The Good
In AVENGERS WORLD #2, Smasher is trapped on A.I.M. Island. As she finds a way out, she remembers the time she spent with her grandfather, who was once Captain Terror. She learns what A.I.M. is really up to and who is behind it all.
While it's a bit weird to see the second issue of this series so focused on a single character, it's great to learn more about Smasher and her larger connection to the Marvel universe and its Golden Age. Weaved into the main narrative are scenes of a young Smasher with her grandfather: Captain Terror. Isabel Kane (Smasher) is still a pretty new character, so it's nice to get a little more info about her, while the main narrative follows her throughout A.I.M. Island. Jonathan Hickman & Nick Spencer make this one interesting issue.
This is a bigger and badder A.I.M. than readers are used to. They aren't the guys in Hazmat suits, fumbling around with lasers. They've really got their act together. Andrew Forson the A.I.M scientist supreme deals with Smasher here. He comes off as caring and wanting to make the world better, but this is A.I.M., so readers are really just waiting for the turn. There's also the reintroduction of a character Marvel fans haven't seen in quite some time. It's a bit of a head scratcher, but all-in-all, really works well with the story and what A.I.M. is planning to do with their island.
Stefano Caselli (art) and Frank Martin (colors) do a really solid job here. The art has a great sense of movement here, when necessary and the story flows visually very well. The outdoor scenes of A.I.M. Island are beautiful. There's an alien aspect to all the plant and animal life outside, and Martin's colors look great here and feel very natural.
The Bad
At the end of the issue (spoilers), Smasher is turned into something else: Messenger. The problem with this is her outfit. It screams Yellowjacket. The color scheme is identical and you can't help but thinking about Hank Pym when you see this.
For a book about a larger Avengers team, which had a very big first issue, AVENGERS WORLD #2 is focused on so little. It feels a bit off to see a title with "WORLD" in the title spend so much time on a singular character in the same place for a whole issue. While what we got was good, it feels very different from the first issue.
The Verdict
AVENGERS WORLD #2 is pretty dang fun. It feels like an Avengers book while giving the reader something new, and while this issue really focuses around Smasher, she's a pretty awesome character. We get a nice glimpse into her past and her connection to her grandfather, although I really didn't like her costume design at the end of the issue. This series has me roped in and while it's isn't amazing, it certainly is a very fun read.