Avengers 20, Avengers Assemble 19

Avengers 20
Hickman (w) and Yu and Alanguilan (a) and Curiel (c)

After the Council's victory against the Builders, both parties regroup a bit and plot out their next moves. We don't really see the Builders regrouping but we see the Builder who accepted the surrender on Hala explaining why the Builders aren't worried; simply put, the odds are still greatly in their favor. Cap and the Council, meanwhile, debate chasing the Builders and trying to press their victory. Cap thinks, though, that they should use this time with the upper hand to negotiate with the Builders. Ex Nihilo and Abyss, though, have been summoned by the Builders' Ex Nihilos and they agree to visit. When there, the Builders' Ex Nihilos ask why this Abyss is still alive, only to find out that the way the Builders are using them (to destroy worlds, mostly) has caused the deaths of their Abysses. Outraged by the choice the Builders have left them with (servants and/or world killers), our Ex Nihilo goes black and rallies the others around him. Back at the Council, Gladiator has spoken with the Builder on Hala and arranged a one-man negotiation with the Builders. No one is quite sure what to expect out of it or if it's the right call but Cap says that this is it, there's only one option left: surrender.

Much like the Council, this issue slows things down a little bit instead of capitalizing on the victory. I'm a little torn on the pace change. On the one hand, I often think that books that just keep ramping up and up and up and never break at all suffer from too much action. Still, this one might have come just an issue prematurely. Of course, that doesn't matter if Cap's real intent is to surrender; if it is, then obviously this issue comes now and, by its very nature, has to slow things down. There are a couple of pages I don't think we really needed in this extra-long issue (mostly as the Builder on Hala, in conjunction with the Supremor, gives percentages for the likelihood of the Builders still winning) and I think those hurt the issue a bit, but by and large we had a nice push for plot and a really nice B-plot with Ex Nihilo and Abyss. That's going to be a major deal as we move forward, if Ex Nihilos turn on the Builders, particularly as their world-destroyer ships have been taken off the board. Some decent stuff here and there's less of the male gaze I had an issue with last time. It's still present but it's not nearly as distracting. The amount of recap is still pretty reasonable for people reading every Infinity-related book though I could see it getting out of hand. I think I might be able to answer if it is or not with my next review. Let's find out.

Avengers Assemble 19
DeConnick and Van Meter (w) and Kitson and Magyar w/ Leisten and Geraci (a) and Woodard (c)

The Council is making the plan to destroy the Builders' ships but Spider-Woman and Black Widow, with the help of Shang-Chi, step in to demand they be allowed to go to the Builders' head ship to see if Carol's missing shipload of people are there. Captain America agrees to the terms and sends the second strike team that way. They make their way through the ship in much the same way we saw (though with a heavier focus, obviously, on this team) in the last Captain Marvel issue. We see them all meet up again and rescue the rest of their teammates held on the bridge and destroy the Builders' ship like we've seen a couple times now. As the team blows the ship and Manifold gets them out of there, Jess admits to Clint that she's glad he's not dead, even though they ended in a bit of an ugly way.

The focus on this issue is really on Jessica. There are still, though, some nice moments from Natasha and a couple from Shang-Chi. People who have been reading all of the Infinity books will gain very little to nothing plot-wise, so don't get this book if you're expecting too much in that regard. This is very much more focused on the personal, as this book has been throughout. It's nice to see Jess realize that maybe things are better than what she thought, at least in her personal relationships (not so much in the event that's going on right now). Carol doesn't necessarily have her memories of Jess but she still has the personality that made her and Jess so close in the first place, exemplified by their banter and by Carol's decision to have Starbrand blow up the ship. She's mad with Clint at the way things ended but the two of them can still talk and get along well enough considering and it really did impact her when she thought he was dead. There's a lot of nice stuff going on here but, like I said, if you're looking for plot that you haven't seen elsewhere in Infinity, you're not getting it here. The art is pretty good and fits the book well, a slightly less dark book (even if the events are similar to what we've already seen) calls for less foreboding artwork and colors. Pretty good stuff all around.