Avengers Vol. 7 #4 Review & SPOILERS (2025)

Waid and Del Mundo's Avengers run continues here with a spotlight issue on Kang the Conqueror.

Not much in the way of actual SPOILERS to give here as this issue is told entirely from Kang's POV as he reflects on his rise to power and his grasp on his mighty, time-spanning empire. Despite the classic Avengers image on the cover - Alex Ross' fitting homage to the first Avengers #4 - the actual Avengers are only seen here in one glorious two page spread. The bulk of the issue is Kang narrating his story. The catch is that the Avengers have implemented the plan that Sam began to suggest at the end of the previous issue. We still don't know what his plan was but whatever it is, it brings Kang's world crashing down around him by the end of this issue, culminating in the aforementioned double spread and a hell of a final splash page.

And about that double spread image...

***SPOILERS***

The assembled Avengers who arrive at Kang's doorstep represent what appears to be three eras of the Avengers: the current line-up, the Roger Stern crew from his '80s run - including Namor and Monica Rambeau's Captain Marvel - and the original Avengers line-up including Giant Man and Wasp and Tony in his first red and gold armor. It's a damn cool sight.

***END SPOILERS***

So this is something of an interlude issue where not much happens plot-wise but yet is a solid read nonetheless, with a classic villain getting some love. Fans may disagree on who gets the #1 slot but I think every Avengers fan holds Kang and Ultron to be the team's two greatest foes. When you're writing a story with either one of these guys, you have to bring your A-game and so far I'm digging this Kang story that Waid's telling that sees the Avengers getting proactive in their war against Kang in a way they haven't before.

And while people will disagree on Del Mundo's art, I think this issue alone is proof of why this run needed him and what he brings to the table. In the hands of almost any other artist, this issue might've just seemed like a trip down memory lane, a recap of Kang's accomplishments but Del Mundo turns it into a lavish feast of jaw-dropping imagery, with most of the issue told in splash pages or double spreads. His art may not be for everybody but if it is your cup of tea, you're in for a treat with this issue and, who knows, it might even covert a few doubters as well.

Overall, this issue is a bridge between the first arc and the next and it certainly tees things up nicely for what could emerge as one of the bigger Kang stories ever told.

MindofShadow said:

This book is underrated ATM

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I totally agree. It's a cool run so far.

Prof. Warren said:

I totally agree. It's a cool run so far.

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i think the previous stuff with the younger kids turned a lot of people off

this is much more "avenger-y" now

We're seriously on volume 7? Man, these relaunches fly by .

Spider-Man looks so out-of-place in that group shot. Heck, he feels out-of-place on this team, outside of being the Tony Stark of the group because that's what Peter Parker's role is now.

MindofShadow said:

i think the previous stuff with the younger kids turned a lot of people off

this is much more "avenger-y" now

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Yes. Agreed.
No disrespect to those 3 youths or anything but with their inclusion and the art style, it felt much more....well youthful. Playful? <shrug>
This feels more serious.

Frontier said:

We're seriously on volume 7? Man, these relaunches fly by .

Spider-Man looks so out-of-place in that group shot. Heck, he feels out-of-place on this team, outside of being the Tony Stark of the group because that's what Peter Parker's role is now.

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Seeing as Spider-Man's been a full time Avenger since 2004, I think the time has long passed to say that Spidey doesn't fit in.

Fokken said:

Yes. Agreed.
No disrespect to those 3 youths or anything but with their inclusion and the art style, it felt much more....well youthful. Playful? <shrug>
This feels more serious.

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It does. And it feels more traditionally "Avenger-y". But I will say I liked having the kids on the team. It gave it a different feel but for some fans I think that 'different' feel translated to a more lightweight vibe than what the flagship Avengers book should have.

Fokken said:

Yes. Agreed.
No disrespect to those 3 youths or anything but with their inclusion and the art style, it felt much more....well youthful. Playful? <shrug>
This feels more serious.

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Well, there might have been a more "youthful" feel with the way Waid given half the cast, but I also think it was there was an intentional shift to a more lighthearted and classic Avengers tone for Waid's run which Kubert and Asrar complimented.

Prof. Warren said:

Seeing as Spider-Man's been a full time Avenger since 2004, I think the time has long passed to say that Spidey doesn't fit in.

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Given he's hardly done anything of note since he joined and has been a member across several volumes of Avengers books, and stands out among all those other classic members in that splash page, I think it's still accurate to say he feels out-of-place on the team.

Frontier said:

Given he's hardly done anything of note since he joined and has been a member across several volumes of Avengers books, and stands out among all those other classic members in that splash page, I think it's still accurate to say he feels out-of-place on the team.

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He stands out by being front and center (in the same way that Cap 'stood out' in the original version) and I don't think Spidey's done anything less of note than most other Avengers. I'm old enough to remember the days when Spidey was the perpetual loner and didn't quite fit on any team as a regular member but I think it's no longer odd for him to be a common sight on the Avenger roster.

Prof. Warren said:

He stands out by being front and center (in the same way that Cap 'stood out' in the original version) and I don't think Spidey's done anything less of note than most other Avengers. I'm old enough to remember the days when Spidey was the perpetual loner and didn't quite fit on any team as a regular member but I think it's no longer odd for him to be a common sight on the Avenger roster.

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Exactly. At this point, Spidey is as much of a veteran Avenger as any hero (other than the founding members, of course). I do hope he gets more of a spotlight as this series goes on though, especially since he is both the smartest and richest on the team. I don't like how Waid has been treating Spidey as a joke.

Frontier said:

We're seriously on volume 7? Man, these relaunches fly by .

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Volume 1 = classic. Volume 2 = Heroes Reborn. Volume 3 = Busiek. Volume 4 = Heroic Age. Volume 5 = Hickman. Volume 6 = Point One (one-shot that launched ANAD Avengers, Squadron Supreme, and a couple of other books). Volume 7 = Current.

blackspidey2099 said:

Exactly. At this point, Spidey is as much of a veteran Avenger as any hero (other than the founding members, of course). I do hope he gets more of a spotlight as this series goes on though, especially since he is both the smartest and richest on the team. I don't like how Waid has been treating Spidey as a joke.

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That'she the funny thing ... due to the sheer volume of issues Bending put out, guys like Spidey, Logan, and Cage issue for issue have more books undervtheir belt than a lot of the classic people. They can't touch guys like Cap and Thor, but they out number plenty of the second tier classic Avengers.

But it sort of says a lot that Spidey is still there even post Bendis. At this point he's past just being a Bendis pet character.

So wait, does more than one Hercules show up then? Or is the Stern lineup right after "Olympus Siege" happened? This is the Avengers I`ve been loving the most since...well, the Dark Avengers era. Del Mundo is a class art!

If I have to be honest Spiderman is the off character to me. Certainly a big name but somehow off in this squad.

Aioros22 said:

So wait, does more than one Hercules show up then? Or is the Stern lineup right after "Olympus Siege" happened? This is the Avengers I`ve been loving the most since...well, the Dark Avengers era. Del Mundo is a class art!

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Just one Hercules. I'm assuming it's the Hercules that's currently on the team. But Stern's Avengers is well represented with Namor, '80s She-Hulk, Black Knight, Captain Marvel, and bearded, Simonson-era Thor.

Digifiend said:

Volume 1 = classic. Volume 2 = Heroes Reborn. Volume 3 = Busiek. Volume 4 = Heroic Age. Volume 5 = Hickman. Volume 6 = Point One (one-shot that launched ANAD Avengers, Squadron Supreme, and a couple of other books). Volume 7 = Current.

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The volume numbering system may be anachronistic these days but there is no way a #0 for a group of books not named Avengers is a volume regardless of indicia. This will remain V6 in my own database. With the #0 being part of ANAD Avengers.

If Marvel ever count the books for a landmark issue they will probably count ANAD Avengers as a volume, so it may be best to just let go of volume numbering. There have of course been many instances of numbering running through different indicia so including ANAD as V6 may be the best way to view this if people want to insist on V7 numbering.

Maybe it is time to just bite the bullet and call this v10 and include the 2 parrellel New Avengers volumes as Avengers volumes. Certainly this in the tenth flagship Avengers volume considering how high profile the New Avengers titles were at the time.

These issues only highlight why most of us are just using years to categorise volumes these days, including Marvel.

Digifiend said:

Volume 1 = classic. Volume 2 = Heroes Reborn. Volume 3 = Busiek. Volume 4 = Heroic Age. Volume 5 = Hickman. Volume 6 = Point One (one-shot that launched ANAD Avengers, Squadron Supreme, and a couple of other books). Volume 7 = Current.

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Volume 1 was 402 issues. Volume 2 was 13 issues. Volume 3 was 88 issues. Volume 4 was 34 issues. Volume 5 was 44 issues. That is a total of 581 issues. I think that ANAD Avengers was a spinoff, and that this series is Volume 6. ANAD Avengers was 15 issues. If it was Volume 6, then this issue would be the 600th issue overall. Then we would be owed an anniversary issue. I think this series is the actual Volume 6, and issue #19 would be the actual 600th issue.