New Avengers #48

Well, here we are with another shuffling of the lineup for this book. Bendis is adding a few characters I like with Mockingbird, Ms. Marvel and Winter Cap, but he's taking out Iron Fist. So I'd say it's about a draw as far as the actual team members go. The issue basically follows the team around as they begin to help Luke Cage and Jessica Jones track down their daughter. I do like the idea of Skrull survivors just mixed into the Marvel U, trying to get by. That could be pretty entertaining and add to the weirdness of the Marvel U. The interplay between the characters was kind of typical Bendis, with not a lot of the page count spent on action, but most spent on little odd bits of dialogue between characters. I really don't understand why Wolverine would still be hanging out with this team. In fact, he pretty much forms this incarnation of the New Avengers. This team definitely won't be my classic feeling team, that's for sure. I do wish Mockingbird and Hawkeye (not Ronin!) could have made the lineup for Mighty Avengers. I think the part that shocks me the most is that when I saw that splash page of the new team and "Avengers" written there, I kind of snorted. I mean, they just don't feel right as the main team. It's weird, with Hawkeye, Mockingbird, Ms. Marvel, Cage, Spider-Man, and Winter Cap, you'd think I'd really dig this team, but I can't get into it. Make no mistake, the 3.99 price tag makes this book have a LOT more to live up to, also. I expect TOP NOTCH entertainment for that extra dollar that we're going to be charged in 2 issues.

Billy Tan's art is ok. He has kind of a Marc Silvestri-lite style that can make it hard to tell who is who. His Cage at the end was very hard to identify. Speaking of that, I am interested to see Cage doing what he despises to try and save his kid. That's a nice twist.

Average