Avengers #8

When the characters in your comic are actually stating how confusing the dialogue is? That’s usually a bad sign.

Jonathan Hickman’s worst traits are coming out to play in this series once again. It’s odd, because clearly Hickman is very popular, but I find his more cerebral, abstract plots to be disappointing.

Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of entertaining elements in this issue. When the new Starbrand first appears, Captain America approaches the kid in a kind fashion, and Cap’s confidence shines off the page. He really is looking out for this kid and trying to defuse the situation. Hulk acts perfectly in character to just smash, and he and Captain Marvel have a great team-up moment when she fast-pitches him from space. It is also enjoyable seeing another super-powered foe able to take on the Avengers’ toughest members. Iron Man’s armor looks pretty beat up for most of the issue. So Hickman does have a good fight in here!

But man! Every time Nightmask opens his mouth, the book screeches to a halt. There is way too much explanation about the universal system, the broken cycle, the meaning of this and that. I don’t think I’m an idiot (maybe I’m wrong) but it seems like a bunch of circular nonsense. I honestly had to make myself go back and read the dialogue to see if I was missing something. Nope, just vague ominous comments that don’t really mean anything.

Dustin Weaver’s art is a lot of fun. He does a fantastic job on Captain Marvel, both helmeted and un-helmeted. This might be the best I’ve seen her look in any comic. (As an aside, I’d sure like to collect CM’s solo book, but that art is awful.) Weaver’s art is character-heavy, even in combat scenes. CM and the Hulk’s nice moment in space. Cap’s confidence, Star Brand’s confusion and petulance. They all jump off the page. I’d love to see more fights like this!

I just need to accept this is the Avengers. Flashes of great action and violence with long stretches of pseudo-science dialogue.

Fair

Avengers #3

Ah, here comes the action! I’ve read enough of Jonathan Hickman’s work to realize he works better in trade than in floppy, and that seems to be holding true here, also. The last issue was a tad slight on combat, but Hickman more than makes up for it here. 

Cap comes back with the Avengers army to take on the cosmic baddies threatening the Earth. Those villains may have cleaned up against the core team, but when Falcon, Shang Chi, and Captain Universe come calling, things go down quite differently. 

This book has a big cast, so I appreciate how Hickman takes the time to introduce the main players through the dialogue. Some folks like Cannonball, Sunspot, and Shang Chi get shortchanged on intros, but they get their moments. Sunspot is still a flirt, and Shang Chi kicks so much butt, I can’t believe he’s never been an Avenger.

The new guys get some spotlight too. Hyperion takes on the Hulk and more than holds his own. I’m totally confused on which Hyperion this is, of course, but I assume that will be handled. The new Smasher is also very helpful in laying out her backstory through her confident battlefield chatter.

I will say that this lineup is so huge, that it is a good thing the book is scheduled to come out quicker than normal. There are simply too many people on the team for everyone to have a chance to shine. 

Captain Universe (too bad it isn’t Monica Rambea like people hoped!) saves the day, and many of the Avengers help. But folks like Spider-Woman, Hawkeye, Black Widow, and more don’t really have a lot to do. Splitting the team should help with that.

Jerome Opena gets to do some costume redesign in this first arc. Falcon’s new suit is a nice mix of modern and classic. He’s clearly recognizable, but in a cutting edge suit. I like Opena’s take on Captain Marvel, too, Carol Danvers’ current look is hard to pull off, but Opena seems to have it. Manifold’s glowing costume is really neat, and I like Shang Chi’s new duds too. 

I’m less impressed with the generic suits Cannonball and Sunspot are sporting. I THINK the intent is to harken back to the original New Mutant costumes of simple yellow and black, but the matching, simple look seems out of place on the Avengers.

Good

Comics on the Bubble: Avengers: Fear Itself

This run of comics is a fascinating exercise. For me, it’s proof that Bendis can write solid, super-hero action. Now, due to the jumping nature of the plot, he usually gets to dodge any resolution for the battles, but he actually choreographs some neat battles. I still can’t stand the way he writes Hawkeye, it just feels off, but some of his Avengers actually work. In fact, only after reading these issues do I feel like Protector isactually a legitimate member of the team. (I dropped the book at issue 6, and then picked up at 19, so he never did anything that I saw.) I also dislike the interview format as a bridge for the issues, it’s all too reality TV for me. But the actual fighting is pretty good. Top notch artists sure don’t hurt.
Issue 13: Chris Bachalo tries, but this is a talky book. Alan Davis’ cover is the best part. Keep, barely.

Issue 14: Red Hulk vs. Feared Up Thing, drawn by John Romita Jr. Can’t miss! Keep.

Issue 15: Ms. Marvel, Hawkeye, Spider-Woman, and Protector vs. Feared Up Hulk! Not bad, even if that Avengers team doesn’t have a chance. Bachalo makes it pretty. Hawkeye and Spider-Woman just don’t make sense as a couple! Keep

Issue 16: Steve Rogers, Sharon Carter, Victoria Hand, and Maria Hill vs. Master Man and old Red Skull henchman. It’s a fun idea, and Romita Jr. draws a good Master Man. Keep

Issue 17: Romita Jr. handles the combined Avengers vs. Sin. I wish Romita Jr. had more panel time to draw old Iron Man armors. What we get here is just a tease. Keep

So this is a run I think I’ll hold on to. It’s all fighting, and mostly in costume. I’ll skip the video confessional bits on future readings, but top artists drawing people smashing is why I read comics!

X-Men Legacy #270

I enjoy this comic, but I won’t be crushed when it is cancelled for the Marvel NOW push. I really dig Christos Gage’s take on Rogue, it’s just that too often the story in this title is just on the periphery of the “real” story taking place in another title. Once again, this issue is an Avengers vs. X-Men crossover, with the main focus on Rogue and Ms. Marvel.

Gage doesn’t skimp on the interpersonal interaction, though. We get to see how Magik is treating her Avenger prisoners, and it looks horrific. Rogue can barely even play along with her Phoenix Five teammate, and Magik is barely out the door when Rogue starts trying to bust Ms. M out. Most of the action takes place inside Rogue’s psyche as she attempts to absorb the powers and look of one of Magik’s pet demons, but of course, demons know a little bit about possession.

Rogue and Ms. Marvel have a brief moment to bond, but it’s short-lived. Magik returns and Rogue’s got no chance against her. Looking at it, it seems that Rogue would have been better off trying to get more moderate X-Men involved. She’s absolutely right when she says that Iceman wouldn’t go along with this. Magneto? Maybe. Rogue clearly thinks more of him than I do.

I’m a tad worried because it looks like the next issue features Rogue trapped in some alien dimension, further cut off from the main conflicts and storylines. On the one hand, I’m pleased that her story could actually lead to some real repercussions, but I’m annoyed that Rogue is being shunted off the board in AvX.

David Baldeon’s work is fine, but Mark Brooks’ covers are a lot to live up to. I’m amazed Baldeon can draw gross things like the leech-headed Rogue and lamprey-like demons and maintain his cartoony look. But he does it!

Fair

Secret Avengers #28

Time to just admit it. I’m horribly confused. The story playing out in this comic has little to nothing to do with the one in Avengers starring the same characters. I’m usually pretty good and putting that aside. (“Sure, Wolverine just went straight from Mr. Sinister’s dungeon to Ultron’s lab. Why not?”) This time, I just don’t see how that works. It’s like Bendis and Rick Remender picked up the same plot point from a brainstorming meeting and wrote independent stories without consulting the editors. I mean, this is just weird!

In this chapter/universe, the space Avengers are concentrating on freeing the Kree from mind control. I feel like I missed a chapter or something, because this new mind-based villain came out of nowhere for me. Minister Marvel is an entertaining villain, but I really didn’t see his involvement coming (and it felt a bit unnecessary in the greater Phoenix plot).

I do like that Remender has Ms. Marvel utilize her Binary power-set. It’s just another piece of evidence that Remender and I grew up on the same comics and like the same things. Binary was always one of the cooler Starjammers. (Admittedly, not a lot of competition in the Starjammers.)

Renato Guedes’ art isn’t typical for the Avengers. His soft pencil lines combined with the faded coloring makes this look a lot more arty than we usually get from our super-comics. It actually does work. I’ll admit characters like Valkyrie, Thor, and Beast look better than War Machine or Captain Britain. He seems to have a better grip on flowing hair and exposed faces than on metal or masks.

Fair

X-Men Legacy #269

It seems that the tie-in books are going to be spoiling things for AvX on a regular basis. This issue of X-Men Legacy features Rogue going up against Ms. Marvel. It’s status quo, though, because I guess as of the next issue of AvX, the X-Men are actively hunting down and capturing the Avengers! It’s a pretty great high concept, and Gage does a great job with it.

Even though every person reading the series knows that the Phoenix Five are a bad idea; that they’re going to turn bad, I love that the X-Men are in denial. They really are making the world a better place, now that they don’t have to hide anymore. It’s easy for the X-people to dismiss the Avengers’ fear. Gage gives a great argument: The Avengers really liked the status quo before, so they never tried to change the world. Now that the X-Men are actually making the world a safer place, the Avengers are just jealous.

Rogue and Ms. Marvel have a long history, and that certainly plays into the tensions between them here. Rogue reacts in a fashion much more violent than usual, and Ms. Marvel spends most of the fight trying to maintain her composure. It makes sense that Rogue’s re-taking of the Ms. Marvel power-set would set Carol Danvers off. (Any hope that Rogue gets to keep those powers full-time again? Maybe adding in other mutants too?)

David Baldeon does a nice job once the book turns violent. I’m not a huge fan of his style, but I have to say he does a great job with fight choreography. I almost got upset when Rogue absorbed the electrical current and punched Ms. M, but I looked again and saw that Rogue was just channeling the current through her Ms. Marvel-boosted form.

Good

Avengers #27

So clearly I’m missing something. Why is the Avengers tie-in showing this story? The same material is covered in Secret Avengers, but not in exactly the same way. In fact, I’m having a hard time reconciling the two parallel stories. It just doesn’t seem to make sense.

Walt Simonson is still a fantastic artist, but I can’t help but feel that he’s missing the mark with Protector. This guy looks like a kid, and it’s a bit harder to hold a grudge against him when he looks so young and confused. Bendis’ odd choice to make Protector immediately regret his actions is weird too. I mean, Protector betrayed his team (either with Ms. Marvel or not, depending on which tie-in you read) and sent them hurtling towards a sun. So that would kill them. That’s a full on, murderous betrayal. I don’t care if he’s surprised that the Supreme Intelligence hates Earth. It’s a bit too late to ask for specifics, doofball.

I am pleased that the savage Beast who shows up in this one is once again the ape-beast. The Avengers office is clearly fine with Hank McCoy going back to his original look. The X-editors need to stop fighting it and do the same.

It’s just a strange situation. With Bendis writing some of the core AvX series, I would have thought that the core Avengers title would be a little more focused on the Earth-side situation. I mean, the space team is already starring in Secret Avengers. Why go to that well twice?

Average

Secret Avengers #27

Marvel’s accelerated publishing schedule is beginning to catch up with me. I picked up this comic to review it, but I was having a devil of a time remembering what happened. After opening it, I realized that I hadn’t read it yet; I was confusing it with the last issue of Avengers. Too many issues in one month dealing with the same story, people!

In any case, Rick Remender is still doing a great job with this title. War Machine gets a lot more to do in this issue, and Remender has a nice handle on his voice. Good old Jim Rhodes was knocked out when things weren’t half as bleak as they are when he wakes up. Thor also comes off like a leader here; we usually see Thor backing up Cap or Iron Man, but I really enjoy seeing him taking charge. He talks up Captain Britain to try and get his confidence back up, and takes charge when his team gets split up. The split works well; there are plenty of nice character moments for the entire roster (except Protector, but who cares?)

I’m curious who is behind this Kree manipulation. It sure looks like the Supreme Intelligence isn’t calling the shots. Too bad, I like that big brain. I’m also still unsure if this is the real Captain Marvel or not. He certainly has the memories, but how many times has Marvel teased us now?

I still love Renato Guedes’ “beautiful” take on an Avengers comic. Beast’s (in ape form) has painstakingly illustrated hair. Thor has a distinctive nose that keeps him from looking like Captain Britain. This looks like a romance comic or something, but man, when it’s time for Thor to smash someone’s head with a hammer, it looks pretty sweet too.

Good

Avengers #26

This sure feels more like a missing chapter from Secret Avengers than the newest Avengers title. Perhaps it’s because of the odd way the Secret Avengers title has been pre-empted by a bunch of “core” Avengers, but this was an odd issue.

It sure looks like Bendis is getting ready to move Protector off the main stage. He hasn’t made a full heel turn yet, but betraying your teammates is a good way to get booted off the team. There are a whole lot of pages dealing with Protector saying goodbye (and perhaps setting up his girlfriend as a replacement), but my problem is I’ve never really loved the character. So the quiet, poignant moments are a bit lost on me.

The rest of the issue was portrayed more strongly in last month’s Secret Avengers. I appreciate that Thor is once again the big dog putting down the threat, but the story seems oddly split.

Walter Simonson is still a great artist, but this issue looks really rushed. The pages with Protector on Earth are sketchy, and the faces in the space bound portions are inconsistent. For every great panel of Thor bringing it to the Phoenix, we’ve got a chubby-cheeked Ms. Marvel looking too young. The Beast’s look is pretty inconsistent too, going from ape to cat from page to page. Clearly, Simonson can bring it, look at that cover. I wonder why the inside doesn’t hold up as nicely.

Average

Comics on the Bubble: New Avengers #9-16

I passed on these when they first shipped because I was tired of Bendis’ style. I’m also not a huge Mike Deodato fan; he’s good, but not my favorite. Then my store had a dollar sale, and I figured why not catch up.


Bendis falls into all of his old traps (you would not believe how many scenes take place with the New Avengers sitting around their kitchen table). Bendis also gives all his characters that one Bendis-voice that he always does. I do appreciate his use of Superia as the main villain, though, and I love that Cage and some of the other Avengers constantly make mention of how hot she is. And of course, Bendis is still writing Hawkeye like he’s a blood thirsty fool; Hawkeye repeatedly threatens to kill people.

I’m also amazed that Squirrel Girl gets as much panel time as she does. She’s a fun character, and while I don’t like the tone her dialogue seems to carry, I do like seeing her give Wolverine a run for his money.

Daredevil joins up in the last issue of this run, and he does fit in nicely. Spider-Man spends so much time complaining, DD won’t even be the biggest downer on the team! It does annoy me that every single hero in NY is an Avenger, though. DD was sort of the last hold out.

I was not a fan of the flashback arc with Howard Chaykin’s ‘50’s Avengers. It seems like an unnecessary retcon and I think it weakens the original Agents of Atlas origin. I am pleased that Mockingbird got some powers out of this arc!

Issues 9-13 – Mockingbird’s shooting, team slowly takes on Superia – Keep
I
sues 14-16 – Fear Itself. Fantastic covers, Squirrel Girl feature, DD joins. Keep

Secret Avengers #26

It’s always enjoyable to see super-heroes who are “different.” Captain Britain was never really a favorite for me, too generic. But I absolutely love Rick Remender’s take on the hero. The guy is powered by his self-confidence, that is, the more he believes in himself, the more powerful he is. A guy like that literally CANNOT stop to think things through. He’s got to go with his gut, and always believe it is going to work. The awesome thing is that a hero like this is basically always set up for failure.

Remender plays up this fascinating dynamic by setting the scene with some nice opening moments. Beast and Cap Britain have worked together in the past; I never thought of them as close, but it makes sense they would hang out in anticipation of a suicide mission. I also dug seeing how Thor and Valkirie spent their last free hours: getting hammered.

Ms. Marvel, Protector, and War Machine are also on the mission, but Rhodey gets taken out fast and I think the Kree-affliliated folks will have a lot more to do next issue.

Renato Guedes’ art is beautiful. It’s a lot more sketchy than I’m used to in my mainstream hero comics, but it works well in this context. The art has an almost BPRD-esque feel to it. The Phoenix Force, the ships, and the space backdrop always look impressive. I also appreciate that Guedes draws Beast in his ape-form. The X-office can fight it, but everyone prefers the original look.

Good

Avengers #12.5/The Ultron War

Wow, Bendis sure packed a whole lot of Avengers into this thing, didn’t he? For an introductory issue, I was pretty surprised at how many Avengers actually show their faces in this book. I spotted Spider-Woman, Red Ghost, Wizard, Mad Thinker, Awesome Android, Klaw, MODOK, Thing, Valkirie, Protector, Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, Mockingbird, Hawkeye, Ant-Man, Wolverine, Beast, War Machine, Iron Man, Agent Hand, Ms. Marvel, Luke Cage, Agent Brand, Maria Hill, Jessica Jones, Bucky Cap, Steve Rogers, Moon Knight, Thor, and Iron Fist. Eventually, the cast gets narrowed down a bit, but even so, this is one overwhelming comic.


It just seems to me that having this many Avengers sitting around waiting for missions makes the Intelligencia threat seem a bit less… threatening. How dire a group can they be when Steve Rogers just dispatches five or six of his pool of heroes to take care of the problem?

Bendis does his thing, I don’t think he can help it. The Mad Thinker and the Wizard banter back and forth, finishing each other’s sentences, and basically act like Bendis characters. Spider-Woman gets in a nice showing under pressure, she never seems too concerned. Iron Man seems pretty terrified when Ultron shows up in the armor of a Space Knight, but I’m not sure this holds up as a complete enough first chapter for that storyline. As a tease, I think it works, but the FCBD issue makes it seem like the story kicks off here.

I don’t suppose I can hope for some sort of ROM return, since the Space Knights are around again, huh?

Bryan Hitch is good, there’s no doubt about that. Again, the issue is so crowded that it seems like he doesn’t have the room to do his “widescreen” specialty for the whole issue. The Intelligencia always look fantastic, and at a guess, I’d say Hitch enjoys drawing Wolverine and Moon Knight. The two of them consistently look the most detailed. I also found it odd that Thor ditched his cape for this adventure. A story-based choice, or artistic one, I wonder?

I guess this originally came out as Avengers 12.1, but I didn’t buy it, so I appreciate a free comic.

Fair

Avengers vs. X-Men #1

Not too bad. Like a true #1, Bendis doesn’t really make much reference back to last week’s AvX #0. It seems the important stuff we need to know for this story will all be dealt out in this book. The book opens with some competent heroics as the Avengers stop a plane from crashing into NYC. Sure, the Empire State building gets some major damage, but Iron Man, Thor, and Ms. Marvel make for a pretty powerful team when it comes to averting a disaster (Spidey helps a bit too).

The crash is caused by the returning Phoenix force, and with it the kid-Nova I’ve been hearing about. I’ll miss Richard Rider, but if he’s actually dead, I guess I’m OK with a replacement. (Hawkeye actually mentions that he thought Rich was dead.) Meanwhile on Utopia, Cyclops is in full jerk mode as he forces Hope to continue her training. Cyke is the voice of the franchise here, so I’m hoping Bendis can reign it in a bit over the net few issues, because right now Cyclops is a maniac. Even his own team seems to be doubting the rigor of his training right now. I love the brief moment Cyclops and Cap share before they start smashing each other.

Again, Cap comes off as a lot more reasonable, but maybe that’s just my take on it. I absolutely love the grin on Namor’s face when he knows the two of them are about to fight. I really think the Sub-Mariner is looking forward to this fight.

The assembled Avengers are going to be tough to beat, especially if Wolverine’s group of X-Men don’t show up to help. I don’t see a way the Utopia-based mutants have any sort of chance against the heavy hitters I mentioned above PLUS the Red Hulk, Giant Man, Black Panther, and more.

John Romita Jr.’s art is always dynamic, and once again, he makes the story work. The story feels important as we see the Avengers leaders briefing the president. JRJR can’t save Hawkeye’s terrible costume, and I think we need to add Colossus’ new Juggernaut look to the ill-advised column. That is NOT what Colossus should be fighting in when he has two or three more classic looks. JRJR’s faces seemed a tad lopsided at times, especially Magneto and White Queen. But again, he does a great job with Namor.

Good

Avengers vs X-Men #0

Wow! That’s a pretty strong kick-off for Marvel’s next salvo in the comic book wars. DC has held the momentum for months with the new 52, but if this is any indication, I think Marvel is going to come back swinging.

This zero issue catches us up with the current state of the Marvel U, from the perspectives of the Avengers and the X-Men. Brian Michael Bendis shows us the heroic return of the Scarlet Witch. He does a nice job with the info dump explaining where she’s been for the past few years. I’ve really missed Wanda, and it is darn exciting seeing her floating around fighting off MODOK and AIM. And of course, since Frank Cho is drawing this thing, it is only right that Ms. Marvel and Spider-Woman show up to lend a hand when things start to go wrong.

After the fight, the current Avenger takes the Witch back to Avengers Mansion. Wanda is worried that she won’t fit in, and boy is she right. The Vision dresses her down on the front steps in a pretty distressing scene. Bendis has earned the right to write this scene, since he wrote the stupid Avengers Disassembled back when Wanda originally went crazy. But he does have some self-awareness, too; Iron Man’s sad commentary as the former couple separates is “I always liked them together.” You and most long-time Avengers fans, Tony!

The second half of the story is a little weaker, but still entertaining. Jason Aaron introduces us to Hope, the mutant messiah. I’ve been fuzzy on her for awhile, even after seeing her in a lot of comics. It seems she has the same power-set as Rogue; the ability to copy mutant powers. It’s fun when she uses those powers on Cyclops, but we see her real power when she takes on the Serpent Society. She’s a bad-ass. Trained by Cable, using her powers seems to be her second choice. The inclusion of classics like Bushmaster, Asp, and Anaconda is an instant delight for me, especially when rendered so well by Cho.

Cho draws Cyclops living up to his “Slim” nickname, so he’s a tad less imposing that I prefer, but it works. The Serpent Society, MODOK, and AIM’s creature/robo hybrids all look wonderful. (I am amused that Cho can’t draw an ugly woman, this is the hottest Anaconda has ever looked.) Cho’s Scarlet Witch steals the show. Her classic costume looks fantastic, and Cho’s facial expressions sell the emotion of the scenes wonderfully. Sure, the coloring makes it seem like Wanda isn’t wearing anything under her swimming suit, but that’s a long-time risk with the costume.

Good

Avengers Annual #1 (2012)

Well, I managed to hold off for a few months, but eventually, my desire to see Wonder Man show up in any comic, even a bad one, overpowered my better judgment. I figured that even a badly-characterized, Bendis-version of Wondy was better than nothing.

Turns out, I was right.

The New Avengers Annual is more fun for me, filled with Wondy’s screed about all the problems the Avengers have caused. Even better is the Gabrielle Del’Otto re-designs of a bunch of forgotten characters. Say what you will, but Del’Otto is pretty good at updating and modernizing silly costumes into something great. Factor in the “Revengers” defeat of the Sitting Avengers, and I actually liked this book.

The Avengers Annual had some good parts too. The Revengers did fine against a team that enjoys long meals and conversation, but when the real Avengers show up, they don’t really have a chance. Wonder Man doesn’t even try to fight in this one, instead, he’s content to pile on Bendis’ current message that the Avengers are entitled, rogue agents who need to be shut down. This makes no sense for Wonder Man as a character, but to give Bendis credit, there’s an out. Wondy is doubting that he’s even real, since he was brought back to life by a pre-House of M Scarlet Witch. I’m not sure how I feel about nullifying the last few years of WM appearances, but I wouldn’t complain seeing him come back as just a powerhouse, not in the ionic form (hey, I miss the jet-packs).

After the Revengers are in custody, it’s a mixed bag of characterization for the all-dude team. Anti-Venom should not be the only rational member to speak out that he frankly agrees with Wonder Man’s assessment of the Avengers. Ethan Edwards and Goliath’s search for revenge makes sense, and Century’s alien reasoning was a nice touch. I know almost nothing about Captain Ultra, so I suppose he could be that petty, but Atlas shouldn’t have attacked the Avengers just because they didn’t want him as a member, that’s a miss. D-Man cracks me up; could he actually be working to get the Infinity Gems?

So I hope the redesigns stick around, and I hope people remember that Atlas, Goliath, and Century exist. I want Wonder Man’s ill-thought out villainy retconned as quickly as possible (although I do like seeing Cap, Iron Man, and Thor caught between the “New” folks like Cage and their old friend).

Fair

New Avengers #5

In an issue filled with talking about sorcery, my big problem concerns Hawkeye. First of all, Hawk has normal human strength, so have a car on top of him would really hurt, I'm not sure he could just flip it off as he does when he first appears here. My bigger problem is what he does to the team right after joining them; he leaves! He says he's needed on the other Avengers team, and that he only hung around for four issues to be with his wife. What? And yet Spider-Man and Wolverine calmly state that they won't leave, even though they are on the other team too. Is there some popularity limit where heroes can handle being in multiple books? I can appreciate Bendis wanting to define the cast of New Avengers, but there is no excuse for making Hawkeye out to be a selfish and non-dedicated Avenger.

The bulk of the issue deals with the New Avengers trying to figure out who is after the Eye of Agamatto. I'm a bit confused on just who is sending the light monsters, or how they're doing it. The motivations for the big bad have been twisted up so many times that I'm a bit confused at this point. Perhaps I'm reading too many comics, but I'm fuzzy on just who the bad guy is now. It's actually Agamatto, right?

Bendis excels where he usually does, in the dialogue. The Thing is great as he clarifies his stance on bad guys as "the guys he hits," and Spidey always sounds great when Bendis uses him. Luke Cage has faded into the background a tad, but that's ok, Iron Fist is doing well in the spotlight. The magic sub-team works well together, Daimon Hellstrom and Strange are old faves, but I'm pleased at how well Doctor Voodoo works as the Sorcerer Supreme.

This book is just too slow, though. While Stuart Immonen's art is beautiful, there are too many dialogue-less pages and unnecessary splash pages. This is just not worth 3.99. I'm bailing on the series in floppy format after next issue and switching to trades.

Fair (pushed up for the gorgeous art)

Marvel Two-In-One #51 (1979)

Is this the first time we saw Ben Grimm get a group together for poker? Probably not, since Peter Gillis' script calls for a bunch of new folks filling in for the Thing's normal buddies.

What's interesting is how great this little group works together. Ms. Marvel wins the poker game and more than holds her own in the fighting. Wonder Man gets his props when he's actually compared to Thor in power level. Beast works best as comic relief, his normal role during his Avengers membership. Fury does what he always does, and is gruff and grumpy while drafting heroes into helping him.

The villain in this is a rogue army unit that steals an enormous flying battlestation, leading to a nice aerial battle with the helicarrier. This story would be a six-part mini these days, but back in the 70's, this is just one issue of Marvel Two-In-One.

Frank Miller's artwork is unrecognizable. It's crisp, clean, and on-model. I love it! Now, Bob McLeod, one of my favorites, handles the inks, but I think I prefer the old Miller to the current, more stylized artist.

Good

New Avengers #4

How about that metallic foil cover? That would have cost us 50 cents extra a couple years ago. (Although I suppose the silver on the Zero Hour covers was free, right?)

Bendis brings a lot of action this issue, but a lot of it is still against those fairly generic, magic ghosts. There is a fun sequence with Iron Fist rocking a new uniform where he lectures Dr. Strange, but overall not a ton changes here.

I'm enjoying all the pages Bendis spends on the prime magic-users of the Marvel U. Dr. Strange, Dr. Voodoo, and Daimon Hellstrom don't get along, but they are entertaining.

Stuart Immonen's art is wonderful. I love the new Iron Fist suit. I also love seeing Immonen drawing the Thing again. He looks perfectly bulky, giving him a nice role on this team as the strong guy.

Fair

New Avengers #3

I have to say I'm sort of impressed at how Bendis is giving the characters in New Avengers a chance to shine. Iron Fist, an afterthought in the first two issues, actually has some plot-importance that makes him seem like a tough guy. I appreciated how quickly he got the lay of the land and started acting heroic (after cracking wise, of course). I also think the banter between Spidey, Thing, and Ms. Marvel was inspired. The bit about Ms. Marvel having missed Ghostbusters was great, but I really dug how Spidey was insulted that the Thing wasn't going to say "Clobbering time." That's such a Spidey concern, he doesn't want to miss out on the big-time benefits of being an Avenger!

The actual conflict is still relatively weak, even after the revelation of the surprise villain. The ghost-ish monsters are generic and unimportant to the narrative; it's no better than opening a series with ninjas or robots. The ghosts just exist to give the rest of the team someone to fight. Now, they look wonderful, of course, since Stuart Immonen is drawing them, but they are awfully generic.

With a team this large, someone has be relegated to the background. Hawkeye and Mockingbird have barely been members of this team. In fact, if Jewel is going to suit up again, I wonder if the happy couple might be better off getting transferred to the Avengers title full-time.

So, while the plot is not that interesting, Bendis is doing a nice job with character moments and Immonen is rocking the art. Good enough for "Fair."

Fair

New Avengers #2

It's surprising to see the "street-level" team continuing Bendis' magic-based stories. I would have figured that was more appropriate for the Avengers Tower crew. That said, guest-stars Dr. Strange and Daimon Hellstrom immediately turn any title into a supernatural comic.

So the mysterious being who possessed the magicians last month adds Cage to his list, and the three of them go up against the Avengers. There's an amusing sequence where the team is trying to get the Eye of Agamatto out of Avengers Mansion, away from the possessed characters. They eventually succeed when Ms. Marvel snatches it and swoops away. You'd think she'd stay away, but she comes back a few moments later and poof, after a bit of musical bodies (I think the being ends up only in Iron Fist) he gets the eye and can disappear. It's funny this team is so large, half the team had almost no impact on the fight. Hawkeye, Spidey, Jewel, and even the Thing contributed almost nothing. I think the team should spend less time eating meals together and more time practicing.

Clearly this villain has history with the Earth, he repeatedly mocks the heroes and their emotional attachments to each other. I especially enjoyed when he's pretending that Cage is breaking free from possession. Dormammu is probably too obvious, and Nightmare doesn't seem like a Bendis type villain. Baron Mordo is from Earth, so I'm don't have any good guesses right now.

I still love Stuart Immonen's artwork. Giant Cage made me laugh. He does a nice Wolverine, I have to admit, I don't even think twice about him fitting in with the Avengers. I do wish that Mockingbird had her old style costume, I think Immonen would do a great job on it.

Story - Average
Art- Excellent
Overall - Fair