In a gleaming new world of prosperity, Captain America is no more. But Steve Rogers still exists, floating through an America where freedom is an illusion, where The Avengers are strangers and his friends are long dead. But is the Dream? How do you assemble Avengers in a world that doesn’t want them? Avengers: Twilight #1 is an interesting debut which takes place in the future but is a reflection of events today.

There’s something rather quaint about comic book heroes in today’s world. We’re seeing the worst in humanity right now with the rise of rightwing populism across the world partially fueled by anger and partially fueled by lies. We live in a world full of lies and erasure of history, a denial of facts and reality. So how do heroes fit in that sort of world? That seems to be what writer Chip Zdarsky is attempting to explore with Avengers: Twilight #1.

In this possible future, Captain America has retired with a new group of Avengers out there. But, as we learn this group of Avengers isn’t so much about upholding freedom. Instead, this is a world where freedom has been rejected and a fascist undertone has taken hold. Free speech is frowned upon and lies are perpetuated to sully the legacy of what has come before. This isn’t a post-truth world, it’s one full of propaganda run by the few to benefit the few.

Zdarsky focuses on introducing this world mostly. We get a little bit of action and things really start rolling at the end, but the issue is mostly us getting a lay of the land. And, it’s an interesting concept. How it fits into the 3 billion possible futures… who knows, but more than enough is introduced to entertain readers. But, the comic still feels a bit forced in some ways. There’s things just thrown out there as far as fates of characters and events of the past that are a bit jarring. There’s scenes that just happen with little lead up to them. There’s a bit of a staccato aspect in that way.

The art by Daniel Acuña is pretty solid. It’s an interesting world with lots of details and the characters we know feel worn down and aged. There’s a lot of small details of the technology to remind us it’s the future but beyond a bombardment of ads, the overall feel never quite feels like the “big brother” world that the dialogue leads us to believe. While there’s a lot of cool, something feels like it doesn’t quite nail it with the visuals, just like the story and dialogue itself doesn’t quite nail what it’s going for.

Avengers: Twilight #1 shows off a lot of potential. There’s something there as far as commentary about the current state of the world and the road we’re marching down. There’s something there about this particular future. The concept of heroes retired and a world that has rejected them is interesting. What’s teased could be really good. But, Avengers: Twilight #1 lays a lot of groundwork, hinting at the bigger world and story. It’s the setup but what’s to come will be the meat to really determine if this is any good.

Story: Chip Zdarsky Art: Daniel Acuña Letterer: Cory Petit
Story: 7.5 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.5 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

---

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle