Avengers by Jason Aaron vol. 10: The Death Hunters

This volume kicks off with another over-the-top concept from the writer.  That of an Avengers Tower at the far end of the universe manned by an individual known only as Avenger Prime.  Someone who maintains an army of Deathloks capable of traversing the multiverse to warn of and neutralize threats to it.  It’s the former that they’re doing here as the Multiversal Masters of Evil have assembled and are annihilating all of the timelines they come across – save for the one where this story is set.  Even though they’re made up of characters like a Red Skull who fused with a symbiote, a Norman Osborne with the power of the Ghost Rider, and a Doom who is Sorcerer Supreme, they’ve still got their work cut out for them when they come up against this timeline’s mightiest heroes.  Never mind the fact that Mephisto is still calling the shots from behind the scenes here…

Aaron’s run is entering its endgame in single issue form and the lead arc from this volume does a good job of moving all the pieces around to get us to that final conflict.  Main artist Juan Frigeri handles all of the multiversal insanity on display in fine, if muted fashion, and I liked how the story wasn’t just one big parade of the Avengers getting their asses handed to them.  There was genuine struggle here, and the display of friction between the Multiversal Masters and Mephisto, as Doom obviously bristles against the idea of a multiverse ruled by the Devil Himself, was definitely fun to see.

This volume is filled out with three one-offs of varying importance and entertainment.  The first sees Black Panther secure his replacement for the team as events in his ongoing series demand his attention.  I can’t say I saw this guy replacing T’Challa, but it’s better to see him on the team rather than be left to his own devices.  Next is a story about Jane Foster that has a better spin on Mephisto’s temptations than I was expecting.  Both stories are solidly illustrated by Javier Garron, who (along with Frigeri) can’t quite hold a candle to Kev Walker’s efforts as he draws the Avengers of 1,000.000 BC and showcases the team’s breakup and subsequent final hurrah as Laufrey crashes the Birth of Thor.  It’s as big of a story as you’d expect, that manages to give the era’s Phoenix an emotional sendoff as her role in birthing the God of Thunder is finally revealed.  It’s quality work that does a good job of properly getting me invested in the rapidly-approaching finale to Aaron’s run.