Review by Frank Plowright

The Avant-Guards are a maverick basketball team from an art college playing in a newly formed league that lurches from one existential crisis to the next. The danger of the league being closed down was the thread leading into Volume Two, and Carly Usdin re-runs the situation with different reasons to open Down to the Wire.

For all the good character moments involving a diverse cast, Usdin sees the crises as secondary, meaning they transmit as artificial. More real is the team entering a tournament with such a limited squad. When it comes to individual problems Usdin is far more convincing. Nicole’s uncertainties occupy the opening chapter, her symbolic dreams seen on Noah Hayes’ sample page. She’s on a scholarship to study music, but increasingly finds her calling to be stand-up comedy, which she knows will disappoint her parents, and they’re due to visit.

Nicole’s crisis is one of several moments set up in the previous volume, and another runs through much of Down to the Wire. The series started with Charlie, and she’s all over the finish despite being absent for much of it, and there are also fine little moments for other team members. Liv’s sudden awareness of monopolising the conversation is well dropped.

Hayes has been the series artist from the beginning and here we have another three chapters of excellent expressive cartooning bringing everyone to life. It’s one hell of a talent. Because these are characters Hayes designed and grew with, it’s a shame he’s not there to finish things off. Gabriele Bagnoli on the final chapter is also good, and were it not pointed out, you might not even notice the change of artist. However, a slightly different approach to page layouts and some hairstyles gives the game away.

You’ll be surprised at how many series threads are pulled together for the final chapter. This isn’t just restricted to items needing a conclusion, but several other aspects pertaining to the cast. It’s very smoothly handled. The way everything works at the end is predictable, but anyone who’s followed the series wouldn’t have it any other way.

All three volumes of The Avant-Guards are combined for The Complete Collection.