Avengers 12.1 (a quick read)

oy! when did Hawkman join the Avengers???

a bookend to Brian Michael Bendis' relaunched Avengers run (because really, Twittergate notwithstanding, who knows what the man wants to do next? he's becoming a multimedia giant now), the Avengers find themselves cleaning up after old enemies, and running into an even older one that doesn't seem to know when its time is up.

is that War Machine or his cardboard cutout or Iron Man's hologram reflection?

the ballbuster pays a visit to our assembled heroes (i swear to God, this is the one thing they should have done a long time ago before Bendis, but it took them several long years to setup, what with the crossover stories they concocted up along the way - and it was all worth it, seeing everyone under the Avengers banner, even Banner). Jessica Drew, Agent of S.W.O.R.D., disappears during one of her alien-hunting jobs and now Agent Brand has to involve the whole team (just like she did with X-Men with Breakworld - twice). wah-wah-wah. and nobody informed Steve Rogers of her agency?? yeah, they were all busy. i'd be pissed too.

"and i am boinking her. also."

long story short, Jessica runs into an alien armor (it gave me hope that it would be a three-letter word - but it turned out to be six); however, the location is also where the sad-sack bunch of super-nerds, the Intelligencia (last seen being mopped on the floor in the pages of Hulk) are hiding. so what do a bunch of super-nerds do when they see a woman? why, undress her of course!!

i believe she did shave prior to going out on a mission.

Steve sends out selected personnel to find the missing Jessica. Iron Man would be there of course. and Thor. Beast. Wolverine (for tracking). and Space Ghost Penis, the Great Protector. Iron Man, in particular, trying his rein in his smugness after doing the noble thing of "wishing the Infinity Gems out of existence" (hah! tell that to Steve - oh, you did??), still fails miserably.

yes, Tony ... you are.

the Intelligencia tries to get info out of their naked lady prisoner, at the same time trying to figure out what that alien armor is all about. but before they can even reveal their plans to Jessica (yeah, Bendis - that was heeee-la-rious) ...

... our heroes burst in and save the day. Wolverine though, for all his posturing, doesn't even get to lay a claw on anyone. Best There Is, my ass.

can someone tell me where Thor put his cape?

so, all's well that ends well, right? no, not really, because all the poking around by D-list Iron Man villain Red Ghost results in the armor gaining sentience, and revealing itself to be ... Henry Pym's SON! (yeah, again.)

of course, that's a battle for the future. Iron Man himself said so. he knows! he's seen the future! (except Planet Hulk, Secret Invasion, Dark Reign, Siege ...)

what the hell happened to Hank's head? headshrinker!!

the Point One issues were aimed to be a nice jumping point for new readers, and they've succeeded largely to a degree. they even provide entertainment for us older fans, hence blog posts like these. if i have a complaint, its the frightening devolution of Bryan Hitch's art. he's known for ultra-detailed widescreen action splash pages, but in recent years, that's been a painful thing to see. to get his best work, it should not be under a tight deadline. oh dear.

let the light shine in

drive-by readings

New Avengers #4 (Marvel) Brian Michael Bendis Stuart Immonen Wade Von Grawbadger Laura Martin Chris Eliopoulos

what we learned: the magic men can't hazard a guess as to who's been trying to stage another Inferno show in New York, where our other Avengers (oh, hi there, Jewel!) have their hands full swatting demons left and right. until the sky spits out Danny, and the first thing he does is ...
oh shit moment: ... give Dr. Strange an iron fist, minus the iron. hey, nice duds, Danny?
what's next: we've known of that thing for years, but who really owns the Eye of Agamotto? Agamotto, of course. duh.


i bet Strange never got sucker punched by Clea or the Night Nurse like that.

and justice for one

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Scarlet #2 (Marvel/Icon) Brian Michael Bendis Alex Maleev Chris Eliopoulos Michael Oeming/David Mack (variant covers)

what we learned: now we get into the nitty-gritty. we're a fourth wall witness to how slowly Scarlet goes from victim to justice seeker (nice montage with the hair by Maleev there). Officer, now Detective Gary Dunes, has no idea what's coming. us readers do, but we're still blown away. weren't you?
oh shit moment: the run-up to Scarlet entrapping Det. Dunes and her subsequent choices, is some of the best crime noir sequences i've seen.
what's next: by the second issue, we are reminded of how good Bendis/Maleev were on their stellar Daredevil run. i just wish this thing didn't come out bi-monthly. fuck.


can you turn away? can you?

time must be crazy

drive-by readings

Avengers #4 (Marvel) Brian Michael Bendis John Romita Jr Klaus Janson Dean White Cory Petit

what we learned: time is breaking down everywhere in the present (hello, Killraven. what, you don't remember me? am your dealer!) that even Thor is speechless, while in the future, the talky Tony Stark gets into philosophical debates with his team, leading to them all getting pwned by their kids. talk about payback. then we meet the organizers of this charade ... and no, its not just the Maestro-looking Hulk.
oh shit moment: Tony should probably change his last name to Montana, on the account of being "Scarfaced".
what's next: am confused now. can we have some payoff around here??


hey, at least its not Teen Tony, right? riiight??

mystic pizzazz

drive-by readings

New Avengers #3 (Marvel) Brian Michael Bendis Stuart Immonen Wade Von Grawbadger Laura Martin Chris Eliopoulos

what we learned: this is actually a fun book even if its just for Stuart Immonen's tight cartoony style. Iron Fist is transported by the possessing demon somewhere else, while his teammates deal with the sky breaking open with more demons pouring out. the magic boys retreat to figure who's big enough to take them all on. Victoria, meanwhile, decides to lend a Hand.
oh shit moment: eh? is that the Ancient One?
what's next: do we need to call in Zatanna or something?


ummm, not this one.

separate lives

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Avengers Prime #2 (Marvel) Brian Michael Bendis Alan Davis Mark Farmer Javier Rodriguez Chris Eliopoulos

what we learned: the Avengers Big Three are separated - Thor encounters the Enchantress, who believes its his fault that the other realms are in disarray, Tony gets abducted by Fafnir's goons, and Steve, starving for love since being trapped in time, gets seduced by a sexy emphatic elf.
oh shit moment: that's me wondering how this thing fits into the current Thor story arcs where Loki (at the close of Siege) already made a deal with Hela to rent her a piece of Mephisto's land and rechristen it as Hel, which is now i suppose all of these is happening.
what's next: oh, you better run.


what, you forgot this already? Skrull!!!

time out

drive-by readings

Avengers #2 (Marvel) Brian Michael Bendis John Romita Jr. Klaus Janson Dean White Cory Petit

when we last left the new, improved Avengers, they've been visited by Kang and told that their offspring are messing up the future, and they need to whup those whippersnappers in line. Tony Stark apparently has a lot of shiny things (especially those that are used to wipe out life) except the one gadget to get them into the particular timeline. so they go recruit Space Ghost Penis ... sorry, Marvel Boy a.k.a. Noh-Varr (who's conveniently beating up the Titanium Man), and ask him to build them a thingamadoo.


but oh, he needs a lot of things to build that thing, so like i said earlier:

... including a lot of douchebaggery to spare, apparently.

i mean, seriously, he's been rebooted but he read the files on what he did, and now he's like a reborn chatterbox, cheerful and spry. i mean in his own book, he's mostly subdued but with bits and pieces of his bravado and arrogance still shining through. here in the Avengers, its like he has the insatiable need to impress everyone, be it that he has stuff, or that he's thoroughly capable of building anything.

maybe he should loan some of that confidence to this guy, his one-time pupil (nobody remembers that Iron Spider suit anymore huh?)


seriously. its only in this book that he's not a lovable loser. lovable, but never a loser. once he's on his own, he's like the unluckiest dude in New York City.

question: do they really have to make Thor lift a huge piece of machinery (that apparently has a computer terminal where Spidey's doing some web surfing - hah!) just to show that he can lift tons? apparently, they bribed him with some pizza.


and take note: when Noh-Varr completes his thingamadoo (mere minutes after above panel), it works on its own without that thing that Thor is lifting, or whatever Tony was building. in just six panels. so basically what we're seeing here is Tony is doing something completely unrelated to their magic timeline viewer, and Thor is just lifting stuff to impress someone.

you mean this pony? no, thanks.

ok, so they find their kids timeline, and now they need a way to get to them. but they're interrupted twice. first by an old friend, who somehow lost his mullet, when he smashed into the Tower (any Avengers abode is liable to be damaged or destroyed every 17 minutes - so that one dollar Avengers mansion? Tony's laughing the last at the potential cost of periodic repairs once their rogues gallery start targeting Luke and company).


why is Simon talking like he's never been friends with any of them? is this another characterization assassination, much like when everyone turned into blood-hungry turds during Civil War?

oh, and the second interruption's looking like an Apocalypse with his Horsemen from some alternate future. they keep theorizing Kang may have broken time, and it will be broken everywhere, and this event certainly is some kind of evidence of that. but shouldn't things just disintegrate into chaos rapidly if this were so?

apparently, there's a side mission first before they even get to the future to confront their kids (think of all the Bendisian dialogue that's gonna happen with the adult Avengers talking down to their young 'uns), and i'll bet that before all else is said and done they'll be teaming up against Kang and the Maestro Hulk (of course its always a Hulk). but i really wanna know what's up with Simon (Wanda? Wanda, is that you?).

tweets after the fact

will be hitting Midtown Comics later for @brianmbendis, @mattfraction, @edbrubaker & @christosgage signing. #heavybackpack

OH SHIT!! @Agent_M Photo: Tonight’s event at @MidtownComics. I hear tell that lines are already forming.

thanks to @edbrubaker @brianmbendis and @mattfraction for the signings. props to @midtowncomics but book limit sucks.

i brought a lot of Bru books but only managed to get my Death of Capt America trade signed (special bec it already had Epting's & Perkin's).

i should've wangled Incognito as an additional book to be signed. didn't even get to joke about @edbrubaker's hat and Eisners. #grumpy

i should've wangled UXM Sisterhood trade as an additional book 2 be signed for @mattfraction. didn't even get 2 say congrats 4 his new baby.

but i got all my @brianmbendis books signed, God bless the man. but didn't even get to ask about the Marvel Avengers retreat.

come to think of it, i didn't get to yell "don't kill Bucky!!!" at @edbrubaker.

snaps: New Avengers #1

... where we see the formerly on-the-run-from-the-law new Avengers finally become official Avengers again, but that even includes Hawkeye, Wolverine and Spidey, who's in the main Avengers book. this is headlined by Luke Cage, but he's supposed to be Thunderbolting. and Ben Grimm gets to freelance. oh drat. who else is NOT an Avenger?? (hint: me)

NOW LOOK WHO'S BROKE.


Danny Rand keeps money in his belt. take note of that, muggers!!!


Strange: "why do you have America's Best Comics logo on your chest, Hellstrom?"


the off switch is found in the Arid Badlands inside Sledge's lair.


yeah, screw you! Norman Osborn partied EVERY. DAY. she was not just Saturday night's!!


and who is paying for (and preparing) this spread??

prime cut

drive-by readings

Avengers Prime #1 (Marvel) Brian Michael Bendis Alan Davis Mark Farmer Javier Rodriguez Chris Eliopoulos

they sure are wringing every dollar they can squeeze out of the Avengers relaunch, aren't they? and from a business point of view, Marvel can't avoid not to. and from the fans' perspective, big name creators + intriguing stories and angles = we will come.

set right in between Siege and the actual relaunch of Steve Rogers' private armies, Avengers Prime tackles the long-awaited question of how to repair the Avengers Big Three's fractured relationships, after multiple storylines since Ragnarok (not Clor) and Avengers Disassembled. though i don't think it can be done within one adventure, this is a good start. wait, i assume this happens even before Tony and Thor talk about bridging that country mile between them. in that sequence, they talk as if Avengers Prime hasn't happened yet (which gets confusing because of scheduling and deadlines). comments, fandom?

of course, thanks to Mark Millar, we will have this inevitable scene:


Tony and Steve's relationship (in the modern era, or the last 20 years) was anything except being buddy-buddy. although from my childhood, i do remember them being very best buds at least when they're having their Avengers adventures. we all grow up and their characterizations grew up as well, putting in conflict and disagreements and all those things that feed and make a friendship mature. now a sizable decade or so since Operation: Galactic Storm, Tony and Steve are once again at odds, considering things went into the toilet after Steve's death (in which Tony mourned him and said the whole thing wasn't worth it - but now, that memory's lost in history's dustbins, eh, Matt Fraction?). but then again, its always a rite of renewal - they're still going to work it out like true friends always do.

i don't know if anyone noticed but from the opening scene, Tony acts like a little boy (again) who wants to show off his toys and his smarts, trying to impress Thor that they can rebuild anything. sounds a little immature, don't you think, in the light of the destruction of Asgard around them? is this the same guy who rebooted himself at Extremis 1.0 then was shocked by his douchebaggery during the events that led to Civil War and later?

of course, the next cool scene - and this one is vintage Alan Davis - is Captain Rogers clearing out a roomful of elves.


not seeing one trademark splash page save the opener and closer, it was a pleasant visit nonetheless from old friends Davis and usual collaborator Farmer. although it seems weird that Cap takes a bunch of arrows from the scene, but not a bow? unless he turned into Bullseye all of a sudden?

with the reveal of a surprise villain in the end, keeping up with the theme in the recent Avengers-related titles, fans like me should be in for a treat.

brand new age

drive-by readings

Avengers #1 (Marvel) Brian Michael Bendis John Romita Jr. Klaus Janson Dean White Cory Petit

and they're off! a reconstituted and reconfigured Avengers team debuts in the 616 Universe, kicking off the Heroic Age and all the great things it connotes. do i hear grumbles from the corners of the Internet? ah sure. but this is the status quo now. deal with it.

Captain America ... sorry, Steve Rogers, formally creates the new Avengers team, with Maria Hill running things (i assume Victoria Hand will be his second-in-command for the his Secret Avengers, creating some tension with Sharon Carter despite Hand playing for the other team. hey who knows?). i am insanely curious to know what he actually told each of the heroes he approached in that montage - obviously, Luke is pissed he's not on the main team, because he's been asked to run the T-Bolts. looks like Jess won't be bringing baby Danielle to Daddy's workplace frequently, and not just because Mommy's gonna be busy doing superheroics as well as part of the new "New Avengers".

why does he look like Quasar?

i'm most curious about the following: Tigra (because she just smiles), Bobbi (she disowns her former affiliation in a heartbeat, but i thought she was going to S.H.I.E.L.D. anyway), Doc Strange (ummm, where's Brother Voodoo? don't they need magic?), and the-Scientist-Supreme-Formerly-Known-As-Ant-Man (i'm not sure whether he's coming or going). also, is that Firestar on the second panel, or is that Natasha?

Bendis finds new ways to give a nod to the past, and three of them stand out immediately because its highlights villains or potential villains. Kang, obviously. Wonder Man, surprisingly, despite his past. and the first opponent ever that the Avengers were formed to deal with, although its not exactly who you think. maybe think along the lines of "Maestro".

personally, i am more intrigued and bothered by the Simon Williams revelation. has he gone over the edge again? is the Scarlet Witch somewhere in there manipulating him? he seems so angry (someone took his safari jacket? or his movie career is dead?) and he's back to rocking his late '80s mullet/long hair. viva West Coast Avengers!!!


as for team boss duties, it'll be interesting to see how Tony handles being a team player once again, considering he's been recruited (again) by his best friend, and will be working under the auspices of a strong-willed woman he had a brief affair with, and now conveniently forgot about.


right in the beginning, Tony's already being second-guessed by his teammates on his wisdom with building things. i mean, Bruce Wayne got de-pantsed only when his secret files got stolen by Ra's Al Ghul, but Tony's like always under the microscope. moments like these are gonna be hilarious.


but then if he says he can't do it or doesn't have it, it kind of slides down his manliness quotient a lot. weren't he and Reed Richards bragging about being futurists, prior to Civil War, and pushed the SHRA because they knew what was going to happen if they operated as is? this looks like a repudiation of what you wrote, Mark Millar. (ok, fine, fine, blame Fraction's reboot)


also look out for JRJr goodness! reminds me of their Thor run circa 1998/99 with Dan Jurgens.


whenever the Avengers are brought together, something big is about to happen that merits their attention. in this case, ironically, its longtime nemesis Kang who brings it to their attention, and the problem isn't him, but apparently, their future kids gone wild. ah, youth. he also promised that if they solve this thing, he won't be bothering them again. promises, promises.

question: since when did Maria Hill go up against Kang in one form or another, that makes her claim she "hates him"?


looks like a great start, and as long as they keep the art team consistent, this should be another (hopefully long) great ride.


what's the one thing i regret about Avengers #1? well, there's the matter of not being selected as part of the faces that appear in the end. bah!

on the other hand, i won't need to endure this, just in case.


(hey, wait, there's still three books to watch out for! hooray!!)

tying the loose ends

drive-by readings

The New Avengers: Finale (Marvel) Brian Michael Bendis Bryan Hitch/Stuart Immonen Butch Guice/Andrew Currie/Karl Story Paul Mounts/Justin Ponsor/Rain Beredo Chris Eliopoulos

first up, let's see what Avengers maestro Brian Michael Bendis let us know about New Avengers: Finale:


i've been increasingly critical about Bryan Hitch's artwork, which was becoming 'dirtier' (maybe its the bunch of inkers he has to work with?) and due to either deadline concerns (sometimes i don't mind lateness if the artwork is blow-my-mind stellar) or the bulk of work to be drawn, he ends up drawing with painful postures and sometimes disproportionate limbs. i mean, study this scene below, and draw your own conclusions.


i love Hitch circa The Authority and The Ultimates. i believe he does his best work with Paul Neary or Andrew Currie, and will be best served with limited series work that has some leeway on its shipping schedule.

so what about the rest of the story? this is intended to tie the loose ends of Siege, because they decided that it was going to be a 4-issue series, and obviously that won't be enough to tell the whole kaboodle. last time we saw Madame Masque, she was hightailing it with her balls-less boyfriend, Parker the Robbin' Hood out of Oklahoma. turns out she went to run to her dad, Ra's Al Ghul. oh wait - that's Count Nefaria.


really, its hilarious that supervillains are named literally, to ensure that you know they're BAD: Erik Killmonger, Doctor Faustus, Eric The Red, Spymaster, Doctor Doom, Mister Fear. although Mister Fear and Dr. Doom sound really cool.

the guys need to capture them unless they want to hand the bad guys another opportunity to put them through this kind of wringer again. also, its way past time this Brian K. Vaughan creation be put to pasture, as we can agree with Count Nefaria, his 15 minutes are up. luckily, every other bad guy is more than happy to give him up. its refreshing to find the Avengers, and this time not just the regular Avengers we used to know, but every major and promoted-to-major character that Bendis incorporated into the fold during this decade, to be actually working together. Spider-Man shouldn't have to endure any JJJ tirades any longer from hereon - one word from Cap and Jameson should shut up. but then again, would that be consistent with the Spidey creative team's direction to keep him a lovable loser?


hey, hey, hey, don't call Nicky Boy a terrorist!

speaking of Spidey, i want him to be contributing some more brains to the operation. i know he's the joker of the group ("booties!"), and they need comic relief in the heat of battle, but he's smart and it was past time he got Stark sponsorship (don't mention that Spider Armor - or was that all forgotten after Brand New Day?).

Disney execs are ROTFL

the Avengers acquit themselves further by bagging the Hood, Masque, Hood's pal John King, and Nefaria, with the help of Wolverine ("anything to get away from Cyclops - guy was driving me nuts." - what, because he's under pressure to keep the mutant race alive, fend off Bastion with his leadership skills and tactics while keeping the body count to a minimum, keep his faith in Hope with Kurt in mind, AND keep his sanity knowing he's sleeping with Emma Frost every damn night? you don't say.), and the forgotten fact that Ms. Marvel can absorb energy and redirect it at you. hear that, Marvel supervillains? keep that in mind next time you meet Ms. Marvel!

its fun to see Maria Hill leading the cheers for the good guys to take over again. wasn't it so long ago she was staring down Captain America, and sought to take him down? i guess working with Tony Stark, and working Tony Stark, if you know what i mean, works wonders. holy crap - too bad Tony doesn't remember any of that! would she file a paternity suit against him if she got preggers and he denies it, because that's the truth - he really doesn't remember?

and what of Steve Rogers? 2007 was so long ago. to tell the truth, i'm not bitter that he was brought back, y'know? sure, his death, with all the hype and related comic work that earned Marvel a gazillion more dollars (catching the eye of Disney), has been taken down notches, but didn't we expect this (coming back) to happen? this was part of Marvel's plan all along - not like the death of Jean Grey on the moon, and the haphazard resurrection just to launch X-Factor. at least he's not coming back to reclaim the mantle, and they just issued a one-shot (hint: its not Who Won't Wield the Shield!) to sort that out (i'm kinda looking at you, Battle for the Cowl)

really? don't you remember you used a joy buzzer on Tony when he shook your hand in Civil War?

final scene: what, no Steve Rogers, Sharon Carter, Logan, or Natasha?

well, all's well that ends well, i guess. though i have a couple of questions: i wonder how Jessica Jones got herself an AT&T contract without being traced by Osborn/H.A.M.M.E.R.?

oh well, maybe Pete jailbroke it and added a variable cellsite piggybacker (really talking out of my ass now)

what i really wanna know is, Bryan Hitch, what's up with Luke's now-you-see-it-now-you-don't earring?



oh hey, anybody know where Daken is?

/the quick answer is: he's going to replace Wolverine, so he gets a free not-going-to-jail card.