Avengers: Time Runs Out: Volume Four Review

Finished reading Avengers: Time Runs Out: Volume Four, this concludes writer Jonathan Hickman's Avengers and New Avengers series' as Marvel's Secret Wars event looms even closer over the horizon. The book opens up with Doctor Strange and the Black Priests finding and attacking the home of the Black Sisters which leads to Strange meeting with their god Rabum Alal who turns out to be non other than Dr Doom. The next story has the heroes of Earth trying to defend the planet from an attack by the Shi-Ar empire with Iron Man at the forefront of Earths defences. The following story goes back to the almost dead universe where the multiversal team of Avengers are overwhelmed by a group of Beyonders. The penultimate story explains the origin of Dr Doom's journey around the multiverse as Rabum Alal. The final story deals with the final confrontation between Iron Man and Captain America as the main Marvel universe and the Ultimate universe prepare for the final incursion. Overall this was a decent book as it concludes the two series on an interesting note which leaves several plot lines open that should hopefully be expanded upon within the pages of the main Secret Wars book. There are some great character moments within the book between characters like Thor and Hyperion who meet their end along with the other multiversal Avengers which is one of the most heartfelt moments of the book as the friendship that the two built during the course of the main Avengers series makes their final moments one of the best of the book. The way that Dr Doom gets involved with the whole events of the incursions and how he has been a part of it is quite interesting and helps to set up his position for the beginning of Secret Wars. While the final confrontation between Captain America and Iron Man feels rushed and as a result underwhelming as the fight between the two has been set up since the beginning of the Time Runs Out story arc. Additionally the artwork throughout the book is good as it's able to distinguish the differences of the multiple universes as well as past and present moments within the book thanks to the book colouring. 6.5/10.