Thursday, September 24, 2009

The New Avengers #57

As a writer, it's always fun to put your characters in a trap and then let them figure a way out.

In the latest issue of the New Avengers, the team is in a very bad spot. Some villains have developed a power inhibitor and have used it to shut down both the New and the Dark Avengers.

Of course, you can't help but feel that Brian Bendis is playing fast and loose with his concept here. Why does the inhibitor cause all the New Avengers (except Mockingbird) to collapse?

Sure, it's understandable for those with actual superpowers - Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Ms. Marvel and Luke Cage - but why do Captain America and Ronin collapse?

Aside from that (and I'll grant that I'm being picky and the reasons may be explained down the road), it's a heckuva good issue, with loads of action and a solid cliffhanger.

Stuart Immonen's art is terrific (with Wade von Grawbadger's inks), as he depicts numerous fights, intense confrontations, sexy nurses and cityscapes with equal ease.

I enjoyed this one so much that I'll dispense with my usual "enough of the Dark Reign already" gripes. Bendis continues to do great work on this title - just when you think he's painted himself into a corner, darned if he doesn't figure a way out.

He did it with this comic, and we'll see if he can manage it again next issue.

Grade: A-

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