The Avengers, Vol. 1: World Trust

Washington D.C. has disappeared. So has dozens of other world capitals, which appear to have disappeared off the face of the earth. The planet is in crisis. The United Nations is operating under a skeleton crew. Once again, Earth's mightiest heroes are called upon to save the day. Only this time, the Avengers aren't defending us from a colossal menace like Kang or Galactus. Instead, they're acting as the de facto leaders of the world under special commission from the UN.

The first half of this book sees very little action. What we get from Geoff Johns is a political Armageddon story on par with Tom Clancy. Seeing Captain America acting as motivational leader of the world with She-Hulk as his political law adviser and Iron Man acting as the head of the World Bank was a welcome change from super hero stories full of fisticuffs and violence. There's a ton of political intrigue as many of the Avengers have trouble trusting the intentions of both T'Challa and the Sub-Mariner, both world leaders, who have joined the team recently. Nobody trusts Henry Peter Gyrich, the Avengers former liaison who oversaw a dramatic retooling of the superhero team in the 1980s. But, Gyrich is about the only government man from D.C. left on the planet and he knows how to play the political game.

I was disappointed when the story shifted over to the menace behind the chaos. On one hand, I like the villain and his reasons for his treachery kinda ties in nicely with the baddie's M.O.. But there was a component of a new player who is more on par with Doctor Strange matching wits with, as opposed to the Avengers. Okay- I admit it! Scarlet Witch and her chaotic hex powers does make her a perfect protagonist to take on one half of the extinction level foes unleashed by the story's main villain. I just hated to see this amazing story devolve back into typical comic book theatrics.

World Trust was another example of why I like the Avengers. They've never really disappointed me. I think one reason they work so well is because of how much they distrust each other.

Great additions of Jack of Hearts and the Scott Lang Ant-Man to this story. They added a distrustful tension to the story which each other really hating the other guy's guts. Plus, both have such tragic story lines going on at this point, that their inclusion in this adventures added a ton of heart. 

Definitely a keeper in my Avengers collection of reads. I just wish there was more crisis-level drama than over-the-top superheroing in this grouping of issue.

Oh, and the back-up story was awesome. If you ever wondered what the Avengers would look and act like if they existed in the Simpsons universe, here's your chance. Simpsons Comics' Bill Morrison crafts a wacky tale in which Loki seeks to regain the title of God of Mischief by playing a bunch of sophomoric pranks on the Avengers. It's another fun tale that was so unusual and extremely refreshing to read that I want to see more of!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.