Don't Be So Negative
Written by: Mark Waid
Art by: Mahmud Asrar, Dave McCaig and VC's Cory Petit
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: July 27, 2016
Publisher: Marvel
I jumped into All-New All-Different Avengers not really knowing what to expect and was pleasantly surprised by how quick Mark Waid got me up to speed. I realize that Mark wasn't writing a newb friendly arc just for me...or was he?!? My crazy thoughts aside, I seemed to show up at the right time and really enjoyed the story and love the diversity in the team. Of course, Tony Stark was kind of my anchor, but I loved the younger characters even more and yes, that even goes for Nova! So, does this issue continue the (not so) fun in the negative zone and can the team rescue Miles Morales after last issue's crazy cliffhanger? Let's find out...
The issue opens with Vision swapping places with Miles Morales. What? I know that doesn't explain much, but Mark Waid really throws the reader into the pool right away. Tony explains that the Nega-Band can swap places with it's mate in the Negative Zone and we are off to the races.
Actually, this issue is more like a game of hot potato or tag as character after character switch places with each other to try to defeat Annihilus and destroy his Blackstar Weapon. First up is Vision, but we all know how the Negative Zone affects his powers so Thor jumps in next. One of the best parts of last issue was seeing Thor beat the crap out of Annihilus and the good times continue here. However, when she tries to destroy the weapon, Mjolnir just bounces off of it. What the heck??? It's explained away as Negative Zone physics which is actually fine with me. That Negative Zone is a pretty fucked up place!
Waid takes an unfortunate break in the action to show Nadia Pym and Janet Van Dyne trolling around Washington D.C. It's a nice to see some bonding going on, but I want action and more of it and we get it when we head back to the Negative Zone.
After Tony treats Nova like a little bitch, Ms. Marvel is tagged into the ring and goes micro to slip inside the cannon. It's a decent plan until she hits the radioactive core and turns greener than Mr. Yuk. That's when Nova steps up his game and gives Tony what his been dishing out and heads into the Negative Zone with something to prove. What he proves is that Positron Energy can do some real damage in the Negative Zone!
The battle ends with a little trickeroo involving the Bands and Mjolnir that gets everyone out of the Negative Zone and back...on an alien planet filled with alien refugees. Before heading home to Earth, Tony gets Vision to give a little speech to help out Nova and his daddy issue (as in, finding his daddy) and we end with Nova somewhat quoting Ice Cube...Today was a good day.
I have to admit that on first read, I wasn't a huge fan of this issue. It is action filled, but seemed pretty forced to have character after character enter and exit the Negative Zone. On my second read through, however, I found myself enjoying the teamwork and individual victories and defeats that led to Annihilus' "defeat". The only thing that brought the issue down a bit was the continuing side story of Nadia Pym which is going nowhere. Other than that, I had fun reading this issue.
Mahmud Asrar's art was once again great and in a book with such different characters, it's nice to see them all drawn so well. With the fighting going on in such a drab local, he makes the characters the focus and kicks total ass doing it.
Bits and Pieces:
On the surface, this issue is all about the fussin' and a fightin', but Mark Waid is also showing us a team coming together and fighting individually, but still for the good of the whole. The whole thing looks great and while it can be looked at as more of a diversion than an important story, I had fun reading it and sometimes that is more than enough for me.
8.0/10
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