The point of no return! After the cataclysmic events of Avengers: Armageddon #4, the world is torn asunder. Humanity turns against super heroes. And for David Colton, what is the price of all that great power? Avengers: Armageddon #5 wraps up the event and shakes up the Marvel Universe’s status-quo.

With events, they often deliver a summer popcorn story but leave little lasting impact beyond the launch of new series’. Recent Marvel events might have changed up some small details or resulted in a new focus, but they rarely have really driven massive change to the entire Marvel Universe. Avengers: Armageddon has done that, not just with the introduction of Miracleman but also how the world looks at its superheroes and the superheroes see themselves and their future.

Written by Chip Zdarsky, Avengers: Armageddon #5 reflects on the fallout of the fourth issue. A nuclear explosion has gone off resulting in the death of many and a world who has had enough of the destruction due to the action of superheroes. Though they may have saved the world, enough is enough with the fallout. It again addresses the elephant in the room, with so many abilities and such brilliance, why haven’t they focused on truly improving the world instead of just fighting? Avengers: Armageddon has given us the groundwork and a riff on the Superhuman Registration Act on a global scale.

It’s very much an end chapter, an almost epilogue, that sets up the new status-quo and the thoughts of various characters. We see reactions from the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Captain America, and Spider-Man while finding out the status of Captain Marvel. There’s also a key discussion between Wolverine and Colton about what’s next. Each is clear what’s on their mind and where things may go. Spider-Man sees the superheroes’ purpose while Colton wants to atone. Tony wants to answer the challenge of why don’t superheroes do more good while presented with an opportunity to do bad and rejecting it. S.H.I.E.L.D. is back with a new mission and focus. And while all of that makes things clear as to where things are going, Zdarsky still throws out a teaser with the “return” of two character who must “save the Earth.” From what? We don’t know.

The art is handle by the trio of Delio Diaz, Frank Alpizar, and Ario Anindito. They’re joined by Jesus Aburtov on color and Cory Petit handling the lettering. The comic looks fantastic. The art captures the guilt, sadness, and shock of events. Spider-Man, even with his mask, feels lost and sputtering for answers and a direction along with the guilt of not being there. The meeting between Colton and Wolverine is not just intense but you feel the weight of it all on Colton who feels broken from recent events along with the massive guilt of what he’s done. Wolverine, while threatening, gives off the wise grizzled teacher vibe he’s run with. Carol, who took the brunt of the blast and survived, feels weaken just in how she’s presented in the panels. Overall, it’s a somber issue whose art amplifies it all.

It’s not too hard to figure out how this new status-quo will play out. There’ll be a massive threat and the superheroes will need to band together to save humanity after the Earth’s nations fail to do so. There’ll be a renewed call for the need of superheroes though there will likely be a finer balance from the Carte Blanche of the past to the restriction Avengers: Armageddon sets up. Still, Avengers: Armageddon #5 and the event as a whole will have lasting repercussions for an unknown amount of time and gives us an intriguing direction for the Marvel Universe and its heroes.

Story: Chip Zdarsky Art: Delio Diaz, Frank Alpizar, Ario Anindito
Color: Jesus Aburtov Letters: Cory Petit
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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