Comic Info
Comic Name: Avengers A.I.
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Sam Humphries
Artist: André Lima Araújo
# of Issues: 6
Release Date: 2014
Avengers A.I. #8
Reprints Avengers A.I. #7-12 (February 2014-June 2014). Dimitrios has attacked the Earth, and as the Avengers try to deal with the artificial intelligence living within the Diamond, S.H.I. E.L.D. has recruited Monica Chang to lead a new squad intent on stopping the artificial intelligence threat. As the Avengers battle Dimitrios in the present day, Alexis is about to discover that Dimitrios has long-term plans that could come to fruition in the year 12,000 A.D.
Written by Sam Humphries, Avengers A.I. Volume 2: 12,000 A.D. is a team-book that spun out of the Avengers: Age of Ultron series. Following Avengers: A.I. Volume 1: Human After All, the series features art by André Lima Araújo. Avengers A.I. #7 ties in with the Inhumanity storyline.
The Avengers began to lose me when Brian Michael Bendis took over. By the time Avengers: Age of Ultron rolled around, I had stopped even buying the “big event” series because I had no concept of what was going on, who the characters were, and why it even really mattered since Marvel constantly rewrote the story aspects they didn’t like. I got copies of Avengers A.I. and read the title…and was mildly entertained.
The series has a weird flow and never seems to completely develop. I don’t believe it was intended to be a twelve issue limited series, but it also feels like it does climax at the twelfth issue (and the Inhumanity stand-alone issue doesn’t help the storytelling though I did like a little more development of Doombot). Despite a solid conclusion, I didn’t feel do enough to make the title feel complete.
Avengers A.I. #12
Part of the reason is the cast of characters. I always like Jocasta (who became a supporting character this volume), but the rest of the characters I don’t feel much of a connection to. The fact they are machines doesn’t necessarily hurt that idea, but it also makes them even more indestructible than most superheroes who never can seem to die. The team needs a heart, and I don’t feel it has one. If it had focused on Alexis from the start of the series into this volume, it might have worked better…but the “balanced” approach to storytelling left most of the cast half-baked in a team that doesn’t really even seem to be much of a team.
Avengers A.I. is another average title from Marvel. If I were starting out in comics, I don’t feel that the art or characters would compel me to want to buy the issue so read more. Marvel is so flooded with characters now, that it seems like they no longer cannibalize failing series for ideas or popular or important characters. With this treatment it feels like the events of Avengers A.I. have no consequences or importance…which make it hard for you to care about.
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