(issues 7-13)
By Brian Michael Bendis, Mike Deodato and Howard Chaykin
The New Avengers series has had its ups and downs since it came back in 2005. Brian Michael Bendis had already made a name for himself with his work on Daredevil and Ultimate Spider-Man, but writing straight-out superhero books seemed something entirely alien to him. A former comic book fan and comic shop employee, he took what he wanted from a superhero team book and felt that readers needed to create what became a runaway hit for Marvel Comics. Stylish, slick, explosive and full of cover-to-cover action, the book also comprised the most unusual of rosters, including Luke Cage, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman and Wolverine into their ranks.
After the series spawned two spin-offs and led the way through several crossovers, the franchise rebooted into two books, Avengers and New Avengers (they really need better titles). They are very similar in many ways, while Avengers maintains a more traditional roster and tone the New Avengers book keeps that unique style of action and humor that made the book a hit. Even so, it has been hit and miss. Series artist Mike Deodato shines as the regular artist, despite the fact that Stuart Immonen had such a strong opening arc with the Eye of Agamatto story line. While Immonen is a super artist who fills the page with expressive yet restrained characters, Deodato has a certain mercurial sexiness to his linework that lends itself to the dark humor/over the top action vibe that Bendis prefers.
The second arc of the New Avengers was split into two plots that eventually intertwined. Reading it on a monthly basis was frustrating, I must admit, but in one sitting it works so well. The first part of the story involves a heretofore never spoken of group of Avengers formed by order of the US President in 1959. Led by Nick Fury who had been happily hunting down rogue Nazis, the team is an oddball grouping of Kraven the Hunter, Silver Sable (the original), Namora, Sabretooth, Dominic Fortune and Dum Dum Dugan. Much of their sequences are simply depictions of getting the gang together while the other half of the story concerns a sting operation by the modern day Avengers.
The 1959 Avengers
In the present day, the Avengers have been staking out an installation in Rhode Island that is suspected to be the start of a new HAMMER cell. It could be the beginning of a new terrorist operation on the level of Hydra and all of the evidence points to it being bad news for the good guys. The information came via Victoria Hand, the new liaison between Cage's Avengers and Steve Rogers. As it happens, Hand is also a former close associate of Norman Osborn (alias the Green Goblin). As much as the Avengers want to give her a clean slate, tension is high on trusting someone who had not long ago sided with a megalomaniac. Even so, it seems that only Spider-Man openly suspects her of double dealing and is greatly suspicious that all the team has to go on in this operation is Hand's word.
The new HAMMER base is headed by a hot number in high heels and a mini skirt named Superia. Cage wastes no time in goggling over her (in front of his wife) and it is clear even from a distance that the woman means business. Refusing to wait for the suspected terrorists to play their hand, the Thing leaps into battle and the rest of the team follow suit. When Ms. Marvel fails to make a dent in her jaw, things start to look bad. When team member Mockingbird gets shot in the stomach, it goes from bad to worse.
Back at Avengers HQ, Hand pleads with Steve Rogers to help her escape the inevitable backlash from her teammates who must suspect that she set them up. Rogers seems to mull this over and, being the man that he is, desperately wants to give her a second chance. Unfortunately, when Hand is alone in the Tower she contacts Superia and reveals that the pair do have an understanding and a mission to return Osborn's regime to its former glory. It's a chilling turn of events.
Ms. Marvel vs. Superia
Destroying the HAMMER facility before it was even off and running, the modern day Avengers are nevertheless up against a wall as they have suppressed an enemy, but have little to no knowledge about who the enemy really is. With Mockingbird in critical condition, they make a desperate play against Superia as she attempts to leave the country. Again operating on intel obtained by Victoria Hand, the team strikes back and causes lots of damage. It's a spectacular fight with plenty of action from Mr. Deodato. Honestly, you wonder why no one had thought of an Avengers team led by Luke Cage featuring Spider-Man and Iron Fist before.
Iron Fist smash!
The 1959 story develops along with the modern day tale as Fury's team follows leads to the location of the Red Skull. Inexplicably, this brings them face to face with a Nazi Captain America. Bullet-proof and insanely violent, the clone Nazi Cap attacks one half of the team with full force while Sabretooth directly assaults the Red Skull with Kraven on sniper duty.
The humor of the situation is top notch as Kraven, a hunter who had been hunting Sabretooth in the wild before the pair agreed to work together misses the Red Skull... twice. Once he misses and strikes an unnamed
Nazi just beside the Skull. The second time he fires, he hits Sabretooth directly in the gut. It's absolutely hilarious. Bendis has never shied away from his love of slapstick in his Avengers work or in any other piece but to be honest it has always been hit and miss. Here it works perfectly. The 1959 Avengers are just a shambles. Despite their impressive skill set, they barely get the job done and in the end Sabretooth decapitates the Red Skull anyway (after Fury establishes that this is in no way the real Skull).
Red Skull needs a new towel guy
The conclusion ties the two tales together as Mockingbird hovers at death's door and Fury arrives with the secret package that he had obtained during the raid of the Red Skull's lair back in '59. A cocktail of the super soldier serum that granted Captain America his enhanced abilities and the Infinity Formula that prolongs Fury's life. After much deliberation it is agreed to inject Mockingbird with the mixture and just hope for the best. The future is of course unclear on what the effects will be.
I have had an off again/on again affair with the Avengers comics and only dipped back in after finding this set of issues cheaply online. But I am so glad that I did. It's a fun and exciting series that is not always perfect but definitely full of energy.
Recommended:
New Avengers, Vol. 1
New Avengers, Vol. 2
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