With the identity of the mysterious Victor Shade revealed, founding Avenger Janet van Dyne has to deal with him and with the return of her thought-to-be dead husband, Hank Pym. Now, with a newly formed Lethal Legion consisting of “dead” supervillains, Hank plans on them combating the return of his worst creation, Ultron, and preventing the robot from conquering the day. Facing off against the actual “Victor Shade” and her ex-husband, Janet must close this case in Avengers Inc. #5.

Serving as the series’s final issue, Al Ewing has the challenge of tying up the threads from this story and the groundwork laid out in his previous Ant-Man and Wasp miniseries. Throughout his career, Ewing demonstrated a talent for threading his stories across various titles, and Avengers Inc. is no exception. However, due to it being canceled at issue five, he has less runway to provide closure, and the pacing comes off as a bit rushed and overstuffed as he juggles multiple balls in the air. Even with his substantial character work, there still feels like plenty of meat left on the bone that I wanted to savor—especially considering the decades of charged narrative around Janet and Hank’s relationship. The mystery could have gone on for longer and would have made a more significant emotional and narrative impact if he had the opportunity for a longer series.

However, Ewing’s penchant for canon deep cuts and references still comes across as refreshing and passionate without being reverential. He fully lives and breathes the Marvel universe, which never comes across as forced but loving and passionate. Canon exists as clay that he can twist and shape into something new and fascinating. Whether referencing the West Coast Avengers’ past adventures or remembering Black Ant’s robotic identity, his attention to detail pleases fans while not alienating new readers. I recommend his past Ant-Man and Wasp series to understand the overarching narrative fully.

Despite his previous accomplished work, Leonard Kirk’s artwork does not fully align with the series’ specific science fiction and mystery tone. More specifically, a character like Janet, well known for her fashion sense, needs to be demonstrated in Kirk’s work. As a result, it creates a disconnect between the narrative and the art where Kirk’s pencils do not match Al’s vision. Alex Sinclair’s colors tie nicely into the tone and this section of the Marvel Universe. They reflect the moody vibes of Ewing’s script. VC’s Cory Petit’s lettering matches Ewing’s interest in Marvel history by using classic narrative boxes or square speech shapes with jagged ends to demonstrate robotic dialogue. 

Avengers Inc. #5 leaves the door open with Janet and the crew for the future in case Ewing decides to feature them in one of his upcoming titles or maybe a new series featuring them. After all, this recurring pattern occurs in the quiltlike nature of his work. I loved seeing Janet headlining a comic book with top billing and even more with a writer who enjoyed writing her. More than likely, Ewing will view this as a speed bump where elements will be picked up in whatever he heads up next. Even with one of the tiniest heroes, he cannot help but look at the big picture of her legacy and where she might end up next. 

Story: Al Ewing Art: Leonard Kirk
Color: Alex Sinclair Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Story: 8.4 Art: 7.5 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Read