Infinity #6
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Art: Jim Cheung, Dustin Weaver, Mark Morales, Guillermo Ortego, Dave Meikis, and John Livesay
Colorist: Justin Ponsor with Ive Svorcina
Publisher: Marvel Comics
The Avengers have saved the galaxy. Now it’s time to save the Earth. As writer Jonathan Hickman wraps up the Infinity event, a miniseries that has been an Avengers-centric story, he finally writes a comic that feels like an Avengers comic in Infinity #6. Having defeated the Builders in space, Captain America and the Avengers return to Earth, finding it blockaded by Thanos’ servants as the villain has pursued a personal vendetta to find his son. The boy that the Inhumans of Earth have hidden for years, Thane, is now in the grips of one of Thanos’ lieutenants, Ebony Maw, and thanks to Black Bolt’s explosive release of the Terrigen mist over the planet, now possesses powers that he doesn’t comprehend. Hickman and artists Jim Cheung and Dustin Weaver create one of the most satisfying conclusions to one of these giant event series even as they plant seeds for the future of The Avengers, the New Avengers and the Inhumans.
Cheung and Weaver match the scope of Hickman’s story, creating artwork that’s worthy of the huge battle contained in this comic. Even as recently as the X-Men’s “Battle of the Atom” event, inconsistent and underwhelming art undermines the story, failing to deliver on either an emotional or energetic level. Cheung’s artwork is all about the power in these characters. His figures from Thanos to the Hulk to even Thane and Ebony Maw all surge with a power just waiting to break free from the confines of their figures. Cheung’s classic Marvel storytelling, born of the likes of John Byrne and Art Adams, casts the heroes and villains as gods that battle for all of existence. His Infinity #6 art is large and powerful as you can practically feel the real world tremble with every punch and blow that’s landed in this epic fight.
There’s this huge battle that’s at the center of this issue, but really so little depends on who is triumphant, whether it’s Thanos, the Hulk, Thor or any of the other Avengers. The real struggle for victory is done through the sly machinations of Maximus, Black Bolt’s brother, and the Ebony Maw as he whispers his half truths into Thane’s ear. The fight between the Avengers and Thanos is actually just a backdrop for these true displays of power and cunning. There’s the power to destroy worlds, and then there is the power to make those worlds dance on your strings. Maximus and Ebony Maw are the true victors in this battle as they both have the most to gain. The Avengers versus Thanos is the distraction they need as everyone is focused on the end of the world rather than the understanding of what it really means to be in control of their situation.
As all of these forces fight their own battles, Hickman finally produces an issue of this event that’s about the characters and their many and varied personalities. A lot of the story, whether it’s been in the pages of Infinity, Avengers or New Avengers, have been about the big moments; it’s been about the spectacle and it’s hardly felt like there was any real personality to any of these combatants. In Infinity #6, Hickman shows us these characters, their strengths and their flaws. Particularly with Thanos, Hickman shows his understanding of the character because he’s never been a villain that the Avengers have been able to defeat. All of their victories against the Mad Titan have some with through the aid of outside forces and Hickman here shows history repeating itself as Thanos’s weakness is his own blindness to the true battles. As the Avengers rally and Thanos blindly lashes out, Hickman has the character undercut by his repeated unawareness of the true events.
Infinity has been a story about spectacle and war, but Infinity #6 makes the fight personal as the Avengers finally engage in battle on their own planet. This isn’t about anonymous aliens and drones; this is about the Avengers fighting for what really matters- the Earth. After years of Marvel events that have been disappointing in the end, Infinity #6 delivers an end that’s final but also sets up the future. No status quo has been world-shakenly altered but Hickman, Cheung and Weaver show the power of these heroes and villains with each blow landed and with each manipulative word uttered.