Cover by Arthur Adams

Secret Avengers #25

By Rick Remender and Gabriel Hardman
Secret Avengers has been the on again/off again hit or miss series of the Avengers family. Shifting creative teams and a rotating roster of heroes has made the book difficult to identify with. Under Ed Brubaker and Mike Deodato, the series read like a love letter to the wild and explosive Roy Thomas/Neal Adams run. Ever since that period ended, the book has staggered to finds new footing. That's not to say I didn't enjoy Nick Spencer's brief stint, but the Warren Ellis issues tried far too hard to be cool and innovative in my opinion. There's still good stuff in there, but overall it fell flat for me.

Thankfully Rick Remender is on hand to snap the series into place with a solid roster, somewhat new direction and lots of action. Hawkeye has reluctantly taken the reigns from Captain America, with Beast, Valkyrie, Ant-Man and Black Widow remaining from the initial team. The unusual additions of Captain Britain and Agent Venom make the series unique (something that each Avengers book desperately needs). Along with the new team members and writer is the breathtaking artwork of Gabriel Hardman, the artist behind Agents of Atlas and the (Red) Hulk comic with Jeff Parker.

The latest story line involves a secret society of synthezoids called the Descendants living beneath the Earth's crust in a massive sprawling cityscape that wouldn't look out of place in Fritz Lang's Metropolis. The team has followed a band of Adaptoids (able to mimic the abilities of anyone they encounter) to retrieve a kidnapped child. Ant-Man smuggled himself along for the ride but appeared to be destroyed as soon as he arrived in their sanctum. Accompanying the team in a rescue mission is Jim Hammond, the original Human Torch (the first synthetic being and hero of the Marvel Universe).

The previous issue's action was a bloodbath with the Avengers taking the brunt of it. Facing robotic replicas of loved ones and comrades, the team was put off their game and beaten to a pulp. To add to the trouble, there is a barrier in the city that is interfering with communication and Captain Britain's magic-powered armored suit.

Hawkeye and the Beast are captured and find that the Descendants hold a special grudge against the Avengers, as if all of this violence is somehow justified. A motley assembly of robotic representatives convenes to discuss the future of their people, headed by a man known only as Father, the head of the Canadian Weapon Plus program.

While battling one of the Descendants built to resemble one of his WWII compatriots, the Human Torch discovers that he is regarded as 'Grandfather' and a savior to the entire robotic race. Created by Phineas Horton as a state of the art android, Hammond's life has been a disaster from the moment he burst into flames after being exposed to the air. He has no family, no connections in the world and struggles to retain his identity. To find that he not only has a place in this civilization but is heralded as their leader into a new age challenges his self understanding. It's a great moment.

This has been the most impressive Avengers series for the past few issues. Remender has taken a confused series and given it some texture by assembling one of the most random group of heroes in one team. They work together with clock-like precision, just as an Avengers team should. There's plenty of friction in the book without it dragging into the dead end of bickering which is nice. The dialog feels natural and the ideas are not only amazing but they are well used narratively.

When Master Mold rises from the cityscape just as Hawkeye and Beast come up to the surface, it's a big WOW moment, but it also folds into the story of Jim Hammond's place in the world and the tragedy of his life. Likewise when Agent Venom unexpectedly appears, it's a cool visual, but he also vindicates himself to Hawkeye who refused to have him on the team. And who cannot love it when Agent Venom holds multiple weapons at an enemy with his tentacles?

With all the Avengers hooplah this Summer, there are lots of books out there with the signature logo vying for attention. Unfortunately, most of them bring with them years of back story and are difficult to jump into. This is not the case with Secret Avengers, a rollicking adventure book with more bang for your buck than anywhere else.

Agent Venom arrives while the Black Widow stealthily leaps from rooftop to rooftop

Hawkeye realizes that things aren't just bad... they're really bad

Batman and Robin #8

By Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason
I have praised this series a few times, but the latest issue is especially worthy of attention.

As I had mentioned in my last summary, Batman has encountered an enemy from his past, the son of one of Bruce Wayne's first teachers Henri Ducard. Dubbed NoBofy, Ducard's son has a personal vendetta against Wayne and uses Bruce's son Damian to get at him, insisting that a line must be crossed in order to maintain justice. Raised by The League of Assassins, this is nothing new to Damian, but he had sworn to uphold the morals and traditions of his father in their fight against crime.

In the previous issues it appeared that Damian had succumbed to Ducard's point of view and was prepared to betray everything that his father stood for. Taking up NoBody's creed of street justice, Damian tore the Robin emblem from his tunic and began his tutelage in the dark arts... or so it seemed. NoBody uncovered Damian's ruse to bide time and lead his father to NoBody's lair and was full of rage. Batman arrived just in time to save his on and battle NoBody head-on, but the tide was turning against him.

When it seemed like NoBody was about to defeat his father, Damian struck a killing blow, a signature move that NoBody had taught him, and drilled his fingers into a soft spot in his foe's forehead. Having killed the villain, Damian froze, then collapsed in fatigue.

The latest issue is a (much needed) respite from the non-stop action) as father and son connect to to each other over their stubborn inability to communicate and finally connect. This issue should have been far too sappy and trite, but it was written with solid sincerity and a healthy dose of Wayne's practical stoicism. When Damian worries how he will get past his deed, Batman gravely assures him that he never will, Damian will live with it forever.

The bond between Batman and Robin is one of the most important cornerstones in the superhero mythos. As father and son, the two characters are even more closely tied together. Bruce and Damian Wayne are very similar in temperament which makes their friction that much stronger. When Bruce found that he had a son and that Damian had been raised as the successor to R'As al Ghul, he could have abandoned him to his fate as a super villain, but instead he took the boy in as his own and has dutifully attempted to raise him.

The issue features Bruce opening up a room in the Wayne Mansion that had been his father's office in order to fully play the role of father and it seems to help. This isn't one of those 'this is where everything changes' issues, more of a wonderfully crafted comic that hits all the right marks.

OMAC