Let me just open by saying that I appreciate done-in-ones, especially at the dawn of the “event fatigue” era of Marvel.
Last issue, the new “Avengers in Training” team was formed, and in this issue they are called on for their first mission: Rescuing the President of the United States from Hydra.With a cast this size, we don’t get much more than a check-in on several ongoing storylines. There’s some solid work developing some of the new, younger trainees. Hank Pym continues to have tension with Henry Gyrich and former Nazi scientist
Baron von Blitzschlag, who are trying to create a new Captain America (since the old one is now dead after Civil War). They’re doing so using the corpse of MVP, a hero killed during a training exercise in issue #1.
The rest of the team doesn’t even know what Pym is doing. Being a sh!thead who keeps secrets from his teammates, and doing some downright evil stuff, isn’t new to Hank–this is a good use of his inherently unscrupulous form of heroism.
But we do see him taking pills as the work he’s a part of eats away at his soul.
And the big Hydra-invading-a-SHIELD-Helicarrier fight is fun. The Texas Rangers guest star as well, also fighting off the Hydra hordes.
President George W. Bush gives them an award at the end, and Hank taking it for the team. Again, perfect use of his character. When he sold his own team out to Egghead, he did it because he wanted to be SEEN as a hero more than he wanted to actually BE a hero. And hey, I can relate. It’s much easier to create the image than do the sacrifice necessary to live the reality.
English (US) · 