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Avengers (2012) (Collected Editions)
Avengers: Time Runs Out, Vol. 2
For Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and the Illuminati, it has all been building to this. After two years of carefully crafting his cataclysmic saga, writer Jonathan Hickman jumps ahead eight months to the grand finale, the honest-to-goodness immediate future of the Marvel Universe — and the day of the Final Incursion! After the revelation of the Illuminati’s desperate, world-destroying actions, the Avengers are fragmented! While one group seeks out the Illuminati for a confrontation, another takes the fight to the new Cabal! Discover what has become of Tony Stark — to say nothing of Dr. Strange! And have all the battles they’ve endured, and the sacrifices they’ve made, prepared either group for the inevitable moment where time runs out for everybody? The second act of the astonishing climax to Jonathan Hickman’s legendary run is here!
COLLECTING: AVENGERS 38-39 & NEW AVENGERS 26-28
COLLECTING: AVENGERS 38-39 & NEW AVENGERS 26-28
112 pages, Hardcover
First published June 17, 2015
69 people are currently reading
372 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Hickman
1,228 books2,052 followersJonathan Hickman is an American comic book writer and artist. He is known for creating the Image Comics series The Nightly News, The Manhattan Projects and East of West, as well as working on Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four, FF, and S.H.I.E.L.D. titles. In 2012, Hickman ended his run on the Fantastic Four titles to write The Avengers and The New Avengers, as part the "Marvel NOW!" relaunch. In 2013, Hickman wrote a six-part miniseries, Infinity, plus Avengers tie-ins for Marvel Comics. In 2015, he wrote the crossover event Secret Wars. - Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
August 23, 2016
Fun.
Crazy, overwhelming, a bit hard to follow, but...mostly fun.
Honestly, though? I'm just looking forward to finishing this out, and moving on.
Why, you ask?
Well, because I absolutely hate Jurassic Cap. Or Old Man Steve.
Doesn't matter what you're calling him...he sucks.
He's like that ancient dude in your neighborhood, who stands on the front lawn in his bathrobe, and bitches at the kids riding by on their bikes. Why does he bitch?
*shrugs*
They're dinging the bells on their bikes 'too loudly', or maybe because they put cards in the spokes and it's freaking out his cat, Mr. Whiskers. <--Psst-Mr. Whiskers has been dead for 3 years.
Whatever the excuse, everyone knows he's just a dilapidated asshole that farts dust.
And that's what Old Steve is like. Just...awful. I cringe every time he gets any page time, because I can't my reconcile Captain America with this irritating character.
*shudder*
BECAUSE THAT'S NOT MY CAPTAIN AMERICA, GODDAMMIT!
*sobs*
I don't know. Maybe I'm overreacting?
Am I overreacting, Steve?
No?
See, Steve doesn't think I'm overreacting...*dreamy sigh*
Ok, ok! All kidding aside, I really can't get behind this new incarnation of Rogers. His personality seems off, you know? Kinda like when you go visit your favorite elderly uncle, only to discover that he's gone downhill a bit mentally, and now he's oddly racist or something?
Yeah. It's like that.
Other than that, I thought this volume was a good addition to the whole Countdown thing. Although, it did make me want to go read up on what was happening (or had happened) to Tony Stark.
He's evidently found himself in a wee bit of hot water, but can't stop doing his villain monologue long enough to convince anyone to help him out of the jam.
Bonus: Dr. Strange makes a rather startling appearance. Since his absence from the Avengers, it looks as though he's become a leading member of theworld's universe's most douchey cult!
Ok, well, looks like I'm on to the next volume!
*rubs hands together*
Crazy, overwhelming, a bit hard to follow, but...mostly fun.
Honestly, though? I'm just looking forward to finishing this out, and moving on.
Why, you ask?
Well, because I absolutely hate Jurassic Cap. Or Old Man Steve.
Doesn't matter what you're calling him...he sucks.
He's like that ancient dude in your neighborhood, who stands on the front lawn in his bathrobe, and bitches at the kids riding by on their bikes. Why does he bitch?
*shrugs*
They're dinging the bells on their bikes 'too loudly', or maybe because they put cards in the spokes and it's freaking out his cat, Mr. Whiskers. <--Psst-Mr. Whiskers has been dead for 3 years.
Whatever the excuse, everyone knows he's just a dilapidated asshole that farts dust.
And that's what Old Steve is like. Just...awful. I cringe every time he gets any page time, because I can't my reconcile Captain America with this irritating character.
*shudder*
BECAUSE THAT'S NOT MY CAPTAIN AMERICA, GODDAMMIT!
*sobs*
I don't know. Maybe I'm overreacting?
Am I overreacting, Steve?
No?
See, Steve doesn't think I'm overreacting...*dreamy sigh*
Ok, ok! All kidding aside, I really can't get behind this new incarnation of Rogers. His personality seems off, you know? Kinda like when you go visit your favorite elderly uncle, only to discover that he's gone downhill a bit mentally, and now he's oddly racist or something?
Yeah. It's like that.
Other than that, I thought this volume was a good addition to the whole Countdown thing. Although, it did make me want to go read up on what was happening (or had happened) to Tony Stark.
He's evidently found himself in a wee bit of hot water, but can't stop doing his villain monologue long enough to convince anyone to help him out of the jam.
Bonus: Dr. Strange makes a rather startling appearance. Since his absence from the Avengers, it looks as though he's become a leading member of the
Ok, well, looks like I'm on to the next volume!
*rubs hands together*
June 28, 2016
Do you know what one of the biggest problems I have with the Marvel universe?
Reed and Sue Richards snot-nosed, creepy, precocious smarty-pants kids being able to solve the most complex far-reaching issues facing the multi-verse.
Franklin (Come, Galactus, take a walk with me.) Richards:
Valeria (Child of the Corn) Richards:
Now, she’s handing out advice to Uncle Victor as in “von Doom”.
“Uncle Victor(!)” (I just vomited a little in my mouth.) Basically, she passes on the same fortune cookie kernel of wisdom she tried to pass along to her dad.
We finally find out what happened to Tony Stark and Dr. Strange, both MIA up until this point; however, things don’t get cooking until its Avenger vs. Avenger vs. Avenger at about the midway point of this volume.
You have the SHIELD Avengers led by geriatric, prune juice snorting Captain America; you have ex-Avengers in the brain-box Illuminati; and you have Avengers who aren’t smart enough to be in the Illuminati, all battling it out in order to decide how we handle the whole “end of the known universe” crisis. It’s a big old pissing contest, with one bit of one-ups-man-ship after another.
Remember: At my home, September is Marvel Superheroes Beat the Crap Out of One Another Month.
Oh, who am I kidding, that's every month's theme.
Bottom line: You can’t always count on a smooth ride from Richman, after all he is juggling dozens of characters and several interweaving plot points, but I’m still -for better or worse - hooked into the conclusion of his grand epic storyline.
Truer words were never spoken.
Reed and Sue Richards snot-nosed, creepy, precocious smarty-pants kids being able to solve the most complex far-reaching issues facing the multi-verse.
Franklin (Come, Galactus, take a walk with me.) Richards:
Valeria (Child of the Corn) Richards:
Now, she’s handing out advice to Uncle Victor as in “von Doom”.
“Uncle Victor(!)” (I just vomited a little in my mouth.) Basically, she passes on the same fortune cookie kernel of wisdom she tried to pass along to her dad.
We finally find out what happened to Tony Stark and Dr. Strange, both MIA up until this point; however, things don’t get cooking until its Avenger vs. Avenger vs. Avenger at about the midway point of this volume.
You have the SHIELD Avengers led by geriatric, prune juice snorting Captain America; you have ex-Avengers in the brain-box Illuminati; and you have Avengers who aren’t smart enough to be in the Illuminati, all battling it out in order to decide how we handle the whole “end of the known universe” crisis. It’s a big old pissing contest, with one bit of one-ups-man-ship after another.
Remember: At my home, September is Marvel Superheroes Beat the Crap Out of One Another Month.
Oh, who am I kidding, that's every month's theme.
Bottom line: You can’t always count on a smooth ride from Richman, after all he is juggling dozens of characters and several interweaving plot points, but I’m still -for better or worse - hooked into the conclusion of his grand epic storyline.
Truer words were never spoken.
May 11, 2019
Jonathan Hickman’s dull Avengers storyline continues in Time Runs Out, Volume 2: dumb Cap is still pissed at the Illuminati and wants to punch them while Sunspot’s preening annoyingly. Still waiting for this “amazing” storyline to pay off!
I’m not really interested in anything Sunspot’s doing, which is a shame as he’s in this book quite a lot. Dumb Cap vs the Illuminati has never been remotely compelling and is even less so here. Iron Man in the cage next to Black Swan was awful – Hickman writes Tony so uncharacteristically macho, yelling about how everyone will come crawling back to him when they realise he was right!
I’d hoped Thor and Hyperion leading an expedition to the Black Priests would be fun but it’s just more mindless punching – I guess I should’ve expected that given those two are power characters, as well as Hickman’s general lack of imagination when it comes to conflict! Molecule Man’s still doing something for Doom (though if you’ve already read Secret Wars like me you’ll know what) but right now it’s just more abstract blather.
Though Hickman completely messes up Cap and Iron Man, he writes a brilliant Reed Richards and Reed’s message to his daughter Valeria was the only standout part of the book. I also liked that Valeria’s advising “Uncle” Doom on the sly as well – that’s an unexpectedly intriguing development!
On the whole though, Avengers: Time Runs Out, Volume 2 is another Hickman dud.
I’m not really interested in anything Sunspot’s doing, which is a shame as he’s in this book quite a lot. Dumb Cap vs the Illuminati has never been remotely compelling and is even less so here. Iron Man in the cage next to Black Swan was awful – Hickman writes Tony so uncharacteristically macho, yelling about how everyone will come crawling back to him when they realise he was right!
I’d hoped Thor and Hyperion leading an expedition to the Black Priests would be fun but it’s just more mindless punching – I guess I should’ve expected that given those two are power characters, as well as Hickman’s general lack of imagination when it comes to conflict! Molecule Man’s still doing something for Doom (though if you’ve already read Secret Wars like me you’ll know what) but right now it’s just more abstract blather.
Though Hickman completely messes up Cap and Iron Man, he writes a brilliant Reed Richards and Reed’s message to his daughter Valeria was the only standout part of the book. I also liked that Valeria’s advising “Uncle” Doom on the sly as well – that’s an unexpectedly intriguing development!
On the whole though, Avengers: Time Runs Out, Volume 2 is another Hickman dud.
September 5, 2017
It's disappointing that when Steve Rogers finally starts showing his age that he reacts by turning into a bitter bastard who just wants to attack everyone smarter than him and refuses to listen to anyone who contradicts what he believes no matter how sane and logical they're being. In other words, he's just another old white American, and I'm pretty sure he's spending his days watching Fox News.
Hickman's run has a lot of stuff that I've gotten increasingly tired of in big crossover events, especially ones leading to giant reboots. Too many characters, too much plot, not enough focus, and superheroes are fighting superheroes.
Still, the storyline has enough meat on its bones to keep me interested, and the writing is sharp enough to make these internal conflicts fresh again even though a lot of it is rehashed Civil War stuff. It reminds me a bit of Game of Thrones in the way that so many people in this world want to just fight each other rather than deal with the far larger looming threat that's coming.
Hickman's run has a lot of stuff that I've gotten increasingly tired of in big crossover events, especially ones leading to giant reboots. Too many characters, too much plot, not enough focus, and superheroes are fighting superheroes.
Still, the storyline has enough meat on its bones to keep me interested, and the writing is sharp enough to make these internal conflicts fresh again even though a lot of it is rehashed Civil War stuff. It reminds me a bit of Game of Thrones in the way that so many people in this world want to just fight each other rather than deal with the far larger looming threat that's coming.
May 18, 2019
Solid story, good art but I'm ready to be done with this dour 5 year running story.
May 1, 2016
Man, this series better not end up crapping the bed.
July 21, 2016
3.5 stars
I'm confused utterly,again, but I love the stratagems and fighting with all my favourite characters, so all in all very good and going somewhere I hope.
I'm confused utterly,again, but I love the stratagems and fighting with all my favourite characters, so all in all very good and going somewhere I hope.
October 14, 2015
In some ways, this is another take on the Avengers vs. X-Men and Civil War theme of hero versus hero. Except that it's actually pretty good. Except that every side is allowed to have a point, and that there's enough moral grey area to fully cover every party involved. And there's also the major bonus that this is clearly the culmination of a lot of thought and hard work.
Why three stars? I'm still getting a little lost in the enormous cast. Just as with the previous volume, this might be at least partly because I haven't been keeping up with Hickman's Avengers. I'm more than willing to believe that if I had, I would be much more familiar with these characters, and with their assorted loyalties, which would make following the action way, way easier. My bad.
Why three stars? I'm still getting a little lost in the enormous cast. Just as with the previous volume, this might be at least partly because I haven't been keeping up with Hickman's Avengers. I'm more than willing to believe that if I had, I would be much more familiar with these characters, and with their assorted loyalties, which would make following the action way, way easier. My bad.
June 10, 2021
This was such a great volume! It starts off with Bobby forming his multiversal team and getting others who stayed behind well caught up on all that s happening and what their response will be and then the spies meet Tony and we learn whats going on with him which is fascinating. Thor and others in their multiversal travels meet Black Priests and their leader which was interesting and then finally its Steve vs Reed and we see them slug it out with their various players, Hulk vs Hulk, so many teams of Avengers being introduced from Mighty to secret and finally the big revelations in the end.
Great book and it just focuses on the final war between a man who will not compromise his ideals vs a group who will take extreme steps to save their reality and its a great pay off to so many of things the author has built over the course of this run and my favorite is the next civil war and finally Reed talking to his daughter Val and it continues his character building which Hickman started in his F4 run. All pieces coming together for a final war coming soon! The art was great especially the ones drawn by deodato!
Great book and it just focuses on the final war between a man who will not compromise his ideals vs a group who will take extreme steps to save their reality and its a great pay off to so many of things the author has built over the course of this run and my favorite is the next civil war and finally Reed talking to his daughter Val and it continues his character building which Hickman started in his F4 run. All pieces coming together for a final war coming soon! The art was great especially the ones drawn by deodato!
June 28, 2016
Roberto DaCosta, head of AIM, leader of the free Avengers resistance movement? How freakin bizarre. I like that he's rallying all the remnant Avengers who aren't still on some crazy blood-oath mission to save the world at any cost... Wait. That can't be right. Aren't *all* of these factions of Avengers and villains (*cough* Cabal, Namor's bastard group of nihilists who are the only ones actually stopping incursions eh?) on separate warpaths to save the 616 and beat on everyone else who're also saving the 616?
My head hurts...until you think about it, Hickman's giant clockwork plots seem pretty cool and slightly otherworldly. Then you start to wonder why any of them act like they do, and it makes you super-depressed. Why do they have to hate each other? Why can't this be one giant SuperFriends episode where they "rally together for a common goal" (or whatever thinly-veiled patriotic propaganda is being pushed by the Hanna-Barbara Corporation? Wait a minute there son, is Hanna Barbara just a front for the Masons, softening up the juicy masses so they can tap into our collective pockets to fund more wars? Or is that the realm of Disney/Marvel, who are doing their damnedest to Leni Riefenstahl us into submission for the New World Order (with bonus chemtrails)?)
Hah. Had you going there for a second, didn't I?
Anyhoo...
Have I ever mentioned how irritating Hickman's script babble can be? This sounds good when you're reading fast, but don't bother to slow down and think about it - again, migraine territory:
("Mine the ideas..."?! Show me the frog that you licked dude.)
And the rotating cast of artists on this Time Runs Out run are starting to get like the art therapy ward of the asylum:
(Thor's really letting himself go - does he not know how to put down the fork when he doesn't have his hammer?)
But god DAMN if Hickman doesn't pull off an excellent escalating series of battle gambits that just keep coming. What a build-up, what a payoff. Not that any of the players were a surprise, but helluva way to bring them into play.
I am getting to the point I think Hickman has multiple personality disorder. The Avengers vol 6 book (Cap goes to the future) was amazing, fun, action-y *and* sci-fi. Then I get stuck in Time Runs Out land for a couple of trades and I'm scratching my head wondering where *that* guy went, and why he replaced him with Abstract Allusions and Slow-Ass Thinking Dude. I have a feeling it'll pick back up by volume 4, then he'll kick ass in the first couple of issues of Secret Wars, drag-ass in the middle and then make me want to put on a ball gag for him at the end of the event. It's like I *like* this abuse.
My head hurts...until you think about it, Hickman's giant clockwork plots seem pretty cool and slightly otherworldly. Then you start to wonder why any of them act like they do, and it makes you super-depressed. Why do they have to hate each other? Why can't this be one giant SuperFriends episode where they "rally together for a common goal" (or whatever thinly-veiled patriotic propaganda is being pushed by the Hanna-Barbara Corporation? Wait a minute there son, is Hanna Barbara just a front for the Masons, softening up the juicy masses so they can tap into our collective pockets to fund more wars? Or is that the realm of Disney/Marvel, who are doing their damnedest to Leni Riefenstahl us into submission for the New World Order (with bonus chemtrails)?)
Hah. Had you going there for a second, didn't I?
Anyhoo...
Have I ever mentioned how irritating Hickman's script babble can be? This sounds good when you're reading fast, but don't bother to slow down and think about it - again, migraine territory:
("Mine the ideas..."?! Show me the frog that you licked dude.)
And the rotating cast of artists on this Time Runs Out run are starting to get like the art therapy ward of the asylum:
(Thor's really letting himself go - does he not know how to put down the fork when he doesn't have his hammer?)
But god DAMN if Hickman doesn't pull off an excellent escalating series of battle gambits that just keep coming. What a build-up, what a payoff. Not that any of the players were a surprise, but helluva way to bring them into play.
I am getting to the point I think Hickman has multiple personality disorder. The Avengers vol 6 book (Cap goes to the future) was amazing, fun, action-y *and* sci-fi. Then I get stuck in Time Runs Out land for a couple of trades and I'm scratching my head wondering where *that* guy went, and why he replaced him with Abstract Allusions and Slow-Ass Thinking Dude. I have a feeling it'll pick back up by volume 4, then he'll kick ass in the first couple of issues of Secret Wars, drag-ass in the middle and then make me want to put on a ball gag for him at the end of the event. It's like I *like* this abuse.
July 19, 2017
Another sprawling entry in Hickman's ambitious Avengers project, still mostly set-up with a teensy bit of payoff.
I guess one way to differentiate this arc of Smart Avengers v. Punch Things Avengers is the addition of...Junior Avengers? At any rate, Sunspot splashes some cash and funds a third faction with the goal of reminding the squabbling Steve Rogers, Reed Richards et al. that it used to be about the musi- I mean, the superheroing, man! with predictable results (stuff gets punched).
Meanwhile, snooty old Dr Doom reckons he knows best (shocker) and is carrying out his own plan with a particularly unstable Molecule Man.
Oh yeah, and Thor (or is it Odinson only at this point?) goes to the edge of all existence or some such rubbish to smite whoever's behind it all, with surprising (though sadly not sexy) results.
Looking forward to vol. 3...
I guess one way to differentiate this arc of Smart Avengers v. Punch Things Avengers is the addition of...Junior Avengers? At any rate, Sunspot splashes some cash and funds a third faction with the goal of reminding the squabbling Steve Rogers, Reed Richards et al. that it used to be about the musi- I mean, the superheroing, man! with predictable results (stuff gets punched).
Meanwhile, snooty old Dr Doom reckons he knows best (shocker) and is carrying out his own plan with a particularly unstable Molecule Man.
Oh yeah, and Thor (or is it Odinson only at this point?) goes to the edge of all existence or some such rubbish to smite whoever's behind it all, with surprising (though sadly not sexy) results.
Looking forward to vol. 3...
January 27, 2019
Im enjoying it but I'm at the stage where I just want Hickman to wrap it up.
March 21, 2016
Ok so I didn't really care that much for vol 1, but I did admit that was because I was fairly confused. I duly admit that I am still a little confused, but no nearly as much as last time. The destruction of multiversal earths continue. There are several teams of Avengers running around-a few of them are even bad. The Illuminati and the Cabal are involved. In fact almost everyone is involved. SHIELD is being run by geriatric Steve Rogers (still not sure what happened to him exactly) and the Falcon is now Captain America. There are also two hulks. One is the sociopathic Banner from the multiversal Avengers and the other is the normal Hulk. Well, as normal as the Hulk gets. In essence the collapse of the multiversal earths will eventually hit our earth and possibly our entire universe. Some groups like SHIELD/80 yr old Steve Rogers think killing entire worlds to save ours is wrong. Others from the Illuminati and the Cabal feel that this must be done. Meanwhile Dr. Doom and the Molecule man search for the start of this mess. Dr. Strange has assumed control of some planetary killers known as Black Priests and is out destroying worlds. So there is quite a bit going on here. I enjoyed the stories of both Reed Richards and Stark being looked at as morally "bad" per se since they seem to be willing to go along with the plan to destroy the alternate earths to save ours. I will continue going with this series as the pieces are, slowly, beginning to fall into place. I must admit this is an ambitious project. It is epic in scope and complexity. I am going to really admire the writer Hickman if he pulls this off. We shall see..2 more volumes to go. But so far artwork is very impressive and the story is truly massive. Let's see how it all ties in-but I can now say any Avengers fan or people who like stories of a massive scale will enjoy this intelligent series.
October 28, 2015
This series/story is finally getting kinda sorta better. Still moving at a glacial pace, much of it centering on Steve Rogers and his almost inexplicable hatred for the Illuminati. Captain Marvel comes across as a fascist jerk, though, and Victor von Doom is up to something that may or may not be nefarious.
All-in-all, driving forward here. I guess this will end eventually in Secret Wars, but I swear the story line has run as long as World War 2.
All-in-all, driving forward here. I guess this will end eventually in Secret Wars, but I swear the story line has run as long as World War 2.
November 27, 2020
Doc Strange is a creep and Doc Doom's quest is giving me those Uh-Oh feelings. Things are moving in dark directions. Old Cap still sucks.
November 15, 2022
Dobra to chyba jest jakaś późniejsza część i nic nie ogarniałam ale i tak git bo nawet spoko kreska
March 26, 2017
So, now that the basic game board has been set in volume 1, Time Runs Out, Vol. 2 begins executing the rest of the Jonathan Hickman's long-running, convoluted chess match. And if I'm going to use a chess analogy, then let it be from Star Trek, where their chess games are freaking tridimensional!
Here's the players - the Avengers, operating under the aegis of S.H.I.E.L.D and led by Old Man Cap (somewhere during the run of the solo Captain America title, Rogers was drained of the super-soldier serum that kept him perpetually youthful and in fighting shape, and he's now an ultra-ripped card-carrying AARP bad-ass); there's the Illuminati, led by a bold and bearded Reed Richards; the Cabal, a team of world-destroying baddies formed to combat the multi-dimensional incursion events; and the New Avengers, headed up by Sunspot, proud new owner of the once-nefarious super-scientist organization, A.I.M; and then you've got your ancillary characters and adversaries (or protagonists, depending on your point of view and their particular inclination) like the Black Priests, the Gardeners, Ex Nihilo, and... You know what, there's just a lot, OK? A. Lot. Thankfully, each chapter has a character map giving you the skinny on who's appearing and for what team. Handy, that.
One of the pressing questions from Vol. 1 was, Where The Heck Is Tony Stark? Well, Hickman doesn't waste any time explaining that, and the eight month skip ahead hasn't been terribly kind to the billionaire playboy philanthropist. There's some movement forward on the issue of the Black Priests and their role in the Incursion events, but the main meat of the story is the epic throw down between Old Man Cap and Reed Richards.
The way Hickman has moved his characters - his knights and his pawns - around the board throughout his run on Avengers has been masterfully done. We're at a stage now where the plot revolves around a whole lot of hero versus hero versus alt-Earth hero versus hero versus hero versus...OK, you get the idea. Each character has their own motivation, their own strategy and reasons for choosing their alliances. In the end, though, all of them are fighting for the same goal - to save Earth. How they, as individuals and factions, go about it though is the real grist for the mill. Rogers, obviously, given his background as a WWII soldier, is absolutely opposed to the extermination of the incursive Earth's. The dude punched motherfucking Adolf Hitler, so blowing up an entire planet doesn't sit too well with him. Richards, though, is the intellectual pragmatist. He doesn't want to blow up alternate, invading Earths, but the science and rationale of it all boxes him in. If he wants to live, and wants his friends and family to live, and for his whole damn planet to live, well...logic dictates certain unsavory methods must be used.
Time Runs Out is shaping up to be the mother of all Civil Wars, but one that has been so fundamentally rooted in the characters that I'm OK with that. Thanks to a series run rooted in smartly huge high-concept science fiction ideas, this doesn't feel like a cheap blockbuster event, which Marvel Comics is certainly a fan of churning out ad nauseam every other second. Rather than being a gimmicky cash-grab, this sucker is a huge, natural event all its own. Right from issue #1, this is where Hickman has been directing his story and these character. We're approaching the end-game now. Onward to volume 3...
Here's the players - the Avengers, operating under the aegis of S.H.I.E.L.D and led by Old Man Cap (somewhere during the run of the solo Captain America title, Rogers was drained of the super-soldier serum that kept him perpetually youthful and in fighting shape, and he's now an ultra-ripped card-carrying AARP bad-ass); there's the Illuminati, led by a bold and bearded Reed Richards; the Cabal, a team of world-destroying baddies formed to combat the multi-dimensional incursion events; and the New Avengers, headed up by Sunspot, proud new owner of the once-nefarious super-scientist organization, A.I.M; and then you've got your ancillary characters and adversaries (or protagonists, depending on your point of view and their particular inclination) like the Black Priests, the Gardeners, Ex Nihilo, and... You know what, there's just a lot, OK? A. Lot. Thankfully, each chapter has a character map giving you the skinny on who's appearing and for what team. Handy, that.
One of the pressing questions from Vol. 1 was, Where The Heck Is Tony Stark? Well, Hickman doesn't waste any time explaining that, and the eight month skip ahead hasn't been terribly kind to the billionaire playboy philanthropist. There's some movement forward on the issue of the Black Priests and their role in the Incursion events, but the main meat of the story is the epic throw down between Old Man Cap and Reed Richards.
The way Hickman has moved his characters - his knights and his pawns - around the board throughout his run on Avengers has been masterfully done. We're at a stage now where the plot revolves around a whole lot of hero versus hero versus alt-Earth hero versus hero versus hero versus...OK, you get the idea. Each character has their own motivation, their own strategy and reasons for choosing their alliances. In the end, though, all of them are fighting for the same goal - to save Earth. How they, as individuals and factions, go about it though is the real grist for the mill. Rogers, obviously, given his background as a WWII soldier, is absolutely opposed to the extermination of the incursive Earth's. The dude punched motherfucking Adolf Hitler, so blowing up an entire planet doesn't sit too well with him. Richards, though, is the intellectual pragmatist. He doesn't want to blow up alternate, invading Earths, but the science and rationale of it all boxes him in. If he wants to live, and wants his friends and family to live, and for his whole damn planet to live, well...logic dictates certain unsavory methods must be used.
Time Runs Out is shaping up to be the mother of all Civil Wars, but one that has been so fundamentally rooted in the characters that I'm OK with that. Thanks to a series run rooted in smartly huge high-concept science fiction ideas, this doesn't feel like a cheap blockbuster event, which Marvel Comics is certainly a fan of churning out ad nauseam every other second. Rather than being a gimmicky cash-grab, this sucker is a huge, natural event all its own. Right from issue #1, this is where Hickman has been directing his story and these character. We're approaching the end-game now. Onward to volume 3...
March 15, 2023
Hickman'ın serisi yine aynı. Önceki kitaba göre biraz daha aksiyonluydu fakat heyecanlı diyemem. Shield-Avengers vs New Avengers vs Illuminati pek de görkemli bir mücadele olmuyor. Sırayla hamlelerin yapıldığı sıkıcı bir dövüş. Pek odaklı bir kavga da yok ortada. En azından bir iki karşılaşma özenli ve detaylı aktarılabilirmiş. Onun yerine dağınık savaş meydanı görüyoruz sadece.
İhtiyar Steve Rogers iyice can sıkmaya başladı. Huysuz, inatçı ve aksi bir ihtiyarı okumak pek keyifli değil. Bu hikaye dizisinde zaten pek sevilesi karakter kalmadı gerçi. Herkes ayrı itici. Bir umut Thor ve Hyperion'un macerasında ilginç gelişmeler bekliyorum. Thor'un Thorr'un çekicini alması biraz ucuz bir hamleydi. Baltalı Odinson'u biraz daha görseydik keşke. En azından yenilikçi bir hamle olabilirdi.
İhtiyar Steve Rogers iyice can sıkmaya başladı. Huysuz, inatçı ve aksi bir ihtiyarı okumak pek keyifli değil. Bu hikaye dizisinde zaten pek sevilesi karakter kalmadı gerçi. Herkes ayrı itici. Bir umut Thor ve Hyperion'un macerasında ilginç gelişmeler bekliyorum. Thor'un Thorr'un çekicini alması biraz ucuz bir hamleydi. Baltalı Odinson'u biraz daha görseydik keşke. En azından yenilikçi bir hamle olabilirdi.
March 7, 2025
It pains me to give this a 4 star instead of a 5. But Mike Deodato’s “art” really bugs me. I actually did some research on this since it’s been a bother of mine throughout this series and apparently my suspicions were correct. He uses 3D models to trace for his layouts. This is why everything has a real computer generated feel to it. I just can’t support it.
All that aside, I really really liked the rest of the book’s art and writing, specifically the writing. I felt it was a perfect balance of drama, humour, scifi mumbo jumbo, and action.
Kurdanski’s art stuck out particularly to me as being great. Liked what they did with their panel layouts and page designs.
All that aside, I really really liked the rest of the book’s art and writing, specifically the writing. I felt it was a perfect balance of drama, humour, scifi mumbo jumbo, and action.
Kurdanski’s art stuck out particularly to me as being great. Liked what they did with their panel layouts and page designs.
May 7, 2020
So, awhile back there was a Marvel crossover series called Civil War which is, in my opinion, overrated and dull. A year or so after Super Secret Wars there's Civil War II, which is more universally reviled. But in between is this much better rivalry between the heroes. The disagreements over how to handle the incursions and the impending destruction of the multiverse, not to mention the secrets and betrayals, result in a more realistic (subjectively realistic) dispute between three or more groups of Avengers.
October 26, 2021
Avengers Time Runs Out: volume 2.
The build up to the Secret Wars event continues and this volume starts to get things heated up. Continuing to collect both Avengers and the New Avengers series by Jonathan Hickman.
AWOL characters from the previous volume now make their appearances. Doctor Strange having a particularly epic reveal.
There are now quite a few different factions in play. All with slightly different goals, and none seemingly able to get on with the other. We have grumpy old man Steve Rogers led S.H.I.E.L.D. Avengers team; Reed Richards and co of the Illuminati aka super brain group; Sunspot led New Avengers; Odinson and Hyperion plus others as the Multiversal Avengers; Namor, Thanos and the Earth destroying Cabal. We also have the recurring rogue element of Doctor Doom.
The Multiversal Avengers were my favourite aspect of this volume. I really liked the overpowered team up of Odinson and Hyperion. I however did not like, and have not liked across both volumes so far, old man Steve Rogers. To me he doesn’t come across as the Steve I know and am used to.
Overall a promising continuation of this Avengers saga that is really starting to heat up. I hope it can stick the landing!
The build up to the Secret Wars event continues and this volume starts to get things heated up. Continuing to collect both Avengers and the New Avengers series by Jonathan Hickman.
AWOL characters from the previous volume now make their appearances. Doctor Strange having a particularly epic reveal.
There are now quite a few different factions in play. All with slightly different goals, and none seemingly able to get on with the other. We have grumpy old man Steve Rogers led S.H.I.E.L.D. Avengers team; Reed Richards and co of the Illuminati aka super brain group; Sunspot led New Avengers; Odinson and Hyperion plus others as the Multiversal Avengers; Namor, Thanos and the Earth destroying Cabal. We also have the recurring rogue element of Doctor Doom.
The Multiversal Avengers were my favourite aspect of this volume. I really liked the overpowered team up of Odinson and Hyperion. I however did not like, and have not liked across both volumes so far, old man Steve Rogers. To me he doesn’t come across as the Steve I know and am used to.
Overall a promising continuation of this Avengers saga that is really starting to heat up. I hope it can stick the landing!
September 13, 2020
Oh dear god, this is just awful. Why am I torturing myself with this garbage?
November 21, 2017
MEANWHILE Thor meets Dr. Strange at the end of the multiverse, Steve Rogers wants everyone off his lawn, Sunspot (of all people) realizes there are too many Avengers, and Dr. Doom takes Molecule Man to start that EVENT comic no one remembers...
June 20, 2016
This was definitely an interesting ride. Things start to pick up speed and there's a definite direction to all of the different story threads that have been started. Plus there's a nice little cliffhanger that's just enough to keep me excited for volume 3.
There are some art issues. Faces have lines for no reason that make me think we have gone back to the 90s. And in a similar style, apparently women have evolved past the need for spines again.
But I managed to overlook that because of the fact that everything is finally going to pay off! Sure, this volume has a LOT of the tried and true (maybe???) "Avengers fighting Avengers!" faux drama that seems to happen all. the. time. I mean what happened to having a good old fashioned bad guy to fight? What kept the score this high was the fact that we are moving that direction. There's all the standard double- and triple-crossings that we expect from these crossovers, but we are starting to zero in on what actually caused these issues.
I'm having fun on this ride because there was enough of a foundation laid over the two years that I just wanna know what's going to happen! I think it's worth checking out, but we're only halfway home at this point.
There are some art issues. Faces have lines for no reason that make me think we have gone back to the 90s. And in a similar style, apparently women have evolved past the need for spines again.
But I managed to overlook that because of the fact that everything is finally going to pay off! Sure, this volume has a LOT of the tried and true (maybe???) "Avengers fighting Avengers!" faux drama that seems to happen all. the. time. I mean what happened to having a good old fashioned bad guy to fight? What kept the score this high was the fact that we are moving that direction. There's all the standard double- and triple-crossings that we expect from these crossovers, but we are starting to zero in on what actually caused these issues.
I'm having fun on this ride because there was enough of a foundation laid over the two years that I just wanna know what's going to happen! I think it's worth checking out, but we're only halfway home at this point.
December 14, 2015
Hickman's Avengers end-game continues to be phenomenal. He's telling a story that's so multifaceted and so epic, that it's perhaps unmatched it all super-comicdom. Even though I greatly admire the big picture, he really makes this story work with the little character moments. I love Sunspot being the only adult in the room, and the big mover among the Avengers teams. I love Valeria being the smartest person around. I love the entire story of the multiversal Avengers looking for the source to all this, in the hope of some solution.
This is as good as superhero comics gets, and it's pretty darned good.
This is as good as superhero comics gets, and it's pretty darned good.
December 12, 2017
Al principio toda esta época de los vengadores me confundió mucho, en especial por la cantidad de personajes que aparecen. Es complicado llevarle el hilo a la historia si leías un comic al mes junto con los cómics de otras series. Definitivamente me va mejor leyendo los comics cuando ya están recopilados.
Lo que más me gusta de este volumen son los dibujos, la historia poco a poco me está gustando más. Ya veremos cómo continúa.
Lo que más me gusta de este volumen son los dibujos, la historia poco a poco me está gustando más. Ya veremos cómo continúa.
March 12, 2015
This story continues to roll out in surprising ways. Definitely getting easier to follow as the new status quo of the Time Runs Out period is becoming clear.
July 7, 2015
Continuation of the previous book ( there's really no point to cut them the way Marvel did except to try to keep a low page count...) and as good if not better.
September 26, 2015
It's getting kinda crazy! Which way is up and who is doing the right thing?
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