Avengers: War Across Time

Avengers: War Across Time (2023) #1-5

by Paul Levitz (Writer), Alan Davis (Artist)

Journey back to the Avengers' earliest days! Eisner Hall of Famer Paul Levitz, known for his storied career at DC Comics, writes his first-ever Marvel story - a love letter to Avengers history - together with fellow superstar Alan Davis! Kang the Conqueror has targeted the classic Avengers team in a showdown that will span centuries - but what will Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, the Wasp and Giant-Man learn about the team's future? From battling the Hulk on the streets of NYC and invading the Fantastic Four's Baxter Building to facing the menaces of the Asgardian dwarves and the Lava Men, Earth's Mightiest Heroes must field every threat Kang throws their way - but despite their courage and heroism, will they ultimately be lost to the swirling mists of time? Collecting WAR ACROSS TIME #1-5.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Time Travel, Superheroes, Science Fiction, Fiction

136 pages, Paperback

Published August 8, 2023

Reviews

[Rob Schamberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pure fun and gorgeously drawn!

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Existem aquele quadrinhos que revisitam uma determinada fase antiga de um personagem para trazer uma visão contemporânea para um passado clássico. Tem aqueles que trazem o gostinho bom do passado de volta com uma roupagem do presente. E tem quadrinhos como Vingadores: Guerra Através do Tempo que não fazem nada. Nenhum dos dois. Um monte de páginas de briguinhas da equipe original dos Vingadores com seus primeiros adversários, apenas. A tal guerra através do tempo só aparece mesmo é no final da edição, numas cinco, seis páginas. Mesmo com o adversário principal sendo Kang, não parece que o mestre do tempo sabe muito bem como manipular essa dimensão humana como ele apregoa. Afinal, ele usa robôs contra os Vingadores. Achei esse quadrinho muito muito ruim, mesmo tendo sido escrito por Paul Levitz e desenhado por Alan Davis. Também não entendi porque a Panini Comics Brasil resolveu lançar esse encadernado em capa dura, porque não vale tanto luxo.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A throwback comic book in both art design and plot, but still enjoyable for what it is. Kang the Conqueror threatens the classic Avengers team, who spend most of the book brawling, theorizing, and (in the case of the Wasp) lusting after everything that moves. Holy sexism, Batman! Truly a period piece...

The main plot is derailed ceaselessly by B plots, but that kind of seems to be the point. I definitely appreciated that, while everything is determinedly Old School, the dialogue is mercifully light. None of that "Allow me to narrate my every thought and movement" stuff from the actual 60s comics.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picking up right after the events of Avengers #11 (first series), this tales offers up some retroactive continuity of Kang following his Spider-Man Robot with a Hulk Robot. The story itself is pretty thin, but the art from Alan Davis is gorgeous and fun. Not nearly as ambitious as Avengers Forever or as complicated as Avengers Epic Collection, Vol. 8: Kang War. But overall, it is a fun read, ridiculously fast-paced, and more than a tad anachronistic, but a lot of fun.

[Martin Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slightly underwhelming but fun. Levitz gets a nice handle on the characters (except perhaps his Hulk dialogue) but his plotting gets too wrapped up in a B plot to really deliver on the promise of the premise. Still, it’s nice to see a continuity insert story that keeps the original time period of the era instead of using the sliding time-scale to drag it into the more recent past.

Davis is a great choice of artist for the series but really could have benefitted from an inker (Mark Farmer seems the obvious choice) to refine his work, especially as it starts to feel a little rushed near the end.

Ultimately this feels like a bit of a wasted opportunity. I wasn’t expecting something on the level of Avengers Forever, but this is oddly unambitious given the title and possibilities.

[James Bowman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This miniseries is set between the original Avengers #11 and #12 from the 1960s, and tries to replicate something of the feel of that era. The result is a decently entertaining set of retro stories, bolstered by the always excellent art of Alan Davis. One note, however: despite the title and Kang's prominent appearance on the cover, most of the action takes place in the present day, with Kang mainly acting behind the scenes. (B+)

[Sineala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you want to read an Avengers miniseries that feels like it could have come straight out of the Silver Age except it actually came out in trade last week? Then you want to read War Across Time!

Avengers: War Across Time is a five-issue miniseries that came out earlier this year. It's written by Paul Levitz, who I think is more well-known for his work at the Distinguished Competition, and has some charmingly retro art by Alan Davis, who I think was the perfect choice for this story except for every single depiction of the mouth-slit of Iron Man's mask, which is nightmare fuel and also doesn't actually match the mouth-slit of the armor from when this story was set or in fact ever. Yes, I checked.

This features the founding Avengers and is set directly after the events of Avengers #11, which I would recommend reading first. I was hoping Marvel would have put #11 in the trade here but alas, they did not. Anyway, #11 is Kang's second appearance (after #8) and it's the one where Kang decides to build a robot Spider-Man to defeat the Avengers. It doesn't work. So the premise of War Across Time here is that Kang decided that this was actually a great idea but the problem was that he just didn't pick a superhuman who was strong enough to defeat the Avengers, so he's trying a robot Hulk.

The whole thing is an action-heavy romp -- they're also fighting dwarves and lava-men and trying to recover Mjolnir, in addition to the journey through time that of course they have to take to fight Kang. There's a whole lot going on and not a lot of space to stop and breathe but that's fine. It's fun. You get to see Iron Man in his rollerskates. There was a lot of great banter between the Avengers and it was all perfect for the era; I think the thing that made it feel the most in-character to me was Jan's crush on Thor. It was great.

So, I mean, it's not gonna change your life, but if you want a fun retro Avengers miniseries, you're not gonna regret reading this, and, let's be honest, "you're not gonna regret reading this" isn't a thing you can assume you will be true of every superhero comic. But this one was good!

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than I was expecting it to be...

It's pretty much a love letter to classic Avengers stories (this story is set sometime around 'Avengers' #11). You've got Paul Levitz with the keys to the kingdom. He's done amazing work in DC with the LoSH and JSA. Only fitting that he take a stab at a Marvel classic.

Hits all the 60's key points.
* Jan flirts with everything
* Thor turns to Donald Blake when not holding Mjolnir
* Cap is fresh out of being thawed and NOT in the 1940's
* Iron Man is Tony Stark's bodyguard
* Hank Pym leans heavy on the science.

Bonus: Willie Lumpkin cameo (classic FF fan mail deliverer)
Bonus Bonus:Iron Man rollerskates! Always make me laugh.

[Greg L Goldstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read.

Paul Levitz captures the spirt of the classic Silver Age Avengers, and Alan Davis art is nothing short of terrific.

Paul certainly has a feel for the characters as they were in that era --- and he eliminates the verbosity from the 60s fight scenes, that drove me crazy, even as a kid. Davis art has plenty of room to breathe --- and the coloring (Rachelle Rosenberg) is spot on.

The story ended a bit too abruptly for my taste, and, in fact, the penultimate pages would make for an entire mini-series on its own. (Hint.)

[Vicente L Ruiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, Paul Levitz is Paul Levitz, and Alan Davis is Alan Davis. Both are comic book legends. But, having said that, this doesn't feel like peak Davis, which is a pity. However, the main problem I have with this story is... that it's too long. It looks like the whole plot just convolutes itself over three points that are not that complex, and that's all.
If I could, I'd give it 3.5 stars. But I cannot.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through time a perfect Avengers story

I was lerry at DC Comics' former Executive Editor and Warner Bros V.P. writing for Marvel Comics, but his true love for the characters, created by Stan, Jack, Steve et al, really shows through. This tale is non-stop adventure and captures the characters from the earliest Avengers stories so well. It was a pleasure to read. I Highly Recommend this story.

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

It was a fun read. Paul Levitz and Alan Davis managed to recapture the feel of the Silver Age Avengers and modernize it a bit to avoid extra verbose dialogues and compressed art. The spirit was definitely there and I love how they managed to keep the characters tuned to who they were during that time.
This could be an ongoing thing.

[Ryan Gasser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I read The Avengers: War Across Time in 5 single issues. The first issue was okay. The second & third issues were a little better. Issue 4 was solid. And issue 5 nailed the landing. I applaud Levitz, Davis and Rosenberg. Job well done on the feel and storytelling of a silver age gem!

[Emile Rudoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Para ser el primer trabajo de Paul Levitz en Marvel no esta mal, pero pues creo que solo pasará a la historia por eso. Btw, se que Wasp está escrita como para esa época, pero no me gustó. Para mi Wasp es la lideresa de los Avengers de Stern, no esta boba.

[Greisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s okay. If you’re nostalgic for early Avengers style storytelling, they absolutely nailed it. I was not, wasn’t what I was expecting, think I misread the description. Definitely wasn’t a war across time.

[Mathew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good call-backs and nostalgia. Artwork makes it feel like you are reading golden age comics. Probably one more suited to someone with a vast knowledge of all these characters but I still found it quite enjoyable.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Eddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like another Avengers ,I did not see that happening. Thank you.

[sage · Rating 3 out of 5]

just kinda boring

[Jipi Perreault · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun retro throwback adventure. (Has Wasp always been so horny?)

[Alberto · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[Spidey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dibujo estupendo de Alan Davis al que le acompaña una historia que le falta algo de gracia.

[Dean · Rating 1 out of 5]

I dont think I like Davis's modern art, maybe it depends on the interior. Rosenberg's colours were great, the story was fine. I wouldn't go back or buy it.

[Dominic Gizzo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cool rendition of the Avengers of yester-year. Not necessarily my flow, but I could see someone who grew up in the Stan Lee era really getting a kick out of it.

[Markus Seaberry · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting, but I was expecting more time travel hijinks.

[Sean Sheridan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strong build up but just a tease to end on. Liked the first 4, 5th was just okay.

[Gary Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Great Marvel Readthrough, pt 391

[Eva B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely perfect <3 I wish they'd do more stories centering on the founding Avengers (plus Captain America) with this retro sort of feel. Also this had lots of Hank and Jan and the two of them being cute together, which is always a bonus for me ;)

[Paulo Pereira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Given how scarce Alan Davis's work has been in comics lately, I was eager to read this and I wanted to like this. But I have to be honest: I was disappointed. The art itself, while certainly not Alan Davis' best, is definitely good enough. Oddly enough, it's inked by Davis himself, who has most often been inked by Mark Farmer and, before that, Paul Neary. I would guess Davis inks himself here to give the book a rougher, more retro feel and I think it works pretty well to that effect; both Farmer and Neary might have been thought of as too polished for the job.

The story, however, does not fare so well. This is writer Paul Levitz's first-ever Marvel comics story and I didn't find it a very good showing. I am not familiar with his work at DC so I can offer no comparison or contrasts but I know what I like and dislike, and I didn't like this.

It starts promisingly enough. First some background. The story takes place after Avengers #11 in which Kang (who first appeared in Avengers #8) employed a Spider-Man robot to fight the Avengers. The robot almost succeeds but is defeated by the real Spider-Man. Back to Avengers: War Across Time in which Kang sends a robot Hulk to fight the Avengers, and it (like Spider-Robot) almost succeeds in beating them, but is defeated by the Avengers (in a rather iffy sort of way, I must say, though at least they don't require the help of the real Hulk).

Okay, not a bad beginning. But then things get weird. In issue #2 the Avengers break into the Baxter Building to try to figure out how to use Reed Richards' time machine to fight Kang. They fail to do this and, purely by accident, a very pissed-off dwarf, named Sindri, is summoned through Richards' time portal. The dwarf believes Thor has brought him to Earth and battles the Avengers, causing all sorts of havoc, until Thor finally defeats him and hauls him off to Asgard. I don't know if it's ever been established before, but Sindri is exempt from Mjolnir's worthiness clause and can wield it with ease, because he forged it. Much of the conflict stems from this ability and, frankly, it feels contrived.

But what I really find weird about this is, this plot point takes up three issues and Kang has nothing to do with any of it; he only appears on a few pages throughout this entire arc (for want of a better term). For a series that's supposed to be about Kang trying to destroy the Avengers, you have three whole issues dedicated to an antagonist Kang himself never summons and a plot in which he doesn't even appear that much,. Thus, the final issue seems rather rushed. Kang summons the Avengers to the future, where they destroy some of his mechanisms but he sends them back through time where they see future and alternate versions of themselves in action. I dunno, it all just seems like a wasted opportunity to play with time travel. Also, its ending is anticlimactic. The Avengers don't actually defeat Kang and his method of defeating them is to send them back to where, that is, rather, when they came from. Meh

Apart from the dodgy plot, there are odd quirks and such. For one thing, Wasp can't stop commenting on the hotness of her teammates. Even Stan Lee's dialogue didn't have Wasp so hung up on dreaminess and hunkiness of her colleagues (for a good while she was the only female Avenger). There is also a panel in which the Avengers are travelling back through time and witness future Avengers fighting Galactus. Captain America remarks that Galactus is "radiating pure evil". Huh? Is this a case of Paul Levitz not knowing the character or has Galactus become retconned to become evil? Either way, I don't like it.

There are also weird continuity errors. For instance, an enemy seems to disappear into the unbroken ground, but the next panel shows a gaping hole in the earth. In one sequence, the enemy throws Thor's hammer at Cap (see spoilers above) who says, "once thrown, the hammer returns to its rightful owner", except that's not at all how it worked out earlier. In another sequence an underling of Kang's asks him if he wants to interrogate the fallen leaders of a world Kang has just conquered. Kang says he ordered no survivors and tells the underling, "You may join them in their grave,"; the idea being that Kang shoots and kills the underling for his supposed insolence. Except, in the next panel, he is clearly not shooting the underling who spoke, but some other poor slob. It's very strange.

Anyway, again, disappointing. But it's always fun to see new art by Alan Davis, so not a total loss. However, given the aforementioned rarity of seeing a Davis-drawn book these days, it seems like a missed opportunity. The 3 stars I gave it seem a bit generous; I would deduct half a star if such were possible.

[Mike A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Levite captures the essence of the 1960’s post Hulk era Avengers with delightful humor action and lots of time travel!