I'm back. Yes, I'm aware that this event happened almost exactly a year ago. I also became a parent almost exactly a year ago, explaining why I'm a little...late in posting. But, I figured why not get back on the horse where it threw me, right?
(Marvel didn't publish these issues in the same order as the reading checklist in the back of "War of the Realms" #1 shows them. I'm presenting them here in the recommended order, even though they're not all strictly "April 17" issues.)
War of the Realms #2: I don't have much to say here because Aaron is an expert at delivering this sort of pitched battle; I don't think anyone else does it remotely as well. Only the opening issue of "Age of Ultron" comes close in my mind to using so many characters so effectively to convey the increasing sense of desperation and then doom that falls over the heroes as they struggle against Malekith's horde. Aaron's characterization is stellar, from small moments (like Wolverine's "Good catching up" quip to the Punisher after Frank simply states that he's "reloaded") to larger ones (like Jane's persistent need to find Malekith to hand him his head). No one acts against character just to advance the plot, as we often see in these events. When Dr. Strange inadvertently evacuates everyone to Avengers Mountain, you feel the heroes' overwhelming sense of confusion, as they want to return to battle but also realize that they can't win in a head-on conflict. (Also, how often does someone make a mistake in these events? That alone was a breath of fresh air.) Aaron then does a great job setting the stage for the four different quests the Avengers and their allies begin: rescuing Thor from Jotunheim, destroying the Black Bifrost in Svartalfheim, taking out Roxxon so T'Challa can essentially reboot the internet, and defending Earth. Aaron is pulling in every thread of his years-long run on the various Thor titles, and it's a wonderful tapestry to behold. By the time Malekith murders Valkyrie, you begin to believe the scroll, that the time of gods and Valhalla has ended. I am very excited about this event.
Thor #12: Aaron cleverly uses "A Christmas Carol" as inspiration here, forcing Loki to confront his various selves -- past, present, and future -- as he dissolves in Laufey's stomach. Loki is forced to confront his long (and persistent) history of evil, from allowing Eldred, his mentor in magic, to starve to death in the prison where Loki first met him to facing Kid Loki's accusation that maybe poisoning his mother wasn't the best way to prove that he wasn't evil. In the latter case, Loki insists that he was doing it to save her, but he has a much harder time justifying his evolution into Loki the Necrogod. Perhaps mostly notably, for fans of Loki's "Young Avengers" and "Loki: Agent of Asgard" arcs, I think Aaron finally acknowledges Loki's attempt to become the God of Stories here. I've been waiting a long time for that moment, and Aaron doesn't disappoint. In the past, Aaron has seemed to ignore Loki's evolution in those series, but here he more or less confirms that people continue to misunderstand Loki. But, importantly, Aaron also has Loki embrace the "truth" underlying that misunderstanding, his desire not to be a villain. To that end, he seems to accept his death in Laufey's stomach in order to prevent his evolution into the Necrogod. I don't think that it'll stick, to be honest. But, again, it's nice to see Aaron not using Loki as simply a useful tool of evil, instead forcing Loki to confront the fact that maybe all his scheming with Malekith didn't work out exactly the way that he hoped.
Avengers #18: This issue is...weird. We learn Agent Coulson has made some sort of deal with Mephisto not only to return to life but also to exert control over the Squadron Supreme. He controls them absolutely, convincing them that they've been guarding the United States for years. I'm not sure if Coulson's heel turn has been covered in a S.H.I.E.L.D. series, but I'll say that it's jarring to see him this way. Aaron does a good job tying the team's debut to the War of the Realms, as they help fend off a Frost Giant attack on Washington, DC. In that way, it's a solid tie-in issue, using the event to advance an ongoing plot line (even if it's one at which Aaron has only hinted previously). But, I have to admit that it feels like a little too much, a development that the already ambitious "War of the Realms" story could've managed not to include.
Also Read: War of the Realms: Journey into Mystery #1; War of the Realms: War Scrolls #1
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