Avengers #7 Review/SPOILERS

[Prof. Warren]

This is the first of several issues spotlighting the prehistoric Avengers.

First up, the Ghost Rider.

Guest artist Sara Pichelli steps in for this neatly told one and done.

Pichelli is, of course, a much different artist than McGuinness and this issue has a pleasingly soft look to it.

Plot-wise, this is very straight-forward. We see the person destined to become Ghost Rider prior to their transformation.

Among their tribe, they are special in that they know words but must hide that gift from their brethren for fear of being ostracized.

One day, a savage stranger arrives who also has the gift of language, but who is also a brutal savage who murders the entire tribe save for the soon-to-be Ghost Rider.

This stranger leaves them alive and dubs them "Ghost", a thing that doesn't even know its dead. He tells "Ghost" to come find him if he wants to know his name.

He leaves and eventually Ghost sets out on his journey through unforgiving, icy terrian.

Before long, he meets the being that will change him forever - Mephisto in the form of a white serpent.

Once changed, Ghost is now the Ghost Rider and is more than equipped to handle the savage stranger when he finally encounters him again five years later.

Their reunion reveals that this stranger has a connection to a classic Marvel villain. And at the conclusion of their duel, a couple of familiar faces arrive to recruit the Rider to their newly forming team.

-------

This was a solid issue, with some cool action beats. It's a self-contained tale that fills in some of the backstory for the Ghost Rider and the prehistoric Avengers.

If this isn't an aspect of the book that interests you, it's probably an easy skip. Then again, it's also a nice pause from what some would say was an overly frenetic opening arc.

While I liked this issue, I am glad that there's another Avengers issue this month. I expect all the spotlight issues for the prehistoric Avengers will be in double shipping months so that the main team's story doesn't get sidelined for too long.

[Mike_Murdock]

I liked the mammoth shooting fire out of its trunk.

Overall, this was relatively disposable, but I enjoyed it a bunch. I'm glad Aaron is acknowledging that humans couldn't just talk like you and I One Million years ago. I also loved the exploration of the origin of the Wendigo (I forget the premise, you eat human flesh on Canadian soil or something like that?). Since this is the first Ghost Rider, there's something wonderfully biblical with Mephisto and the fall of man. On the other hand, the explanation for the Ghost Rider's name is forced. But Sara Pichelli's art's great, I have no idea how she has the time.

[Prof. Warren]

I liked the mammoth shooting fire out of its trunk.

Yeah, loved that. And I also thought the way Ghost Rider uses the scattered bones of the Wendigo's victims was cool as hell.

Overall, this was relatively disposable, but I enjoyed it a bunch.

That sums up my feelings. It wasn't some indispensable chapter in the Avengers saga but yet it was a whole lot of fun. It left me looking forward to the other spotlight issues.

I'm glad Aaron is acknowledging that humans couldn't just talk like you and I One Million years ago. I also loved the exploration of the origin of the Wendigo (I forget the premise, you eat human flesh on Canadian soil or something like that?). Since this is the first Ghost Rider, there's something wonderfully biblical with Mephisto and the fall of man. On the other hand, the explanation for the Ghost Rider's name is forced. But Sara Pichelli's art's great, I have no idea how she has the time.

I don't know - is she doing that many books besides FF?

And yeah, I like that Aaron isn't even trying to make this, in any way, some historically accurate study of the early age of Man - it's just pure comic book.

[Mike_Murdock]

I don't know - is she doing that many books besides FF?

Artists typically handle one book a month and, typically, they can't really keep that pace. Generally, they finish one page a day. A month typically has 20 work days to finish a 22 page comic book, so they might fall a bit behind. So the fact that Sara Pichelli was able to do this issue and the Fantastic Four is a quicker pace (although she could have finished this issue before she started over there or they had someone else fill in over there).

And yeah, I like that Aaron isn't even trying to make this, in any way, some historically accurate study of the early age of Man - it's just pure comic book.

Well, I'd like them to at least have some nods towards reality even if they go in a different direction. And, for some reason, my suspension of disbelief is easier for modern events than historic events.

That being said, I'm really curious how Jason Aaron's portrayal of human evolution fits in with his new revelations of the Celestials.

[numberthirty]

I liked the mammoth shooting fire out of its trunk.

Overall, this was relatively disposable, but I enjoyed it a bunch. I'm glad Aaron is acknowledging that humans couldn't just talk like you and I One Million years ago. I also loved the exploration of the origin of the Wendigo (I forget the premise, you eat human flesh on Canadian soil or something like that?). Since this is the first Ghost Rider, there's something wonderfully biblical with Mephisto and the fall of man. On the other hand, the explanation for the Ghost Rider's name is forced. But Sara Pichelli's art's great, I have no idea how she has the time.

Also, makes sense when you folk it into the actual "Ghost Rider" run.

[MichaelC]

I'm glad Aaron is acknowledging that humans couldn't just talk like you and I One Million years ago.

I disagree. I have no problem with the idea that in this fantasy world, humans were fully developed a million years ago. I have no more problem with this conceit than I do with the idea that humans had Roman-level technology and magic during Conan's time. Trying to make this jive with real-world history is just dumb, imo. It's not really possible, and the attempt actually shines a spotlight on the story's inherit absurdity, causing the opposite of the intended result.

[Shadowcat]

I wonder if Aaron will make The Master the main villain against the BCAvengers.

[Mike_Murdock]

The Hyborian Age is easier for me to accept than Homo Erectus inventing clothing 130,000 years before the earliest possible date. No matter what age Conan takes place, it isn't as far away from Roman times as 100,000 years.

[Anthony W]

Ugh.

Wendigo kills the tribe and let's Ghost live because.....well Aaron never bothers to explain.

The Ghost Rider using the bones of The Wendigo's victims was cool.

Language is still new but they both talk to eachother like it's 2018. "Now get ready to warm my belly!" "Oh, We'll warm you up all right"

Odin shows up with Phoenix. Odin thinks they should recruit the Wendigo because he is being written by Aaron

[MichaelC]

So you think they should talk to each other in a stilted manner because they are from ancient times? The thing is, no one at any point in history spoke to each other in a stilted manner from their own perspective. Shakespeare sounds very formal to the modern ear, but in his time he was as vulgar and goofy as a Jay and Silent Bob movie. The idea that characters set in ancient times should talk to each other in this bland, stilted, formal way has never rung true to me. We're already using a translation-convention on a language that long predates English. Why not go the extra step and have them speak as informally as they would have sounded to each other?

[JKtheMac]

Wonderful story. Love the way Aaron is slowly building a mythology to underpin his run. We further explore a dualist myth structure, focused here on free will and choosing between good and evil. The light of intelligence has sparked across the land, and a little like Lee's atomic age radiation metaphor it is creating superheroes and super villains everywhere. Instead of The Celestials directly intervening in humanity, we have something less direct.

This Celestial evolution of man was always a contentious and unexplored issue in canon. Whith some versions suggesting humanity was left alone, but others suggesting that they quickly evolved in this very early period, and that mutant powers stem from this period. Humanity is being altered, but perhaps the evolution of humanity itself comes from the stewardship of superheroes and powered individuals.

I will be interested to see if this idea of a universal language will be explored. Will Aaron tell his version of the Tower of Babel perhaps?

There is also a slight hint that specific archetypes are going to be contended. "Wendigo is the strongest one there--" is clearly foreshadowing.

The art is just OK for me. Great even, up until Ghost Rider. I feel like Ghost Rider should have been more than just a perfectly rendered skull with body and an aura of flame. He doesn't feel as terrible or even as convincing as either Mephisto/Snake or Wen-Di-Go. The mammoth fire was also somewhat unconvincing. Pichelli is a great talent, but fire special effects seem not to be her strong point. Perhaps the colourist could have been bolder and added detail, but that isn't really their job.

Looking forward to all the inevitable Namor complaints next month.

Avengers Mountain also feels very Olympian.

[Mike_Murdock]

So you think they should talk to each other in a stilted manner because they are from ancient times? The thing is, no one at any point in history spoke to each other in a stilted manner from their own perspective. Shakespeare sounds very formal to the modern ear, but in his time he was as vulgar and goofy as a Jay and Silent Bob movie. The idea that characters set in ancient times should talk to each other in this bland, stilted, formal way has never rung true to me. We're already using a translation-convention on a language that long predates English. Why not go the extra step and have them speak as informally as they would have sounded to each other?

Right. It's also translated from an early language of some sort so it's not like it would be more accurate to use Shakespearean English or anything like that. Any colloquial phrases are adapted for the translation.

[JKtheMac]

Right. It's also translated from an early language of some sort so it's not like it would be more accurate to use Shakespearean English or anything like that. Any colloquial phrases are adapted for the translation.

It is also clearly a language that arrives fully formed. Until then Ghost has never had a single conversation. This is clearly part of the story.

[Prof. Warren]

Wendigo kills the tribe and let's Ghost live because.....well Aaron never bothers to explain.

What needs to be explained?

Seems clear that Wendigo spared him because he was someone like him. It would have been a waste to simply slaughter him like the others.

Language is still new but they both talk to each other like it's 2018. "Now get ready to warm my belly!" "Oh, We'll warm you up all right"

They haven't invented language, it was in their heads from the start. They were, as Wendigo says, "born different."

Odin shows up with Phoenix. Odin thinks they should recruit the Wendigo because he is being written by Aaron

It's not hard to see Odin championing the need for Wendigo's ferocity. But at any rate, it's not as though this was anything more than a passing line, not an actual hard push by Odin for getting Wendigo on the team.

[JKtheMac]

It's not hard to see Odin championing the need for Wendigo's ferocity. But at any rate, it's not as though this was anything more than a passing line, not an actual hard push by Odin for getting Wendigo on the team.

Some people seem to think Odin should be written as an unambiguous all-round great guy, and pick up on any hint that he might not be. Despite the fact this is not how he has been written for decades by dozens of writers.