"Uncanny Avengers" #7 from Rick Remender and Daniel Acuna is the sort of intensely high concept book matched with ongoing character moments readers have waited for since this title launched. An event on a celestial scale occurs to fuel the action followed by intriguing sequences around it that highlight the characters of this team. Kang the Conqueror's plan is kicking into high gear and at the same time, the issue deals with the minutiae of the team that makes it all feel real.

Rick Remender is a writer who so often aims at the core of his characters. He analyzes what does and doesn't make these men and women work, compressing these attributes and testing them. This issue holds some sweet little moments for many members of the team. Of particular interest is the interaction of Havok and Wasp. It's these small moments that draw us in so the action has weight and gravity later on. A major villainous act in the beginning is matched by Wasp building a fashion line to promote the team, which shows the diverse range of faces this story has.

As a writer concerned with craft and structure, one of Remender's tricks is to stretch the punchline onto the next page to use the page turn as a storytelling device. He does this well but in one instance -- the kiss off line from Scarlet Witch to Rogue -- he should have button-hooked the page with it to make it really pop. His dialogue is thoughtful and effective and his action is bombastic. When it comes time for the action to let loose, Remender gives Daniel Acuna enough space to play with. The Celestial sequence is both gorgeous and overpowering as the scope of the event and its ramifications is delivered with power on the page.

Daniel Acuna's artwork is a delight on this book. Where John Cassaday's artwork quickly became impersonal, Acuna works hard to make these heroes and villains feel intricate and unique. Acuna's design for Havok's head finally makes him stand out rather than just always being the good-looking blond kid. His colors are evocative and spectacular, which helps the grand scale of this arc of the book. The main thing that doesn't connect with me is that many times a panel will look far too static and so the motion and action of the movement is lost in the flow.

"Uncanny Avengers" #7 is a high-concept superhero book with an actual core concerned with character motivations and interactions. This is the sort of soap opera with insane ideas as a backdrop I hoped for when Remender was placed on a mash up team of the X-books and the Avengers franchise. Finally, this book is paying off on the promise. This issue has some great moments and builds the tension and action quite nicely.