Current State of the Avengers Comic...

[Nomads1]

My understanding that is isn't the team the writer wanted to write? He was forced to use these characters?

Pretty much. The official term was “chosen by committee” when discussing the cast selection.

I have mixed feelings about the synergy/chosen by committee aspect because I very much suspect that's why the Scarlet Witch is on the team, and it's very meaningful to me to finally have her back on the main Avengers team for the first time since Avengers Disassembled.

I guess that's what you get when an ensemble book like Avengers becomes merely a marketing tool to promote the MCU synergy, or to try to boost the sales of individual books. IMHO, I miss when books stood (or fell) on the merits of it's own stories' quality.

Peace

[LAWtoyoto 432]

Pretty much. The official term was “chosen by committee” when discussing the cast selection.

Arrgh, how frustrated. I wonder how X-Men line-up actually works cuz at least there have got B-C-D listed mutants starring in each of the X-Books. The same goes for the X-Men's current run with different variety of mutants leading the team in different years. Even Sunsfire and Forge, longtime X-Men have return 2 join back the team.

[ed2962]

Arrgh, how frustrated. I wonder how X-Men line-up actually works cuz at least there have got B-C-D listed mutants starring in each of the X-Books. The same goes for the X-Men's current run with different variety of mutants leading the team in different years. Even Sunsfire and Forge, longtime X-Men have return 2 join back the team.

No Doubt it's a similar situation. I can remember like 20-ish yrs ago a then high profile writer talked about when he and another writer got the gig write the main X-Men books. He thought they there were going to be able to tell their own stories but were told by the editors, "No we already have the main plots worked out, we need you guys to do dialogue and what not."

[lefthanded]

Pretty much. The official term was “chosen by committee” when discussing the cast selection.

Overall the series feels... competent. Things happen a little more organically compared to Aaron's Avengers, where over there, it felt like things happened because the plot dictates it has to happen.

But, 'competent' is not what I want from the Avengers. The "chosen by committee" phrase perfectly captures why I feel a lack of connection to the series.
This does not feel like a team. Cap Marvel and Iron Man do feel like potentially teammates, as their conversation in issue 1 perfectly captures. But everyone else, their connection feels perfunctory.

Thor has no personality or relation to the other team members, and Cap Marvel's attempt at engaging with him fall flat on Thor (and the readers).
Vision and Scarlet Witch shouldn't just be defined by their old romantic entanglement, but they haven't even interacted at all. Black Panther's "relationship" to the other team members is just something we are told about. If the reader isn't up to date on the Black Panther comics (I am not), this does not feel like a character dynamic at all and feels like T'challa tells us he likes rocky road ice cream and everyone else is team cookies and cream.
Cap Sam Wilson really only interacts with T'Challa, and it is only about their supposed beef.

Essentially, this book reads like each character's individual solo series that just happens to be tied together by a crossover event.

[Username taken]

Overall the series feels... competent. Things happen a little more organically compared to Aaron's Avengers, where over there, it felt like things happened because the plot dictates it has to happen.

But, 'competent' is not what I want from the Avengers. The "chosen by committee" phrase perfectly captures why I feel a lack of connection to the series.
This does not feel like a team. Cap Marvel and Iron Man do feel like potentially teammates, as their conversation in issue 1 perfectly captures. But everyone else, their connection feels perfunctory.

Thor has no personality or relation to the other team members, and Cap Marvel's attempt at engaging with him fall flat on Thor (and the readers).
Vision and Scarlet Witch shouldn't just be defined by their old romantic entanglement, but they haven't even interacted at all. Black Panther's "relationship" to the other team members is just something we are told about. If the reader isn't up to date on the Black Panther comics (I am not), this does not feel like a character dynamic at all and feels like T'challa tells us he likes rocky road ice cream and everyone else is team cookies and cream.
Cap Sam Wilson really only interacts with T'Challa, and it is only about their supposed beef.

Essentially, this book reads like each character's individual solo series that just happens to be tied together by a crossover event.

Good summation.

The book doesn't seem to "flow" thus far.

[Agent Z]

The hard part for me is the synergy they want to create between the MCU and the comic book. Just because certain characters' stories are done in the MCU, doesn't mean that their stories are done in the comics.

And I also miss the down time where they sit around and act like 'normal' people.

This team has three characters who are dead in the MCU.

[Frontier]

Honestly I've been enjoying the run a lot myself.

I feel like a lot of these issues will be stuff that gets addressed after the first arc which is starting very bombastic and action-packed (potentially to lure readers in) with some character-focused fights before taking a step back.

As for Carol as leader...she wouldn't have been my first choice, but Carol's had a lot of leadership experience at this point and I feel like Mackay is writing her well in the role.

Overall the series feels... competent. Things happen a little more organically compared to Aaron's Avengers, where over there, it felt like things happened because the plot dictates it has to happen.

But, 'competent' is not what I want from the Avengers. The "chosen by committee" phrase perfectly captures why I feel a lack of connection to the series.
This does not feel like a team. Cap Marvel and Iron Man do feel like potentially teammates, as their conversation in issue 1 perfectly captures. But everyone else, their connection feels perfunctory.

Thor has no personality or relation to the other team members, and Cap Marvel's attempt at engaging with him fall flat on Thor (and the readers).
Vision and Scarlet Witch shouldn't just be defined by their old romantic entanglement, but they haven't even interacted at all. Black Panther's "relationship" to the other team members is just something we are told about. If the reader isn't up to date on the Black Panther comics (I am not), this does not feel like a character dynamic at all and feels like T'challa tells us he likes rocky road ice cream and everyone else is team cookies and cream.
Cap Sam Wilson really only interacts with T'Challa, and it is only about their supposed beef.

Essentially, this book reads like each character's individual solo series that just happens to be tied together by a crossover event.

I think part of it is that the current team is separated fighting the Ashen Combine individually outside T'Challa and Sam, but I feel like it's also there that Mackay has shown that he has good grasp of everybody's characterization and powers to a certain extent.

I mean, Thor feels 10x more on-point characterization-wise than he did under Aaron when he was writing Avengers, and T'Challa feels like T'Challa and Mackay is just building on stuff from Sam's last Cap book between the two of them.

[strathcona]

I have to agree with a lot of the points brought up in this thread. I just can't help but think Marvel needs to stop thinking of the Avengers line-up as just the A-list, has their own book and movie type characters. It's the B and C-listers that always gave the Avengers their heart. Something that hasn't been showcased well since Busiek's run.

[Frontier]

Is the roster so much the problem as the lack of downtime?

[Nomads1]

Is the roster so much the problem as the lack of downtime?

Even if it feels a bit too much "by the numbers", I don't have such a problem with the roster (even if it doesn't feature many of my favorites), as long as we have good interactions and character development. Since I haven't read the first TPB, I'll refrain from commenting on this untill I have (what I saw on the previews, especially concerning the first issue, seemed promising, though).

Peace

[PablitoMc]

When I re-read the Busiek and Perez Era there are somethings which feel a little bit dated now.

I loved the first arc - Very very strong and so great to see all of the current living members get back together - loads of great character moments - Moondragon and Tigra's interaction as one example. They rebuilt Carol Danvers with a fresh approach and Warbird was great! The introduction of Firestar and Justice as trainee Avengers. And the Legion of the Unliving story which coincides with Halloween was just wonderful. Loved seeing the dead Avengers again. Really powerful stuff!

What I wasn't keen on was the Triathlon story which I felt dragged on and then went nowhere. Also I felt Silver claw was a missed opportunity.

But lets all be completely honest - Issue one was sensational and had more content that 10 issues of the current run will have.

[Jely4me]

Not vibing with this book. The line-up is movie-centric, which is a turnoff on its own, but I’ve hated the Downey voiced Stark in the comics for quite some time, and while I don’t mind Carol as leader, she’s far too cocky and to me, it’s against type. Strong woman, great, but this feels forced. Avengers ain’t Avengers without Steve either. I don’t know if I’m purchasing 30 more issues to #800, like whatever happens in January with the X-books, if there’s to be a #700, I’m there, but out after that. I’m waiting on Nightwing #300 to be completely out of DC too…

[Frontier]

Not vibing with this book. The line-up is movie-centric, which is a turnoff on its own, but I’ve hated the Downey voiced Stark in the comics for quite some time, and while I don’t mind Carol as leader, she’s far too cocky and to me, it’s against type. Strong woman, great, but this feels forced. Avengers ain’t Avengers without Steve either. I don’t know if I’m purchasing 30 more issues to #800, like whatever happens in January with the X-books, if there’s to be a #700, I’m there, but out after that. I’m waiting on Nightwing #300 to be completely out of DC too…

For me the lineup is movie-centric only in the sense that the characters are all in the movies, pretty much all of them have been major Avengers in the comics and been on multiple rosters.

Jed doesn't write Tony too RDJ in my opinion. This is also probably one of the more toned down and natural depictions of Carol too, in my opinion.

[Jely4me]

For me the lineup is movie-centric only in the sense that the characters are all in the movies, pretty much all of them have been major Avengers in the comics and been on multiple rosters.

Jed doesn't write Tony too RDJ in my opinion. This is also probably one of the more toned down and natural depictions of Carol too, in my opinion.

I’m referencing the current line-up, most of them have projects forthcoming, to keep that non existent new reader on alert, and the characters in the public eye..which I find dull. I’m an old quintet/Jarvis/mansion fan. And while the author may be voicing Stark differently in your opinion, I haven’t cared for the character since the Knaufs and Fraction, so much so that I gave up on the book, I just can’t tolerate the current take on the character, like I did also with Coates’s horrendous Cap, which hasn’t been good since Brubaker. Gave him a shot, but found it wanting. I totally ignored this last volume, and JMS barely moves the needle. I’m just disappointed that after 49 of my 52 years, the end is nigh for me, the thrill gone. I was told to give Mackay (sp) a shot, the new Hulk too…pretty meh thus far…

[Factor]

I haven’t read the last issue yet, but this thread surprises me. The first three issues were much better than the flagship has been in years. I get the complaints that the plot isn’t advancing so fast, but I think the characterisations are very solid and the new threat is interesting.