AVENGERS FOREVER TPB

Gonna go back in time...and forward...and sideways...

Writer: Kurt Busiek (story assist by Roger Stern)
Artists: Carlos Pacheco and Jesus Merino
Colours: Steve Oliff
Letters: Comicraft
Published by Marvel 2001; $24.95 US

Reviewed by Brent A. Keane

I'm a sucker for time-travel stories. The BBC's long running sci-fi series, DOCTOR WHO; the BACK TO THE FUTURE movie trilogy; FLIGHT OF THE NAVIGATOR  (yes, I'm a child of the 80's) - all favourites of mine. Ergo, I knew going in that AVENGERS FOREVER would be a book I'd derive a great deal of enjoyment from.

AVENGERS FOREVER accomplishes a great deal on many fronts. It is densely plotted, labyrinthine and Byzantine in feel & structure. It encompasses the whole of Marvel's history - past, present, and a myriad of
potential futures. It asks a lot of questions about what has gone before, and more often than not, it offers answers. Above all - for someone who is well versed in Marvel lore as I am - it's damned good fun.

The book details the events of a battle known as 'The Destiny War', wherein humanity's fate will be determined by alien forces. Unless a rag-tag group of Avengers culled from various points in the time stream can avert the outcome, our collective future isn't looking too bright...

Kurt Busiek - aided and abetted by veteran AVENGERS scripter Roger Stern - has penned a fresh and lively tale, while evoking the best of the past: Englehart, Thomas and Lee can be heard echoing back at the reader, flavouring the narrative and dialogue. Characterization is consistent, too - surely a triumph in a book with such a large and varied cast; heck, Busiek even made me like Kang The Conqueror (' Kang The Conqueror'?), a villain I'd previously had little time for.

Carlos Pacheco is nothing less than stunning artistically; as with the script, there is a genuine sense of classicism here, but the work is far from being a love letter to Pacheco's childhood. It hits all the right
notes, with the appropriate sense of scale, grandeur and occasion. Steve Oliff must also be singled out for his exceptional colour work - long recognized as a leader in the field, he complements the art without ever
seeming to be showing off.

In short, AVENGERS FOREVER is everything a long-time Marvel fan could want, but not without a price. If you're not fond of heavy continuity and footnotes, then perhaps this book is not for you. If, however, you remember the good old days - when there were new ideas on every page and the stories kept you guessing - it's the next best thing to heaven. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to superhero fans, RECOMMENDED (with reservations) otherwise.