say this once because it’s a very hard pill to swallow… but Marvel does one thing better than Dragon Ball, and that’s never allowing any of its characters to fall behind, no matter how weak or seemingly inconsequential. I just love how the teams, be it The Avengers or The Guardians of the Galaxy, always have a diverse roster with a diverse set of skill sets. I know power scalers are always arguing about who the strongest character is, but I can’t tell you how uninteresting that debate is to me! Iron Man and Star Lord fighting to a standstill is awesome, so who cares if it doesn’t make sense? It’s cool how The Impossible City features characters that I’ve never seen together before with Captain Marvel leading them. We’ve got staples like Thor, Black Panther, and Iron Man, but also the lesser appreciated like The Scarlet Witch, Sam Wilson’s Captain American, and The Vision. Oh, fun fact about The Vision! I used to have an action figure of him as a kid that seemed to materialize out of thin air one day like The Monkey, and would ask anybody who would listen what his deal was, to which almost everybody would answer with a disinterested shrug. So imagine my shock when they added the freak to Avengers: Age of Ultron and I finally got my answer. And now look at him, getting his own show and everything! But that’s exactly why I enjoy the way Marvel writes its heroes so much, because even though they have characters that nobody thinks are cool like Falcon Captain American or The Vision, they still get a spot on the roster and are given their own little mini character arcs! In that regard, I’ve got to give it to Marvel on this one, because with Dragon Ball, all the fun side characters (who I love more than any Marvel character) quickly fell to the wayside the longer the series went on, and it basically became the Goku and Vegeta show. All I’m saying is that it gets a little boring after a while. Which sucks because this wasn’t an issue with early Dragon Ball, where the villains were often so brunt-force powerful that the heroes could often work around them given a little team work and quick thinking, with the characters from earth being characterized as having a sensitivity to abilities that somebody only focused on strength could only dream of. Otherwise, I think my favorite part of superhero comics or movies is whenever the heroes go out of their way to save people. There’s that bit in the new Superman movie where he saves a squirrel while the Justice Buds are fighting a giant monster, the part in Avengers: Infinity War just before they fight the British alien where Tony Stark, Wong, Dr. Strange, and The Hulk are walking down the street and trying to help as many people as they can along the way, and you know what? Since I’m still stuck on Dragon Ball, Goku always directs the bad guys away from populous areas so they can fight without causing collateral damage. Sure, the main reason why all the big fights happen on empty fields is because Akira Toriyama hated drawing cities and didn’t want to do too many detailed backgrounds, but the point still stands that it works as strong character writing! It’s something that’s built into the core of most comic book story lines, as characters who are incredibly powerful and seemingly untouchable like Superman or Captain Marvel are never given more story significance than the normal blokes like Batman and Iron Man. It’s cool, and I like it!

I guess what I’m doing here is trying to “compliment sandwich” this review by front-loading it with positivity and comparing it generously against my favorite manga of all time… because the truth is that I would still read or watch Dragon Ball over any comic book any day, and the even deeper truth is that… I thought The Impossible City was just okay. Like I said, I enjoyed the odd assortment of characters in this new Avengers roster, the clean and dynamic art style, and the fact that Captain Marvel felt like a natural leader to the group and wasn’t uncaring and stone-faced like she is in the movies, but outside of tiny nitpicks like how I hate how Sam Wilson’s Captain America dresses like the guy with glass bones and paper skin from SpongeBob, I found that I just wasn’t the most engaged with the story. At the start we’re given a bunch of boring back story for another evil purple guy named Kang The Conqueror in what I assume was an attempt to fold the comics into the movies for the MCU’s “Multiverse Saga (yuck) before they abandoned Kang for the Robert Downey Jr. recast, then middle of the story is just Captain Marvel assembling the new Avengers and justifying why she chose these schmucks, and then it ends with a big battle against bad guys that get no build-up with a team of Avengers that barely interacted with each other beforehand. Now, a lot of good team up stories start out with a big world-ending threat being thwarted by heroes that would have never thought about working together before that point, like with The Justice League cartoon or even the 2012 Avengers movie, but I think what this comic was sorely lacking in a team dynamic. How do these people click together, because things otherwise got a little too plot focused, and because the plot wasn’t that good, I could only end up seeing this comic for what it wasn’t, rather than what it was. For example, big man Thor is very much still a member of the team in this comic and I still somehow managed to forget he was there the minute he left the page in an example of my lack of object permanence! Well, it doesn’t help that I never found his character all that interesting anyway and I always hated how he talks like a theater kid doing Shakespeare, so maybe me ignoring him was mostly just a mental block on my end. Hey, I know everybody hates him now, but Taika Waititi’s version of Thor (in Thor: Ragnarök) was the only version of the character that got my ass to watch a movie featuring him as the main character in theaters. I’m just saying that if this comic were a bit more character focused, like giving the team more interactions with each other before the plot really starts to get going in a way similar to the first Alien movie, then I would have had a much better time reading this. On a positive note though, you could say that The Impossible City reads more like an anime than a classic superhero comic, with the incredibly high-stakes coming out of nowhere, every Avenger getting their own little one-off bad guy to deal with like in Bojack Unbound, or Captain Marvel taking out her villain by going Super Saiyan 2 the same way Goku did with Yakon on Babidi’s spaceship. And as someone who has only started reading comic books in earnest only a year ago and has a much greater affinity towards manga… you know what? I can live with that.

“That’s the thing about planet Earth, friend, and I should know: everyone’s a critic.”

[Baba · Rating 2 out of 5]

So a new season with a new creative team led by Jed MacKay, with a team of veteran Avengers led by Cap Marvel; they first get a deadly warning from a seemingly dying Kang; and then face a group of new villains brought to Earth by the Impossible City. Old fashioned artwork and plotting, but interesting characterisations (so far) of the Black Panther, Scarlet Witch and the Impossible City itself; as well as an overall thought provoking premise of many (new?) troubles to come. Hopefully better to come, but this was a middling Two Star, 5 out of 12 read.

2024 read

[Oscar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kang likes to hear himself talk

[Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe there have been too many all-new, all-different # 1's for me, but this new Avengers doesn't quite do it for me. No offense to Jed MacKay, it's a fine modern superhero story, and it's a noble effort to introduce new villains and do something different. But it's a little exhausting that the world is always ending, that's the nature of mainline teams like the Avengers though.

To compare to the previous run, I was one of the few people who liked Jason Aaron's. His sense of humor and weird scifi concepts worked for me. However, it went on far too long with the multiversal war stuff. It would have been a better followup to take this new team, led by Carol Danvers and featuring Sam Wilson and also Vision is back, to be more character-based and have smaller moments. In my humble opinion.

It will be interesting to see how the story develops in the long-term. Perhaps this will be a beloved run. I would recommend to new readers, but old school Avengers fans should at least wait for the trade(s).

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spinning out of the pages of the Timeless one shot from 2022, we have Jed Mackay’s Avengers. Reeling from his defeat in Timeless, Kang desperately tells Captain Marvel what’s coming but loses consciousness before he can finish the whole story. One of the things he spoke about shows up, the impossible city. Some super powerful beings leave this city to come to earth to destroy it. All the Avengers find themselves up again some serious competition. Art was great and there were two awesome fight sequences. I’m really digging the story too. Really curious to see where this goes, to hear the rest of Kang’s story, and to find out what the missing moment is from Timeless. By the end, the Avengers end up with a new member also. Cool.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kang is super Kang-y in the lead-in story and what ensues is a globe-spanning Avengers brawl featuring baddies to tax all the team's Heavy Hitters (Captain Marvel, Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, Thor, Vision) while Captain America (the Sam Wilson variety) and Black Panther investigate the origins of the threat and make surprising discoveries that will, no doubt, have an impact on the rest of this run.


To be fair Toronto is indeed an Impossible City...at least if you are trying to find an affordable home!

[Anna Quilter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty epic (in scope) start to Jed MacKays run.
A strong new team lead by Carol Danvers...surprised by The Vision being included but no real left field inclusions.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A new team of Avengers led by Carol Danvers tries to save humanity. This volume started out slow and the villains aren't all that interesting. The art was pretty good and the writing was decent enough. It just didn't hold my interest that well. Perhaps in volume 2 things will get better.

[Christian Zamora-Dahmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was thrilled with the start of this new run. Finally an Avengers title that wasn’t as dumbed down as the last run. Definitely these characters deserve it. The first few issues hit just the right notes, both in art as in story. Kang is a great adversary, and at the same time, the Avengers, each one of them, were portrayed so nicely that they made my comics sense tingle. The one thing that brought a bit down my enthusiasm was having all of the members of the team fighting separate menaces, with the exception of Captain America and Black Panther who teamed-up. This was odd because one of the richest aspects of the Avengers is their interaction, but that’s what we got: four issues with every Avenger fighting their own battle. I see this as a missed opportunity.
The Ashen Combine group was also an interesting menace, but we also missed seeing them as a team.
And one of the big problems I see when we split the members to have 6 different battles all at once is that we fall into a formula: at one point they’re all facing terrible odds, at another point they all seem defeated, and they all finally figure out how to succeed, all at the same time. It takes away a lot of to joy to read a story through this formula. It’s a bit of a drag to go 6 times throw the same scenario…
I’m still giving this book a 4-star rating because it has the potential to live up to the characters it is portraying. The writing is good and it would be much better if it moves away from this rigid formula. Here I’m hoping.

[Alex Sarll]

I love MacKay's Moon Knight; his Black Cat and Strange aren't far behind. So a promotion to not just one of Marvel's big characters, but the lead team book, makes perfect sense. But part of what makes those solo series sing is the ways in which they aren't solo, the supporting casts assembled around each oddball lead, the interactions. Whereas for most of this, our seven Avengers are split up, facing separate threats around the world after Earth is attacked by the Ashen Combine, a team of alien urban redevelopers even less respectful of the current inhabitants than Earth's homegrown ones. Who feel like a cross between Jonathan Hickman OCs and a threat I could see the Authority facing, and who have an even more pronounced version of the heroes' problem; we barely see them together and, given their massively divergent philosophies, there's no real sense of how they might exist together in the times between fucking up planets, why they work together. As a back to basics Avengers book after the absurdly maximalist Aaron run, it makes sense, and the Immonen feel of Villa's art brings a pleasingly open look, but it feels like it's missing a dimension. And yes, there are breadcrumbs of an overarching plot, a missing moment that Kang can't access, an incoming series of tribulations, but I don't mean that - and not just because Kang as a big player is no longer the smart multimedia synergy it must have seemed when this was conceived, or because I recently read Knights Of Pendragon and so yet another clashing Marvel echo of Camelot feels particularly unnecessary. More that I'd like to see the protagonists actually get chance to hang out, beyond Tony and Carol disavowing Civil War II or Sam and T'challa bickering. Hell, from this you'd never even know that Wanda and Vision are exes working together!

[Tyler Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting to include last year’s Timeless in this volume when this year’s is almost here, but I get it. This was a good Avengers story and this new villain group, The Ashen Combine, are kind of scary. They stumped this very powerful group of Avengers for 6 issues. Captain Marvel, Scarlet Witch, Thor, and Vision are really the only people this team needs but everyone brings something to the table. Even if that means Black Panther and Captain America spend 3 issues giving a pep talk to a sentient, depressed city. I had a lot of fun with this story and I like the direction the series is heading. Excited to see what comes next.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a tad worried about Jed MacKay taking over on the mainline Avengers series. I know him as a "quantity over quality" guy at Marvel. Everything he writes (mainly Moon Knight) is aggressively fine. Like comics as warm milk - smooth, comforting, forgettable.

But he definitely brought some of that Doctor Strange finesse to The Avengers. Honestly, you can still see MacKay's thumbprint. After some initial setup where Captain Marvel builds a new Avengers team, we're confronted with the Impossible City, a space city containing the Ashen Combine, a fresh crop of villains (each with a different power!) for our new Avengers to compete against around the world.

It's a rather predictable setup and plotline, but it's honestly quite well done. The villains each feel unique and interesting, the match-ups intriguing. The heroes find unpredictable ways to win their battles and ultimately, the Impossible City becomes a hero too and, presumably, the new homebase of the Avengers since their Celestial flew the coop in Avengers Assemble.

Even better, the whole thing revolves around the introductory one-shot featuring Kang. I know, I know, this was probably a Loki/Ant-Man film tie-in thing last year, but I still dig the guy and his time-traveling weirdness. Here particularly, we see a new side to Kang as the guy who sent the Ashen to Earth (a Merlin equivalent?) battles Kang for "the lost moment" (or whatever). Super intriguing, and I can't wait to see how this plays out over the series as a whole.

Much, much better Avengers than Jason Aaron's initial few volumes, where he was just rehashing past narratives. The Impossible City feels new and fresh, even as it hits all the classic comic book highlights. It's not like, perfect, but it gets five-stars for pretty much exactly matching what I'd hope for in an Avengers comic.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely crazy start to this new run on The Avengers! Looks like this Volume may be setting up not having them on Earth for a while...
Highlights:
- Captain Marvel creates the team again, this time with: herself, Captain America (Sam), Scarlet Witch, Vision, Thor, Iron Man, and Black Panther
- Kang the Conquerer, while searching for "The Missing Moment", a peace of his own history, is defeated and almost killed by the arrival of Myrddin (Merlin) and his team, the Twilight Enclave. He seeks out the Avengers to warn them of the threat.
- During a battle against Terminus, Kang is able to communicate a bit before passing out.
- The Impossible City comes into orbit around Earth and sends out a team of seemingly unstoppable villains, The Ashen Combine down to Earth to begin conquering. The Avengers break into groups and tackle these threats, almost losing, but coming out fine by the end.
- The Impossible City, being sentient, feels the freedom of the Ashen Combine members being defeated and wishes to help, joining the Avengers. (Why do I feel like this is a bad idea?)

Overall, very interested to see what happens with our team. So much else is going on in the 616... what threat will be next?
Recommend.

[Chelsea 🏳️‍🌈 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Avengers run, but not the worst I've read, either. I quit reading them after having a super awful time with Jason Aaron's. This line up is interesting, but I sort of question why we need 2 captains? Carol and Steve have been on the same team before. Carol has led an Avengers team. Sam has led an Avengers team. I don't get the purpose of Sam being here just as a team member, but whatever. Makes me wonder who's meant to lead the Avengers in the next MCU film considering the MCU seems to treat both of their characters pretty poorly.

Anyway, if you were looking for an Avengers book full of moments where the team bonds and looks like they like working together - this isn't it. Those were my favorite aspects of older runs and this volume is 100% the team split up fighting a magical being. We get Carol leading remotely, Thor and Wanda working together, Vision working with Iron Man (I think), and Sam and T'Challa working together. I was bummed we'll never get Sam working with T'Challa in the MCU to be honest.

I enjoyed Sam and T'Challa's scenes the most. I liked that Sam was used as the heart of the team with his appeals to the truck driver and the city (I know???). Thor working alongside Wanda makes sense. I haven't followed her story in years so I was a bit confused about her working on a team with Vision.

Anyway, it's a solid start, but I lose interest in comics that are majority action. I personally enjoy the team bonding moments and getting characters' perspectives on the plot more, but that's just my thing.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This looked like it was gonna be really average at first, but it really hit its stride in the back half.

I've never given a single molecule of a shit about Kang, so diving through the prelude that is entirely focused on him was a snooze. Additionally, the literal assembling of the Avengers was kinda hack material.

However, then it turned to the fighting and the splitting of the team to individual strengths and it became a lot of fun. The Avengers roster they chose is slightly subversive of the usual suspects, but that kept it pretty fresh for me.

MacKay remains super solid.

[José Manuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Después de un año escuchando hablar sobre lo fantástico que es MacKay por fin me he metido en una de sus obras (sin ser esta de las más destacadas). Encuentro en los últimos números como una historia de superheroes cualquier te atrapa, pero espero algo más. Posiblemente sea que este grupo limite el tipo de historias que puede contar. Sobre el apartado gráfico, me gusta Villa, pero me da la impresión de que son los números que dibuja Fiorelli los que realmente destacan sin ser este último un dibujante top

[Mr. Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely felt manga inspired. Not the art, per se, the pacing/action/format.

[Jesse A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alot of fun. Tons of info without being overwhelming with it.

[Benji Glaab · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars

Carol Danvers is the new Chair and is hand picking her team after the events of Timeless #1 where Kang is on the brink of death and is some how messing up my team of Avengers.

This is a tough read. Decided to skim the rest. And I can't really make sense of what's happening, and I probably care even less than I understand.

Jed MacKay is a fine writer, but when Marvel gets cosmic I often lose the story. I'll have to give this iteration of Avengers a pass for now

[Dallas Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only Avengers run I've read that comes close to Hickman's masterpiece of a run!
Some clear inspiration taken from it it seems too with the role designation graphic on the front cover pages inside!

I bought this purely for my favorite Sam Wilson, but really everyone is represented with such glory and care here! The whole roster is one of The Avengers best!

The Timeless tie in was pretty exquisite, especially in demonstrating what makes Kang the Conqueror so fantastic.
The Avengers issues are all the feel good and hype you could want!
The new foes they face here are quite interesting each and lead to great fights with memorable things to say about each hero!

[Robyn Daile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story! Super powerful!

[John Wright · Rating 2 out of 5]

Feels like what non-comic readers think all comics are, drawn out splashy battles and long monologuing.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excited to see Captain Marvel lead the team! An epic start to what should be a strong run. Glad to see Scarlet Witch join the roster as well!

[MrColdStream · Rating 4 out of 5]

Panelling through the endless multiverse of comics, one collection at a time!

"THE AVENGERS: THE IMPOSSIBLE CITY – EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES TAKE ON GODS, MONSTERS, AND A CITY WITH SECRETS"

Adam MacKay and CJ Villa’s The Avengers: The Impossible City wastes no time reminding us why the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes remain Marvel’s flagship team. The opening issue cleverly cuts between Captain Marvel recruiting each member, giving us quiet, character-driven beats that highlight their personal struggles and the qualities that make them Avengers material. I really enjoyed the firefighter-versus-cop metaphor that frames their ethos — they’re not about enforcing authority, but running headlong into danger to save lives.

These recruitment moments also smartly reference recent continuity: T’Challa stripped of his kingship, Vision reflecting on having escaped judgement during Judgement Day, Wanda haunted by Chthon. Each reminder places the team in the aftermath of Marvel’s recent big events, while still allowing them to step forward as a new iteration of the Avengers. Their first challenge comes swiftly, as they’re thrown against the towering Terminus, setting the tone for the cosmic-scale chaos to come.

And then comes the kicker: Carol, trapped in a Null Zone, face to face with a dying Kang the Conqueror. Kang appealing to his greatest enemies for help immediately escalates the stakes — if Kang is terrified, we should be too.

THE TRIBULATIONS BEGIN

Issue #2 keeps the momentum, balancing Kang’s cryptic storytelling with the Avengers undertaking missions to save a thousand lives from his ominous “list.” It’s a clever structure — Kang drip-feeds information while proving his credibility, forcing the Avengers to listen.

By issue #3, the real storm breaks with the first Tribulation Event: the Impossible City and its masters, the Ashen Combine. This villainous collective is gloriously weird in that very Marvel way — destructive gods and monsters who annihilate cities for sport. Their roster is a highlight, with names as evocative as their designs: The Citysmith, the Ennui, the Meridian Diadem, and Idol Alabaster, each bringing a distinct form of chaos.

I admit I grinned at the sight of Helsinki under siege — a rare shout-out for Finland in Marvel Comics! Even better, Vision takes on the Meridian Diadem there, grounding a global disaster with a personal fan moment.

HEROES SCATTERED, CHALLENGES ESCALATING

The Avengers’ battles against the Ashen Combine emphasise individual strengths and the necessity of unity, even when separated. I loved how the action flows kinetically, dialogue and combat bouncing seamlessly between characters, yet this arc forces them to fight isolated duels. Each villain has a trick that prevents simple brute force victories, raising the tension.

Cap and T’Challa’s mission inside the Impossible City is more subdued but symbolically important, especially given their recent antagonism. Their uneasy alliance, spent in dialogue rather than combat, demonstrates how being Avengers means working past grudges for the greater good. Meanwhile, Thor’s clash with Idol Alabaster in Vatican City is pure operatic spectacle, Wanda confronting Death and the ghost of Chthon is chilling, and Iron Man being transformed into an unwilling art piece by the Citysmith is both horrifying and inventive.

The cliffhangers throughout keep the narrative pulsing — each issue closes with a promise of bigger, stranger revelations.

THE SECRETS OF THE IMPOSSIBLE CITY

One of the collection’s best tricks is holding back the truth about the Impossible City. The slow reveal that the City itself has been enslaved and reprogrammed by the Combine is deeply satisfying. Even more so is the Avengers’ refusal to let it destroy itself to stop its captors — a classic Avengers moment of compassion for the seemingly helpless.

By issue #6, the arc resolves in predictably heroic fashion, but it’s no less rewarding for it. The Impossible City, freed from the Combine’s control, doesn’t just survive — it joins the Avengers. Transforming from prison to teammate to orbiting base of operations is both thematically rich and downright cool.

TIMELESS FOUNDATIONS

The collection also includes Timeless (2022), serving as a prologue. Following Kang, it expands on the Tribulation framework, presenting him as equal parts narcissistic genius and desperate survivor. His encounters with the enigmatic Myrddin and his Arthurian-style cosmic knights add another layer of mythic intrigue.

The best part of Timeless is Kang’s resilience — facing knight after knight in combat, even trial by combat, before Myrddin delivers a mortal wound that forces Kang into the Null Zone we see in The Avengers. Along the way, we glimpse future Marvel storylines, from the fall of the Impossible City to the “Death Moon” and cross-title hints for 2023–24. It’s a narrative tapestry Marvel clearly intends to pay off in stages.

ART AND STYLE

CJ Villa’s art is vibrant and kinetic, delivering both blockbuster spectacle and character nuance. The Ashen Combine’s designs in particular feel instantly iconic — strange, simple, yet effective. The Impossible City’s architecture is gorgeously alien, a constant visual reminder of the story’s scale.

Timeless, with its cleaner linework and ambitious splash pages, excels at layering foreshadowing. Fragments of upcoming events leap off the page, both tantalising and slightly maddening for continuity-obsessed readers like me.

📝TOO LAZY; DIDN'T READ:

The Avengers: The Impossible City is a bold, kinetic opening arc that re-establishes Earth’s Mightiest Heroes while raising cosmic stakes. Kang’s desperate warning, the Ashen Combine’s inventive villainy, and the Impossible City’s transformation from weapon to ally give the story heft and heart. Timeless adds essential prologue material, teasing Marvel’s grand tapestry of upcoming events. With gorgeous art and memorable cliffhangers, this is a blockbuster Avengers story that balances spectacle with character, reminding us why they’ll always be the world’s greatest heroes.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25
Interesting new villains. Liking this run so far. But the characters need more...character. No real arcs.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty fun and I really enjoyed it, for me its a reread atm as I read it in single issue as it came out and actually enjoyed the whole thing a lot more in collected edition and just the way its written seems like its better to read it that way.

I like how we start off with Timeless establishing mysteries with who this Myrrdin is and what is his Twilight court actually and the whole thing with Chess in the end kinda reminded me of Aaron's run where the big villain there was doing the same with chess pieces and all, and how it turned out to be so lets see who it is and what their plans are! I also liked how it showed glimpses of things to come and what this "Tribulation events" are and they create intrigue for a reader.

The main series #1-6 was so awesome as you see Carol form a team and the way she goes about it is good, though it could have been done in a few panels on the same page, which is one of my major complaints with this volume, like a lot of stuff which had one page wide spread could have been shrunken to even one page and like the whole story could have been 3 issues tbh, like half its size and yeah the whole "written for the trade" thing is evident here and I am reviewing this format, but still we could have had a lot more story.

I sort of have no idea about who the villains are aka the Ashen combine and yeah they have cool names and all, but like its just a bubble description of who they are, but we dont get their motives or anything.. just that they are alien invaders famous for destroying cities.. maybe in future he will explain who these characters are and their motives, but for the moment.. yeah.. nope. I like a couple of fight scenes like Iron man vs City smith and Thor vs Idol alabaster or something.

There are some really cool scenes in the book like Sam inspiring a driver and saving him or like how the Avengers say "no" together, that was like peak Avengers moment and I like how it connects to wider marvel continuity atm, and is so consistent for eg with costume changes and all, so its a great pay off foe readers who read all books monthly as they come out.

I like the book overall because the art is so good, specially up and close shots, and Scarlet wicth is gorgeous here and also Iron man and Thor, my two fav avengers and how they get their moments here are worth it.

Its a good start for new readers wondering where to start with Avengers comics, so yeha if you're a new reader and reading this review, then go ahead and pick it up, you will definitely enjoy it!

[Luke Malone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Giving this 5 stars because while I have some grumbles about it, I had a blast.

Start off with the "Cons"
- 2/3 of this (issues 3-6) are just one giant fight. We don't learn too much about the villains, the Tribulation Events, or how the Ashen Combined really tie in to everything. All we know is that they show up in issue #3, there's a lot of kicking butt on both sides, we learn a little bit from the Impossible City, then we go home. Like most modern comics, patience is required before we dive into more of the overarching plot of this run.

Now, the "Pros"
- That fight scene I mentioned is AWESOME. Issue #3 is how you set up a fight. I had chills when the Avengers showed up, delivered excellent one-liners, and went to town. In lesser hands, this fight would have dragged on and been boring, with the characters being caricatures of themselves. However, I really was interested in the villains and how they opposed the heroes, the character writing was excellent the whole time (that's hard to do) and the stakes felt real! Top notch action scenes worthy of the Avengers.
- Characters. Something that's important to me, and can often be overlooked in the Avengers, as the focus is often the stakes. Captain Marvel has great moments that make me excited to see her as a leader. Black Panther and Cap have an interesting dynamic they work through. Vision gave me chills several times. Scarlet Witch made me want to pump my fist in the air. Cap had a quiet, but amazing human-to-human conversation that made me remember why I love Sam Wilson. Thor was epic, as he should be considering his status. Iron Man was a ton of fun, but not too much of a jerk. These relationships felt real, the characters' legacies and status quos were honored, and the fact they were all in the same room made the whole thing feel epic.
-Art. Even when it switched, it still kept the momentum going, and that's hard to do. Hats off to the art team, they're worthy of the name Avengers.
-Plot. I'm excited to see and learn more. My "Con" was because we didn't learn more in issues #3-6. However, we got a lot of it in the Timeless one-shot, and that really balances the book out. I can't wait to see where we go.
-Stakes. Big earth-shattering fights mixed with personal conversations and relationships. Hard to find that blended so well in modern books.
-Last but not least. Marvel printed my letter in issue#4. Go check it out 😁

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:

The Avengers have assembled, this time with Captain Marvel at the helm (again). Also along for the ride are Scarlet Witch, Thor, Iron Man, Vision, Captain America, and Black Panther. Naturally, they’re not going to be given time to relax.

It all begins with a warning from an unlikely source. Then arrives TERMINUS, bringing new dangers that’ll force the Avengers to think strategically and react accordingly. Will it be enough to save the day?

Review:

Finally getting caught up on Jed MacKay’s run on The Avengers, starting with The Avengers Vol. 1 (duh). I love that Captain Marvel is back in charge. Though truthfully, I just love it when they swap leaders regardless. Change is good, right?

The Avengers Vol. 1 brings a new (to me) antagonist to the forefront, and there’s a lot I could say about them, both as a group and individually. Instead of spoiling all of that, I will say that it was refreshing to see the Avengers try to pair up matches strategically. I actually paused and tried to guess who would end up fighting whom, which made the read-through a bit more interesting.

As always, there’s a lot of external context and drama happening outside of Avengers, so if you’re not 100% up to date with everything, you might be confused by comments dropped here and there. It’s not a deal-breaker by any means, but it’s good to keep in mind.

The Impossible City is likewise pretty interesting. No idea if we’ll be seeing that stick around (this is Marvel, so sometimes it feels like no big changes stick around), but I still like the concept.

Highlights:
Enter the Terminus
Supreheroes
Captain Marvel Lead

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[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Avengers team WITHOUT Classic Captain America? Shocker

Yet again, the Avengers are at the reset point. A new team has to be assembled, this time led by Carol Danvers. It has a pretty classic Avengers feel to the roster. You have...

*The Star - Captain Marvel
*The Icon - Sam Wilson / Captain America
*The Witch - Scarlet Witch
*The Construct - Vision
*The God - Thor
*The Engineer - Iron Man
*The King - T'Challa / Black Panther (sort of)

This roster ties in pretty well to the 2nd Timeless issue with Kang. Kang is after a moment in time he can never have because it's been prophesized that ONLY HEROES could unlock it. Long story short, Kang is ambushed and left for dead....

It all leads up to the beginning of the 'Tribulation Events' saga. Big, epic, hero-type choices are going to happen and if the Avengers can choose correctly, then they will get the moment before Myrrdin.

Myrddin and the (Arthurian?) Twilight Court aren't the greatest villains to get introduced. They feel like another 'Black Order' that'll get used and tossed to the side. The 'Impossible City' they appear with is ...interesting. It's like X-Factor's old 'Ship' only ...bigger?

Oh well, it's an interesting start to a new era of Avengers. Give it a go.
--
Bonus: So, Avengers bases keep getting bigger. After a dead Celestial, you have to do the Impossible(!!)

Bonus Bonus: Avengers just say, 'NO!'

[Ricky Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Avengers Vol. 1: The Impossible City" by Jed MacKay, C.F. Villa, Ivan Fiorelli, and Federico Blee delivers a refreshing take on the iconic superhero team. This first volume reintroduces the Avengers with a gripping storyline and stunning artwork that will keep readers hooked from start to finish.

Jed MacKay’s writing shines with its blend of action, humor, and emotional depth. The narrative feels fresh, focusing on a mysterious and perilous mission that challenges the Avengers both individually and as a team. The character dynamics are well-explored, giving each Avenger a moment to shine, and the dialogue is sharp and engaging.

C.F. Villa and Ivan Fiorelli’s artwork is a visual feast, perfectly complementing the story’s tone. Their detailed illustrations and dynamic action scenes capture the essence of each character, bringing the pages to life. Federico Blee’s vibrant colors enhance the visual experience, making every panel pop.

While the story is compelling, it occasionally leans on familiar tropes, which might feel repetitive to long-time fans. However, the fresh character interactions and unexpected twists more than compensate for this minor shortcoming.

Overall, "The Avengers Vol. 1: The Impossible City" is a must-read for both new and seasoned fans of the Avengers, earning a solid 4 out of 5 stars.