Grayson #2 – Review

By: Tim Seeley (writer), Tim Seeley and Tom King (plot), Mikel Janin; Guillermo Ortega; and Juan Castro (art), Jeromy Cox (colorist)

The Story: Agent 27’s first mission with Spyral was a big success. Dick Grayson is playing the spy game now and you can’t deny that he has the skills for it. The question now is does he have the stomach for it.

…If you’ve read the issue you’ll know why I’m sorry about that last statement.

The Review: Apparently Spyral is operating out of St. Hadrian’s Finishing School and has taken over Leviathan’s task of teaching the next generation of young women to be prim, proper assassins. While the comic says Grayson on the cover, it’s clearly Matron Bertinelli who runs this school.

After running interference last time, Helena gets some time in the limelight this issue. In some ways she’s limited by the confines of her role, there’s a right way to do her job after all, but Tim Seeley does an admirable job of demonstrating Bertinelli’s competence and outlook on the job.

It does feel this month that Dick Grayson is a little overwhelmed by the sheer number of ideas in his title. Dick is a fine point of reference and allows Seeley to introduce some welcome levity into the story. Dick’s quips occasionally feel a little generic, like they would fit any character so inclined rather than being tuned to Dick’s personality, but at times it seems as though that’s intentional. In fact, the one great element of this issue that features Dick is the very real sense of Dick’s identity being challenged. Perhaps indicative of Tom King’s influence, Grayson #2 shows Dick’s sense of isolation beautifully. The final scene can read a little flat if you’re not in the mood to empathize, but in the right space it’s rather touching.

We also get a new character, if one whose personality is somewhat sublimated to the plot, as well as appearances from nearly all of the supporting characters from issue #1. Most interesting of these is Midnighter, who is apparently going to be a recurring antagonist for Agent 27 now that he’s fallen in with an organization called the God Garden.

It’s also very worth noting that your experience of this issue will likely differ dramatically based on your interest in the areas of the DCU King and Seeley are exploring. Those longing for more of the weird and wonderful present in Batman Incorporated will be happy to find that Seeley can’t hide his enthusiasm for it, but if you’re getting sick of unelaborated-upon organizations and awkward backronyms, I’m not sure that this will bring you around.

Batman Incorporated #7 – Review

By: Grant Morrison (story), Chris Burnham & Jason Masters (art), Nathan Fairbairn (colors)

The Story: Talia adds yet another enemy to her list: Greenpeace.

The Review: Does anyone get the feeling that Morrison has gotten marginalized post-DC relaunch?  Less than two years ago, he was the unofficial mastermind of the Batman universe (and the secret architect of the DCU at large) and now Scott Snyder has taken over his helm in the Bat-family of books (with Geoff Johns the openly declared architect of the new DCU).  Maybe that’s why both Action Comics and especially Batman Inc. feel so out of place these days.

Here you have Snyder’s Death of the Family rampaging across the various Bat-titles, wreaking havoc and making changes wherever it goes.  The struggle with Leviathan in this series is no less major, and frequently feels even more threatening (more on that later), yet its impact is being felt in no other title, recognized by no one else.  If it weren’t for the updated costumes, you’d never know this story is even taking place in the present DCU.

Batman Incorporated #4 – Review

By: Grant Morrison (story), Chris Burnham (art), Nathan Fairbairn (colors)

The Story: It’s a battle royale between circus freaks, assassins, and costumed crusaders.

The Review: From the beginning, this title has straddled two very different kinds of stories, each of which is a reflection of the dichotomy that is Morrison’s genius, if you happen to believe he’s a genius.  The first kind of story is bombastic, unpredictable, firecracking bursts of sheer superhero excess.  The second kind of story is driven and invasive, and intensely cerebral in the way it plots its course and sticks to it, determined to see it to the end.

It stands to reason you’d notice the more frenetic aspects of this title rather than anything else.  Morrison fills the pages with action, every bit of it begging for your attention.  I know some folks have a kind of sniffy prejudice towards mainstream comics, but issues like this one show how a writer can take advantage of the zany side of superhero and elevate the ridiculous into art.  “World’s greatest assassins…meet Batman’s front line,” announces the Hood.  When the front line consists of an entire gang of Bat-men, you’re guaranteed craziness of the finest degree.

Batman Incorporated #3 – Review

By: Grant Morrison (story), Chris Burnham (art), Nathan Fairbairn (colors)

The Story: It’s the douchey, pervy side to Batman you’ve never seen before.

The Review: You know one skill of Batman’s that doesn’t get utilized nearly enough?  His mastery of disguise.  You’d think writers would show this off more often, especially since if they want to shore up his cred as the world’s greatest detective.  Maybe they think the idea of Batman donning a wig and an accent is too undignified.  Maybe they think he can just as easily get the same intel just by beating it out of his enemies.

Fun as that well may be, it doesn’t come close to the entertainment you get out of Bruce, decked out in a cheap suit of noxious colors, and adopting the persona of one of those smart-aleck, sarcastic gangsters (as opposed to gangstas) that made up nearly the entire 40s pulp population.  You don’t often think of Batman as having a sense of humor other than a dry remark here and there, often at his teammates’ expense.  Here you see he’s got to have an untapped funny bone somewhere in his body, seeing how he throws corny wisecracks like baseballs.

Batman Incorporated #5 – Review

By: Grant Morrison (writer), Yanick Paquette (penciller), Michel Lacombe (inker), Nathan Fairbairn (colorist)

The Story: I’m afraid a bat’s too big to be caught in your web, Dr. Dedalus!

The Review: In talking about Batman Incorporated, plenty of people have made references to the James Bond quality of the series’ adventures.  The comparison has only become even more fitting as the storyline continues to veer Batman away from his private-eye roots and into the depths of international espionage and spy-work.  His trail of clues has expanded from the streets of Gotham to the countries of the world—the ultimate mystery for the ultimate detective.

And for the ultimate mystery-writer in comics: Morrison is all about weaving layers of secrets and lies, misdirecting you from one thing, only to have you come back to it eventually and discover it’s another thing altogether.  His meticulous plotting can be a frustrating kind of thrill: you have to work just as hard as the characters involved to piece out the answers, because Morrison is not the kind of writer who’s willing to let you into his master plan in any direct way.

In that regard, you can consider central antagonist Dr. Dedalus an analogue to Morrison himself.  It’s very easy for writers to give their villains master plans, but very difficult to execute these plans as such.  You’re set up to believe Batman’s appearance on the Falklands will nip Dedalus’ mission before it even begins, but in fact, you discover Dedalus has planned it so Batman’s appearance tips over the first in a long line of dominoes leading to civilization’s destruction.

Morrison effectively sells Dedalus as both a master spy (six codenames—really?) and a proponent of chaos quite nearly on the level of the Joker.  Like his clownish counterpart, Dedalus offers some fairly twisted logic to his actions, the best example being “…a kind heart deserves the cruelest end.”  By issue’s end, you realize that like Hitler, international terrorist group Leviathan is only an enabler for Dedalus’ own far-reaching ambitions.

Therein lies the reason for Batman Inc.: Dedalus may be one man, but he’s using an organization which spans nations.  Batman’s recruiting these heroes not just to be his contemporary in their own crime-ridden worlds, but to come as close as possible for him to act in many places at once.  But that requires his recruits to have nearly the same level of nerve and competence as he does.

Avengers #12 – Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), John Romita Jr. (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Dean White (colors), and Cory Petit (letters)

The Story: Parker Robbins makes his stand against the Avengers in attempting to gather all of the infinity gems.

The Review:  Wow.  Art-wise, this is simply gorgeous.  Both Romita Jr. and Dean White go all out this month, putting out what may very well be the best looking issue of this series thus far.  Romita and White go old-school crazy on us in their depiction of the astral plane, Thanos, and the cosmic powers of the infinity gems with high-powered combat that is explosive fun.  Everything glows, carries an epic but gleeful cartoony tone, and is just so much fun to look at.  Clearly, putting Romita and White on a story like this was a good call, as it really lets them shine.  It’s clear that the artists are having a really good time, and that carries over to the reader.

Unfortunately, not soon after the issue begins, Bendis sort of spoils this by putting a completely foul tastes in the mouth of pretty much every reader.  Last issue’s Thano’s cliffhanger was awesome in an “oh no you didn’t” sort of way.  Well, this month, we learn that Bendis….actually “didn’t” after all.  I hate, hate, hate it when comic book writers pull cheap bait-and-switches like this.  They serve absolutely NO purpose other than to create a quick shock at the end of an issue.  They serve little to no narrative benefit and, honestly, this whole Thanos ruse proved to be utterly pointless.  It wasn’t an overly vital tactic on the part of the Avengers.  It was just a cheap move to get a rise out of the reader, which only led to crushing disappointment this month.

And worse still, if this is all a bait-and-switch, why have the Hood be in heavy dialogue with “Thanos” for five pages at the start of this issue?  That borders on sadism and it really just makes the ensuing wound all the more painful.

On the plus side, while this trick put a damper on the issue as a whole, Red Hulk does really shine this month.  By focusing on Red Hulk the most and having him seemingly lead the charge against the Hood and take him on in single combat, beating on Parker both physically and intellectually, Bendis nicely cements Rulk’s place on the team while also garnering support for the character.  This bodes well for the series in the long-term while also providing someone to cheer for this month, as well as a decent bit of character-work.

Avengers #11 – Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), John Romita Jr. (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Dean White (colors), and Cory Petit (letters)

The Story: The Avengers and the Illuminati raise to secure the rest of the Infinity Gems before the Hood does.

The Review: It’s always something of a treat to see a creator take a big creative risk on a major, mainstream flagship title, and that’s exactly what Brian Bendis does this month.  The entire issue is narrated, heavily, but Uatu the Watcher, with little actual dialogue, by Bendis standards anyway.

When I first realized that this would be the case, I’ll admit that I wasn’t enthused at the prospect of reading a comic with that many words on the page.  Admittedly, it does get a bit exposition-heavy and Uatu’s plot recap early on isn’t the most thrilling, but rest assured, it grows on you.  Over time, Uatu’s narration lends scope and importance to this story.  It makes Bendis’ narrative feel as huge, epic, and vital as it should be.  I mean, they’re battling over the Infinity Gems for crap’s sake!  Amidst all the punching, it’s often easy to forget just how great the stakes are, but Uatu’s solemn role in the comic brings the focus heavily onto that.  His narration also manages to add layers and nuance, essentially going out of his way to tell you exactly why all of this is very, very dangerous.

That’s not to say that there isn’t decent dialogue.  Spider-Man pulls a couple of funny jokes and Bendis throws a jab at Thor’s manner of speaking.  Little bits of humor in a story like this are a surprise, but also welcome.

More than that though, Uatu’s narration allows the comic to speed along at a much brisker pace.  The end result is a comic that is literally a mad-dash all over the world, as the Hood and the Avengers jump from one gem to another.  It lends the race a frantic and exciting pace, and that excitement is something that last month lacked.  In covering more physical ground in one issue, this really does feel like a competition between the Avengers and the Hood where every second counts.

Furthermore, John Romita Jr. helps this along even further by delivering quite possibly his best performance yet on this title.  A couple of his lay-outs are just awesome and his illustrations of the Astral Plane and the gems in action are positively gorgeous, while his action scenes are as fun and dynamic as always.

Avengers #10 – Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), John Romita Jr. (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), and Dean White (colors)

The Story: The Avengers check to make sure that Xavier and Namor’s infinity gems are safe.

The Review: Avengers #10 is, unfortunately, something of a stumbling block for the series after a couple of solid outings.

The main culprit is the story structure, which sees various Avengers checking on the locations of Xavier, Namor, and Stark’s infinity gems.  Clearly, Bendis intends for us to be impressed with where and how each character has hidden them, each in his own distinct fashion.  Unfortunately, it’s honestly not that interesting.  Each character basically puts them in just the sort of place you’d expect them to.  Worse still, there’s something bland and formulaic about the narrative structure: we follow the characters to each location, Bendis tries to wow us with each locations security feature, and then we get a look at each of the gems.  It almost feels like a tedious video game, with each location being a level to play through.

The other thing that dogs Avengers #10 and, I suspect, is something that will hinder the series for some issues to come, is just how many freaking characters there are.  Avengers #10 began to feel a bit like a bad issue of Uncanny X-Men, where any sense of an actual team is thrown out the window and there’s basically just a mob of X-universe characters moving about.  Here, it’s just that, but it’s the Avengers universe instead.  Bendis has slammed all the teams together, and I can’t even say that it was really all that necessary.  I mean, even the Secret Avengers show up and, as Iron Fist awkwardly points out, isn’t that a little off if they’re supposed to be, you know, “Secret?”

Avengers #9 – Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer) & John Romita Jr. (artist)

The Story: The Illuminati are caught in the act and the Hood comes back more dangerous than ever.

What’s Good: Already, I’m enjoying this second arc quite a bit more than its predecessor.  The title feels less hamstrung in its storytelling thanks to the lack of all that time-travel nonsense.  If anything, this feels more like a true Avengers tale: a big, important story, a team of good guys that feel like a dysfunctional family, a cackling villain, and a heavy touch of the cosmic.

All that aside, I want to start with John Romita Jr.’s artwork this month.  While this was a more dialogue heavy issue without any pyrotechnics or major fight scenes, I actually feel that this may quietly be the best issue he’s put out for this series thus far.  His work feels a lot more polished and not at all rushed.  It just seems like more time and love was put into this issue.  Granted, some of that may be due to the new colorist(s), but either way, I liked the art quite a lot.

On Bendis’ side, I always respect when a writer can cram two completely different narratives with two different tones and locales into one 22 page issue without making the issue lose cohesion, and that’s what Bendis does this month.  More than that, both sides are equally interesting.

You’ve got Rogers and the gang discovering the Illuminati’s continued existence.  Bendis did a fantastic job illustrating the boiling over of tension between Iron Man and Steve Rogers.  It didn’t feel at all forced and came across genuinely and logically.  More than that, Bendis highlighted the awkwardness of it all; that it’s basically a persona conflict/agreement escalated into and taking place in the public sphere.  I also quite enjoyed how Bendis used the other Avengers to good effect here, making them feel like awkward bystanders.

The other half of the issue sees the Hood’s meeting an Inhuman in prison.  Again, the fact that Bendis was able to balance the above story with a prison drama was fairly impressive.  The Hood’s machinations are as fun to read as ever, while the character he meets is creepy, likable, and certainly intriguing.  The final two pages of the issue are also the sort of high-drama/big event stuff that’ll have you wanting the next issue ASAP.

With so much dialogue this month, I also have to say that I was pleasantly surprised to see the Bendis-speak (when Bendis uses repetition in a weird attempt to emulate conversation) nearly absent.  When it does crop up, it highlights moments of tension or rapport, meaning that it never dominates the writing.

New Avengers Finale #1 – Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Bryan Hitch & Stuart Immonen (pencils), Butch Guice, Andrew Currie, & Karl Story (inks), Paul Mounts, Justin Ponsor, & Rain Beredo (colors), and Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

The Story: With Siege ended, the New Avengers turn the tables, as they become the hunters and the Hood becomes the hunted.

What’s Good: Consider this book the pay-off for years of seeing the New Avengers in hiding, down and out, or generally getting their asses kicked.  This issue is cathartic both for long-time readers of New Avengers and the characters themselves.

It’s really refreshing to see the New Avengers in a position of power and to see their former pursuers running from them for a change.  It’s great to see this team so empowered and certainly, they deserve it.  As a result, this book is a very lively, feel-good affair.  The New Avengers are hell-bent on ensuring that payback is indeed a bitch for the Hood and Madame Masque.

What ensues is a book full of gleeful camaraderie where the New Avengers are the hunters.  It’s an extended book where everything, finally, feels like it’s working the way it’s meant to.  The New Avengers are once again a big force, and one to be afraid of if you’re a bad guy.  If there’s one issue this week that encapsulates the Heroic Age and is the direct opposite of everything Dark Reign was, this is it.

The action is solid and the book ends with a fabulous montage that is both reflective and highly nostalgic.  Despite the series’ relaunch next month, this ending montage was just poignant enough to make me believe this to be a true finale, and one that’s merited.  Truly, a new page is turned.

New Avengers #64 – Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Mike McKone (art), Dave McCaig (colors), and Albert Deschesne (letters)

The Story: The Hood regroups and Loki makes a shocking move to help combat the unleashed Sentry.

What’s Good: It’s been a long time since I actually, genuinely cared about the Hood and what the future holds for him.  That Bendis makes me want to see more of the character is no small feat.

In focusing most of this issue on the Hood, Madame Masque, and their crew, Bendis ends up putting the Hood in a very, very interesting place post-Siege.  It’s the sort of thing that could spawn a new ongoing series, or at least a limited series.  Suddenly unsure of himself and afraid, this Parker Robbins presents an intriguing character whose future adventures are sure to be something to enjoy.

Bendis also bolsters the Masque/Hood relationship further, which only aids this new direction for the character.  She becomes Parker’s crutch and motivating force, while also being a total badass.  It’s strange; by issue’s end, it’s clear that these two are still villains, but I find myself oddly rooting for them.  To further highlight this, Bendis has a rather cool scene that parallels Madame Masque and the Hood’s relationship with that of Hawkeye and Mockingbird.  While on opposite sides of the hero/villain dichotomy, the love shared by both couples is equally genuine.

The other big news, of course, is the big twist involving Loki.  Loki performs a, well, fairly heroic action, as he actually helps the Avengers.  No, not Osborn’s Avengers.  After the role Loki’s been in for the last few years, this was a really cool, out of nowhere moment that made my eyes go wide.  I only wish it was given more space but even as such, this ruled.

Then there’s Norman Osborn’s role in the issue, as Bendis continues to try to paint him as at least a little sympathetic as Siege falls on his head.  Norman’s good qualities are dwelt on, as he is shown to be capable of loyalty and integrity in his relationship with the Hood.  It’s an issue where he doesn’t quite come off as the simple, cackling, totally rotten villain.

The art on this issue is also gorgeous, as Mike McKone does his best Stuart Immonen impersonation.  Indeed, I struggled to tell the two apart here, were it not for McKone’s Mockingbird, a character that Immonen draws to absolute perfection.  This is great stuff all around that is just plain fun to look at, with McKone’s Hood and Masque looking especially strong.

Thor #608 – Review

by Kieron Guillen (writer), Billy Tan, Batt, & Rich Elson (art), Christina Strain & Matt Hollingsworth (colors), and Joe Sabino (letters)

The Story: Siege continues as Tyr defends Asgard from the Hood and Volstagg tangles with Thor’s clone.

What’s Good: Volstagg is really a formula that never fails at this point.  He’s always a great mix of tried-and-true comedy and stalwart heroism, and as such, he’s put to good use this month in his battle with Thor’s clone.  Guillen has a good amount of fun in making Volstagg run yet also knows not to disregard the other half of what makes Volstagg successful.  All comedy aside, we also get enough heroism out of Volstagg to cheer for, as well as a reminder of the fact that the character, for all his bluster, is afflicted by emotional trauma after the events that led to Siege.  Guillen touches on this with perfect timing in a moment of solemnity in the midst of all the fist-pumping.

Kelda, on the other, shines if only due to the conversational dynamic she has with Bill’s family.  Her elevated language compared to the more every day tones of Bill’s family play off really well with each other, reflecting the real divide between two parties that share the same emotions.  It, as well as her appearance, brings the gap between god and mortal to the fore, making the scene all the more tragic and bittersweet.

Art-wise, this is a really great issue.  Billy Tan continues to churn out some of the best work of his career on Thor and his depictions of a crumbling Asgard are astounding.  Meanwhile, the other half of the book is handled by Rich Elson, who’s painted style, aided by positively glowing colors, feels, well, very Asgardian and mythic.  Normally I hate books that have two artists with two such different styles working on it, but this actually works, with the division of work being handled quite deftly.  Tan and Elson handle different scenes and characters from each other, so if anything, it helps thematically, enhancing the gap between Asgard and Midgard (what with Tan’s style being the more Midgardian).

New Avengers #61 – Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Stuart Immonen (pencils), Daniel Acuna (art & colors), Wade von Grawbadger (inks), Dave McCaig (colors), and Albert Deschesne (letters)

The Story: The Avengers find themselves embattled against the Hood’s newly Norm stone-powered goons.

What’s Good: This issue is essentially divided into two separate, but parallel stories as the two Captain Americas battle the Corrupter and Living Laser while Spider-Woman and Spider-Man team up against Mandrill and Griffin.  All told, both sides are enjoyable and lead to an easy, readable book.

Spider-Man in particular is a joy to read.  It’s always a pleasure in New Avengers when Bendis is able to give him any form of extended attention.  The Spider-Man/Spider-Woman is certainly a surprisingly fun one.  Bendis exploits the gender dynamics, the similarity of their aliases (and surprising lack of actual similarities in abilities), and the opposition of Jessica Drew’s dour demeanor with Parker’s signature wackiness.  It makes for really fun reading, with Spider-Woman making for a very, very enjoyable straight-man.  Bendis’ use of Jessica’s Skrull detector as a kind of comic device certainly got a laugh out of me.

The Hood’s goons also show a kind of self-awareness that I appreciated.  They’re typical villains, and it’s weirdly fun to seem them trucking on, well aware of their being typical and their poor success rate.

On art, I really enjoyed both Immonen and Acuna’s work.  Both clearly have a field day with these D-list villains, giving them a campy, Technicolor sort of feel.  Immonen’s over-the-top drawings of the Corrupter are a definite highlight and his cartoonish sensibilities give the characters and actions a kind of fun vitality.  Acuna’s painted artwork is gorgeous, and does a lot to legitimize these relative no-namers.  The final splash, one of Mandrill and Spider-Woman, makes the ridiculous baboon actually appear horrifying.

Daredevil #503 – Review

by Andy Diggle (writer), Roberto De La Torre & Marco Checchetto (art), Matt Hollingsworth (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Daredevil continues to use the Hand as an instrument to battle corruption.

What’s Good: I continue to enjoy Diggle’s take on Dark Reign, which remains one of the most unique in Marvel’s stable.  While most series simply have Osborn stomping about and occasional cameos by the Dark Avengers and/or the Thunderbolts, Diggle’s book best depicts how the world and society itself has changed thanks to Osborn’s rise.  Daredevil is used to occupying his own little corner of the Marvel Universe, and much of this issue is a wake-up call that even the farthest/lowest fringe of that Universe is subject to this major shift in status quo. The series’ own isolation stands in relation to Matt’s obliviousness to the larger state of things, absorbed as he is in his own crises.  Matt, and the comic itself, can now no longer ignore larger events, which do have an effect on Hell’s Kitchen, whether Matt realizes it or not.

While the theme is great, Diggle also writes some great dialogue this month.  The conversation between Daredevil and Izo was a particularly good.  Both men seem to be speaking in veiled threats and what seems to be the same old conversation we’ve heard a million times between the two takes on a tone of menace, where we’re forced to wonder who is trying to intimidate the other.  Is Izo getting impatient enough to threaten Matt?  Is Matt becoming inflated by his leadership of the Hand?  And which character is the initiator and which the respondent?  It’s a fascinating, multi-layered conversation that bears reading twice.

Other than that, the issue gives us everything we’ve come to expect from a good Daredevil comic.  Diggle writes the kinetic, thrilling action scenes that have been the signature of his career,  Kingpin is an absolute badass,  Becky, Foggy, and Dakota are as lovable as ever, and seeing Matt hold a pep rally for his horde of devil-horned ninjas definitely gets the blood pumping.  Meanwhile De La Torre continues to put out the best work of his career, as it’s clear that he was meant to draw this comic.  It’s shadowy, grimy, and gritty in the utmost, but with no loss of detail or clarity.  It’s quite the achievement, and he makes action and dialogue scenes equally engaging.

Siege: The Cabal #1 – Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Michael Lark (pencils), Stefano Gaudiano (inks), Matt Hollingsworth (colors), and Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

The Story: The Cabal implodes and lines are drawn.

What’s Good: The issue’s strongest point is its characterization.  Dr. Doom is written well by Bendis.  He’s the same absurd bad guy who insists on referring to himself in the third person. but, as usual, Doom backs all that egotism up in a big way.  In this issue, his self-righteousness and arrogance actually make him feel somewhat jarring as a character, unrealistic even, yet Bendis’ display of Doom’s power validates it.  Doom feels like he doesn’t belong because he doesn’t; he functions on a different level from Osborn.  He’s the all powerful, cackling old school villain while Osborn is something more convoluted and modern and Bendis’ depiction of this collision is well-played.

Speaking of Osborn, Bendis does a fantastic job on him as well.  Compared to Doom, Osborn actually sounds realistic; a scary thing, when Bendis essentially cements this month that Osborn’s sanity is bound to implode any day now.  The fact that Osborn’s fear of the Asgardians is based largely on advice from the Green freaking Goblin is evidence of that, and it also makes for a fantastically written conversation.

Overall though, this issues functions just as it should, truly feeling like the beginning of a slow collapse, as Norman’s finally confronted by limitations to his power. Publically, he’s reminded that he isn’t the President of the United States.  Privately, he’s bitten off more than he can chew with Doom.  And he seems to be in denial on both these points.  In probably the most beautiful bit of dialogue in the issue, he accosts Doom for making a “huge, dumb, arrogant mistake.”  When I first read that line, I thought Osborn was speaking of himself and apologizing to Victor.

Art-wise, there’s absolutely nothing to complain here.  With his signature dark, scratchy feel, Lark ably captures the action and the tense conversations with ease.  It’s a good looking book, and I couldn’t expect much more.

What’s Not So Good: For the start of Marvel’s last major event for the foreseeable future, I expected the start to have a bit more of a bang to it.  A character death perhaps, or at least a major event that leaves some sort of irreparable damage.  That I didn’t get either was a bit disappointing.

And it’s not like Bendis didn’t have his opportunities, he just seemed hell-bent on holding himself back.  Take for example the attack on Avenger’s Tower, which basically sparks off the Siege event.  There’s a beautiful illustration by Michael Lark that makes it look as though the Tower itself is on the verge of collapse, as though it were being eaten away.  I loved the idea of the Tower being destroyed.  I mean, damn, that is a way to start an event!  Of course, a couple pages later, and Norman’s back in his office and the Tower is just fine.

Well, at least Bendis can fulfill the promises Marvel has laid out in its ads and solicitations for this issue by revealing his secret partner, right?  Of course not.  Instead, we just get some glowy, vaguely humanoid shape letting loose with a couple of energy blasts with no major hint as to his/her/its identity. Great…

Bendis puts all the characters where he wants them and does what he needs to do to get an event started, but he just doesn’t bother to shoot any higher.

Conclusion: It’s an entertaining issue with very solid character work, but it could’ve been more.

Grade: B –

-Alex Evans

Vengeance of the Moon Knight #2- Review

By Gregg Hurwitz (writer), Jerome Opena (artist), Dan Brown (colorist)

The Story: Marc Spector, now living as one of his split personalities, has a meeting of the (unstable) minds with the Sentry before laying the smackdown on the Slug.  Norma Osborn, thoroughly upset that the White Knight has come back to New York City, conspires with the Hood and the Profile to resurrect Moon Knight’s greatest nemesis and most tragic loss.

The Good: Despite having the most deceptive cover I’ve ever seen, the confrontation between Moon Knight and Sentry went much better than I expected.  Forgoing any kind of physical battle, which would have been utterly foolish to attempt, Hurwitz instead stages this scene as an extended conversation between two highly unstable heroes.  Played along those lines, it actually makes a lot of sense and adds deeper layers of characterization to both characters.  Opena’s art continues to grow and flourish, and I was really surprised to see that his quieter, character-driven moments were just as engaging as his action scenes.  Opena has a wonderful eye for Marvel’s grittier, urban characters and it really shows on a book like this.  As for the man in white, Hurwitz and Opena are doing an admirable job chronicling Moon Knight’s path to redemption.  As Lockley picks up the various pieces of his life and refines his crime fighting style, it becomes clear that this is a man desperately trying to overcome the demons that have consumed him for so many years, and that makes for a wonderful reading experience.

The Not So Good: I have lost all interest in Khonshu’s continued presence in this book, even if he is a diminutive, skeletal bird-headed scamp running around trying to tell Moon Knight what to do.  I understand that Spector/Lockely is still somewhat struggling to overcome the violent tendencies his patron admired, but I feel like the is story is fast losing steam, and I’m more than ready to see Lockely shed Khonshu’s influence once and for all and get on with becoming a hero.  Also, what’s the deal with the Slug?  I mean, really, in the current climate where the villains are now in charge, the best Moon Knight can do for himself is taking down the fattest, most defenseless bastard in the Marvel Universe?  Not exactly the most surefire way for him to work his way back up to the ranks of the superhero elite, you know what I mean?  Finally, I remain skeptical of the ending of this issue.  What I think he’s going to attempt here in some ways is nothing less than a total negation of catalyst this series was based on, but then again he surprised me with his treatment of the Sentry, so I’m hoping he do it again next month as well.

Conclusion: Vengeance of the Moon Knight is moving along at a good pace and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.

Grade:  C

-Tony Rakittke

New Avengers #56 – Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Stuart Immonen (pencils), Wade von Grawbadger (inks), Dave McCaig (colors), and Albert Deschesne (letters)

The Story: Mockingbird and the crippled Avengers battle the Wrecking Crew and their power drainer. Meanwhile, Dr. Harrow gives Norman Osborn an offer he can’t refuse.

What’s Good: About 85% of this issue is composed of action scenes surrounding the Wrecking Crew. As such, it’s an enjoyable, light read that’s certainly quite exciting. Mockingbird picking up and using Bucky Cap’s shield and gun was a definite highlight and one does get a sense of the impossible odds she’s up against.

I also liked the narration by Mockingbird, who’s been fairly neglected over the past few issues. It’s clear that Bendis has a lot of love for the character, as the captions succeed in adding character, touching repeatedly on some of her dissatisfaction with Clint while putting forward her brazen and sassy attitude, while also enhancing the feeling of desperation.

All in all, it’s a simple, fun issue and the opening scene with Mockingbird fighting the Wrecking Crew is golden. Also, Loki’s presence, however brief, is always welcome in any Marvel comic. He/She just wreaks of malevolence, as always.

What’s Not So Good: At first, I wasn’t entirely sure what the point was of having this internal narration by Mockingbird, only to have it end within 7-8 pages; but then later on I realized Bendis needed to cram in Dark Reign and couldn’t have Osborn’s conversation with Harrow without ending Mockingbird’s narration. I just felt a little cheated.

Speaking of the Dark Reign conversation, I’m not sure I buy Dr. Harrow being such a massive threat to Norman Osborn. I mean, this is Dr. Harrow we’re talking about here and his big trick is draining powers.  Surely, power drainers have been done a multitude of times before. It’s such a basic, unimaginative concept, that while it’s enough to make Harrow a legit New Avengers villain, no way is it enough to carry him to the upper echelons of the Marvel Universe’s power structure.

The power drainer itself is also a bit of a problematic plot device as well, since it basically leads to the Avengers groaning and limping around for an entire issue. The drainer isn’t lethal in and of itself, it just makes them sick.  It seems as though Bendis couldn’t decide whether or not the drainer would render them unconscious, so instead he has opted for some awkward middle ground of heroes lying around, then standing up for one perfectly timed action before collapsing again.

Meanwhile, I want to make clear that I love Stuart Immonen’s art.  That said, I’m still not sure that it fits a comic like New Avengers. Immonen’s art makes the Avengers look like an Image superhero comic, not an ultra mainstream blockbuster. It feels oddly diminishing. I think Immonen does great work, but I don’t think this is the right title for him to be on.

Conclusion: A solid issue that suffers from a few irritants and some curious artwork.

Grade: C+

-Alex Evans

The New Avengers #55 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Stuart Immonen (Pencils), Wade von Grawbadger (Inks), and Dave McCaig (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The New Avengers #55 brings a new storyline and a new art team to the series.

The Story: The Hood’s thugs are fed up with how they are being treated. But things change when a special piece of Stark-Tech is found that just might be the “nuclear bomb in the war on powers.”

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: With the Sorcerer Supreme stuff out of the way, New Avengers #55 is all about setting up the latest story arc. As you’ve probably guessed, that’s a good thing in some ways, but a bad thing in others. I think I’ll begin by talking about the newest part of New Avengers: the artwork.

Nothing against Billy Tan, but Stuart Immonen is a great artist for a series like New Avengers. Especially if the series is focusing on telling more traditional superhero stories like the one that begins in New Avengers #55. Immonen’s style, complimented nicely by Wade von Grawbadger’s inks and Dave McCaig’s colors, is well suited to showing costumed heroes (and villains) doing what they do. In particular, Immonen draws an absolutely fantastic Spider-Man and does great work when multiple costumes are featured in a panel. It’s too bad that a few flaws keep Immonen’s work from being a rousing success.

The biggest problem I have with what Immonen does is that there is a noticeable drop in quality as the book progresses. A number of panels near the end looks either terribly rushed or completely dominated by the color work by Dave McCaig (those blobs of colors are supposed to be the heroes?!). In addition, there’s breaks in the flow of the storytelling that, while not game-breaking, are rather annoying.

As for the dialogue in New Avengers #55…well…you should know what to expect by now. There’s a lot of Bendis-speak and, as usual, some of it is entertaining and some of it is irritating. It does a nice job of moving the plot forward and expressing personalities, but feels filled with, well, filler. If you ignore the filler though, there’s quite a bit to like about the story Bendis is starting to tell. It has a very “traditional” feel to it which works wonderfully in a book that tends to work best when it just focuses on the New Avengers being the Avengers that they are.

Conclusion: New Avengers #55 is, I believe, the start of something good. The artwork is a breath of fresh air and the storyline that begins has the potential to be a lot of fun.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Deadpool: Suicide Kings #4 – Review

By Mike Benson & Adam Glass (Writers), Carlo Barberi (Pencils), Sandu Florea (Inks), and Marte Gracia (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Deadpool: Suicide Kings is a fun, tasteless, gratuitous romp through the seedier side of the Marvel Universe. It isn’t high art or anything, but it’s entertaining.

The Story: Deadpool (obviously) recovers from a bullet to the head and finds himself teamed up with Daredevil and Spider-Man. Meanwhile, Tombstone asks The Hood for some help and Punisher finds out that he didn’t quite make a kill-shot.

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: One thing you need to know is that I laughed out loud at the very first page of Deadpool: Suicide Kings #4. So, needless to say, Mike Benson, Adam Glass, and Carlo Barberi start things off on the right foot. The rest of the book is pretty good as well. I like that The Hood is brought into the storyline, especially because, on his own, Tombstone just doesn’t seem all that threatening to a guy like Deadpool. In addition, I think all the guest appearances help to keep Deadpool from being his own worst enemy. Too much ‘pool is a bad thing sometimes and the balance that comes from Spidey and the others really help to keep the Merc with a Mouth in check.

Mike Benson and Adam Glass are clearly having fun writing Deadpool. The characters’ interactions with Punisher, Daredevil, and, in particular, Spider-Man are genuinely funny and go a long way towards elevating a storyline that’s– let’s face it, pretty generic and predictable. In addition, Benson and Glass seem to pace the storytelling much better in Suicide Kings #4 than they have in any of the other issues of the mini-series. Everything just seems to move forward at a pace that feels much better than it has in the past.

Carlo Barberi once again puts in some nice work for Suicide Kings. He handles the extremely violent action scenes well and his character work is lively and expressive. His storytelling, however, leaves something to be desired. While it gets the job done, a few scenes are awkward or look really rushed. The flaws are unfortunate because when Barberi gets it all right, his work is perfect for a book like Suicide Kings.

Conclusion: Flawed but a lot of fun, Deadpool: Suicide Kings #4 is worth picking up if you’re sick of all the “serious” Marvel stuff.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Avengers: The Initiative #26 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Christos N. Gage (Writer), Rafa Sandoval (Pencils), Roger Bonet (Inks), and Edgar Delgado (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Now that the great Dark Reign shakeup has finally finished, it’ll be interesting to see what Christos N. Gage has in store for the Initiative.

The Story: Tigra, Gauntlet, and some of the New Warriors desperately try to escape one of Norman Osborn’s Initiative teams. When they do, Tigra has a plan to gain some measure of revenge of one person that has wronged her in the past. Meanwhile, Camp H.A.M.M.E.R. officially opens and Taskmaster and The Hood go to work, making sure things are in order. The Hood explains the current situation to some recruits, Taskmaster explains the Penance situation to Trauma, and Trauma tries to get…anything out of Penance.

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: Writer Christos N. Gage clearly has a lot to tackle in the first true Dark Reign Initiative book. It’s loaded with characters, slightly cluttered, and seems to jump all over the place at times. But you know what? Gage handles the challenge extremely well. The storytelling is fairly tight, the character work is effective (especially the stuff with Trauma and the final scene with Tigra), and Gage will constantly remind readers why they pick up a book like Avengers: The Initiative in the first place; to dive into the giant sandbox that is the Marvel Universe. While it’s still early, the Initiative and Dark Reign look to fit together quite well. I wonder if Gage will be able to make the most of it?

As for the visuals, Rafa Sandoval’s artwork gets the job done in the ways that matter. Characters look distinct, expressions are appropriate, and the action looks decent enough. Note that I said “decent enough,” because the action is probably the weak point of Avengers: The Initiative #26. It seems to lack any sort of comfortable flow and gets overwhelmed by all the characters taking part in the action. Also, what’s with Tigra having giant paws for hands? Is that supposed to be like that? I’m not too familiar with the character so if you know if Sandoval’s take on her is actually how it’s supposed to be, leave me a comment.

Conclusion: Not all that it could be, but certainly good enough, Avengers: The Initiative #26 is a worthy chapter of a series that keeps on moving forward at a nice pace.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Avengers: The Initiative #25 (Dark Reign) – Capsule Review

By Christos N. Gage (Writer), Humberto Ramos (Art), and Edgar Delgado (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’ve been enjoying the transition that’s taken place as Avengers: The Initiative heads full force into Dark Reign. That said, I’m pretty glad that the latest issue of the series finally marks the end of the transition…it’ll be interesting to see how the series fares with a new status quo.

The Story: The Initiative program is reborn under Norman Osborn. The new bosses? They aren’t the same as the old ones! Avengers: The Initiative #25 is all about establishing the future, if there is a future, for many of the regular Initiative cast members.

What’s Good And What’s Not So Good: The latest issue of The Initiative, while a bit slow and wordy, packs more of an emotional punch than I had expected. And that’s because of the tricky situations the Initiative members find themselves in. Thanks to the strong handle that Christos N. Gage has on the various personalities that make up his large cast though, Avengers: The Initiative #25 reads very well for a comic that’s so heavy on text. Norman Osborn’s scenes (one of which could be seen as very controversial) are a particular highlight as the character’s chilling dialogue is written in a way that feels just right.

As for the artwork, Edgar Delgado’s muted color choices go a long way towards helping Humberto Ramos’ lively, animated style fit the story being told. Considering the tone of most of Gage’s script, Ramos’ work could have easily come across as completely inappropriate. Instead, the visuals in Avengers: The Initiative #25, while not perfect, work far better than you might think.

Conclusion: The creative team behind The Initiative handles a necessary transition in a natural, entertaining, and surprisingly emotional manner.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

Punisher #5 (Dark Reign) – Review

by Rick Remender (writer), Jerome Opena (art), Dan Brown (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Frank lays siege to the Hood’s big base in New York City in the conclusion of Rick Remender’s first story arc.

The Good: With every issue, I love Jerome Opena’s art more. It’s incredibly unique and a perfect fit for Punisher. He is simply one of the best artists that the Punisher has ever had. His work is exceptional in this issue; gritty as all hell, yet never feeling messy. It’s hard to have heavy pencil shading and thin inks without looking rushed or a rough draft, but Opena falls into neither of these traps, maintaining a hard-boiled feel while keeping an impressive level of detail. As a side-note, Opena still draws a great Hood and also does a fantastic job of making ridiculous C/D-string villains look genuinely scary.  Also, I have issues with Dan Brown’s colours in the first three issues; I find that they are at points jarringly washed out and bright. However, in this issue his colors work as he darkens things up a bi.

In the end, this issue is another solid effort by Remender, who clearly has a good understanding of the Punisher’s voice. Remender has hit a nice stride with Frank’s dialogue. He doesn’t say a lot, but when he does speak, it’s hard-hitting or witty.  Just about every word the man speaks is absolutely badass, while humorously dry .

As for the writing, Remender pulled it off. Bringing Microchip back from the dead has really been the one thing grating on me thus far about this series.  The dialogue here ALMOST made me buy into it.  The bizarre situation of Microchip offering to resurrect Frank’s family was really a very clever situation and a great means of exploring Frank’s psychology.  I hope this “offer” is explored further in later issues.

Oh, and rock on to the 3 Inches of Blood reference!

The Not-So-Good: Not enough Hood! I said it in my last review, but Remender writes possibly the best Hood next to Vaughn’s original.  Mean, nasty, and psychotic, yet somehow, his presence is muted/minimalized here, and we don’t really get that vicious craziness, which is a damned shame.

What’s worse is I think everyone anticipated some sort of fight between the Hood and Frank here, but we never get it. In fact, we don’t even get a conversation between them, only a distanced staredown, which left me feeling a little tricked and underwhelmed. The action was all a bit underwhelming as it made this issue feel less important than it should have been.

Also, Microchip aside, I’m not comfortable with the Hood suddenly having the ability to bring back WHOEVER he wants from the dead.  It just stinks of being a convenient plot device that can be returned to repeatedly. I hope Remender doesn’t resort to this crutch, but the potential is dangerously there. The dead never staying dead has always been an unfortunate cliché of comics, but when one character’s powers lead to him resurrecting people by the horde.. It’s just too much.  If we brought back Microchip, why stop there?

Conclusion: A very solid Remender Punisher issue with lots of action, hard-biting Frank Castle one-liners, and awesome artwork. With that said, while the action is explosive, those expecting a “final showdown” will be disappointed, as this issue really doesn’t resolve a lot. Rather, it lays seeds for the future. Of course, while I am a little miffed, it’s clear that Remender is setting the Hood as Frank’s continued arch-nemesis, which I like.

Grade: B-

-Alex Evans

Dark Reign: The Cabal – Review

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Since Dark Reign: The Cabal is a collection of short stories, I’ll write a small review for each before basing my final grade on the overall quality of the $3.99 one-shot.

“Doctor Doom: …And I’ll Get The Land”

Jonathan Hickman (Script) and Adi Granov (Art)

More character study than anything else, “…And I’ll Get The Land” gives readers a glimpse into the mind of Dr. Doom as he thinks about what may come about as a result of the first meeting of The Cabal. The artwork from Adi Granov is definitely the highlight, though Jonathan Hickman’s script is an interesting, if fairly basic, read.

“Emma Frost: How I Survived The Apocalyptic Fire”

Matt Fraction (Script) and Daniel Acuna (Art)

“How I Survived…” is a story about Emma Frost coming to terms with her past that Matt Fraction uses to put more of a personal stamp on the character. A character study like the Dr. Doom story, it really doesn’t present anything new that would make it an essential read. As for the artwork…well I’m just not a fan of Daniel Acuna’s style. It was a fairly big negative for me.

“‘The Hood: Family Trust”

Rick Remender (Script), Max Fiumara (Art), and Nestor Pereyra (Colors)

Easily one of the strongest offerings in the one-shot, The Hood’s story (presumably) acts as a lead-in to his Dark Reign tie-in mini-series. In it, The Hood explores what it was like to be Parker Robbins and what it means to have family (of any sort). Part flash-back and part present day speech, Rick Remender’s script manages to tell a satisfyingly complete tale that is not quite as simple as it initially seems. The stylish, compelling visuals by Max Fiumara (of Four Eyes fame) are an excellent fit for the tone and mood Remender effortlessly captures.

“Namor, The Sub-Mariner: The Judgment of Namor”

Kieron Gillen (Script) and Carmine Di Giandomenico (Art)

In Namor’s story, he presides over a custody battle that involves an Atlantean child with special powers. Kieron Gillen’s script does a great job of walking the line between character study and truly relevant Dark Reign tie-in. It establishes the current status quo for Namor and how it relates to the Cabal situation in a way that’s full of engaging character moments. The artwork does a nice job of bringing the Atlantean court to life, though it does tend to look almost cluttered at times due to a color palette that occasionally makes things blend together.

“Loki: Dinner With Doom”

Peter Milligan (Script), Tonci Zonjic (Art), and Jose Villarubia (Colors)

“Dinner With Doom” is a story about just that, Loki’s dinner with Dr. Doom. As you probably guessed, it’s not exactly the most normal of dinners. Peter Milligan’s script is definitely the highlight thanks to his incredibly sharp character work for both Cabal members. If you are at all a fan of either Doom or Loki, consider it well worth reading. The artwork does a solid job of bringing the more…interesting…aspects of the dinner to life, though Tonci Zonjic’s characters seem a bit too simplistic at times (though they are quite expressive despite the simplicity). Jose Villarubia’s coloring almost makes up for the lack of detail, but not quite.

Conclusion: The good outweighs the bad, but nothing in the Cabal one-shot is all that essential. It’s worth reading for fun or if you just enjoy the characters, but you won’t miss anything if you choose to pass on it.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

New Avengers #52 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Billy Tan, Matt Banning, and Justin Ponsor & Chris Bachalo, Tim Townsend, and Antonio Fabela (Art Teams)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: New Avengers #51 actually managed to get me interested in the situation surrounding the title of Sorcerer Supreme. I never thought that to be possible. Now it’s time to find out whether Brian Michael Bendis and his art teams can manage to hold that interest.

The Story: Dr. Strange goes to the New Avengers team in order to find some relief following his face off with The Hood. The team offers to help Strange with his search for the Sorcerer Supreme and soon the group is off to New Orleans. Meanwhile, The Hood tries to maintain his grip on reality as he fights to keep control of his power…

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: The highlight of the latest issue of New Avengers is Chris Bachalo’s handling of the scenes featuring The Hood. Action-packed at the start and downright creepy later on, they are almost worth the cover price alone. In fact, I would go as far as to say that they end up carrying nearly all of the weight in an issue that turns out to be fairly lackluster half of the time.

While Brian Michael Bendis does a good job handling the witty, story-related dialogue and Billy Tan puts forth some decent visuals, everything feels rather dull when The Hood isn’t around. Superheroes sitting around exchanging banter and nailing out plot points just isn’t all that compelling when compared to the explosive opening scene or the disturbing breakdown that comes later in the issue. Things do pick up toward the end though, so consider me still hooked on the whole Sorcerer Supreme thing.

Conclusion: I wish I could say more, but not a whole lot really happens in New Avengers #52. It definitely has some great moments, but as a whole it feels like a series of starts and stops. As a result, it is frustratingly inconsistent.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

New Avengers #51 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Billy Tan, Matt Banning, Justin Ponsor, Chris Bachalo, Tim Townsend, and Antonio Fabela (Artists)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Under normal circumstances, I would use up this spot to give my thoughts on where my opinion stands regarding whatever series/work/event I am about to dive back into or, in some cases, dive into for the first time. However, these are not exactly normal circumstances considering that this is the first review I have posted since taking a break from the site in order to deal with a number of medial issues. As such, I feel that this space is best used to say that it feels great to be back and I look forward to picking up where I left off by informing, entertaining, and interacting with the great Weekly Comic Book Review community as much as I possibly can. So, with that said, it is now time to get down to business. And remember! Questions, comments, concerns, and debate topics are always welcome.

The Story: Since Dr. Strange is no longer the Sorcerer Supreme (after a spell dealing in the dark arts), that means someone else is. Or someone will be soon enough… Strange knows this, as does The Hood (among others). Who will find, or do what’s necessary to become the new Sorcerer Supreme? That is the question that dominates most of The New Avengers #51. As for the rest, since a new team means a new leader, the Avengers gather up for an old-fashioned meeting to try to straighten out the new hierarchy.

What’s Good: I’ve got to say that the latest New Avengers surprised the hell out of me. And it’s not because of some shocking twist, or an earth-shattering revelation, or a stunning image.  Nope. It’s simply because the creative team behind New Avengers #51 actually managed to make me give a damn about the situation surrounding the question of who is/ will be the new Sorcerer Supreme. Chris Bachalo’s stylish visuals coupled with Brian Michael Bendis’ compelling dialogue made me glad I picked up the first New Avengers I had considered skipping in quite some time.

As for the non-Sorcerer Supreme related stuff in the issue, your enjoyment will depend a lot on what you think of Bendis’ flair for team banter and Billy Tan’s handling of the more casual moments of superhero life. It worked well enough for me and did little to detract from my overall impression of the issue. In fact, I found the dialogue to be rather humorous and I wouldn’t be surprised if you did too.

What’s Not So Good: (Slight spoiler warning!) I wish I knew more about the Young Avengers prior to reading the issue because I had absolutely no idea who Dr. Strange was talking to until pausing to hit up the interweb to look for some answers. As it turns out, Billy is a Young Avenger named Wiccan (cue the “the more you know” jingle). Anyways, besides Bendis’ assumption that I would know the Young Avengers on a first name basis, my only complaint about the issue mostly has to do with my general distaste for comic books that feature more than one art team. While both teams did a nice job, the shift back and forth between visual styles was a bit jarring.

Conclusion: There is a lot I liked about the latest issue of The New Avengers. Chris Bachalo’s art was impressive, Billy Tan continued to show improvement, and Brian Michael Bendis made the beginning of the search for a new Sorcerer Supreme quite compelling. While I’m sure some will be a bit irked by the team meeting (or the art team changes), the good stuff ultimately outweighed the bad by a large margin.

Grade:  B

-Kyle Posluszny