Post by goldenfist on Dec 5, 2008 8:57:51 GMT -5
Here's Ign.com review of New Avengers #47.
In many ways, New Avengers and Mighty Avengers have been the highlight of Secret Invasion for me. It's been said many times, but the vast majority of the storytelling depth and character development that should be in the main series has been found in these two books. However, as Invasion has progressively faltered each month, so too have New and Mighty worn out their welcome. There comes a point where I just can't read the word "Skrull" without glazing over. That's why this issue of New Avengers is such a welcome relief. It's technically the final Invasion tie-in of the series, yet it's only lightly connected to the events of recent months. In truth, this issue hearkens back to those earlier years when it seemed like Brian Michael Bendis could do no wrong.
It's interesting to see how Luke Cage and Jessica Jones both welcomed and ended the presence of Secret Invasion in this series. In one of Bendis' first tie-ins, the two broke up amidst Luke's paranoia and Jessica's fear for baby Danielle's life. If you've read the last couple issues of Secret Invasion - and I'd recommend reading issue #8 before this - you know that Danielle is in a bad way at the moment. Rather than jump into that quagmire, Bendis offers a look back at the Cage/Jones marriage before everything turned sour.
What follows is a two-fold flashback. One half is a charming little look at the domestic family as Luke struggles with his greatest nemesis yet - poopy baby diapers. It's amusing, to say the least. The scene reminds me a great deal of those more talky issues of Ultimate Spider-Man. You know, the ones that almost invariably wind up being high points in the series? I will say, though, that Billy Tan seems somewhat less than at home in this scene. His Jessica Jones is a bit too young and sexy-looking, for one thing. Later in the issue there's a panel where Luke takes on almost Liefeldian proportions. More problematic is Matt Banning's inking. It's very haphazard and gives the characters a harsh, jagged quality that doesn't suit the tone of the issue at all. I'm hoping this is just a sign that the new art team needs time to gel.
But you can ignore all of that in the end, because the true highlight of this issue is the second flashback to an early partnership between Luke and Jessica. This sequence is illustrated by - who else? - Michael Gaydos, and it feels like coming home to this Alias fan. This section of the story is more melancholy, but still charming in its own way. Even after several years, I find that Bendis still does his best work with characters like Luke and with artists like Gaydos.
The issue isn't perfect, as I do have some worries about the art team, but for me it's probably the highlight of the entire series since Luke and Jessica were married in the first annual. When he finally does loop around to connect back to Secret Invasion, Bendis offers a dangling plot thread that I can't wait to see explored as the series moves on. If you've grown tired of everything Skrully, New Avengers is waiting to welcome you back with open arms.
Review Score: 8.6 Great
In many ways, New Avengers and Mighty Avengers have been the highlight of Secret Invasion for me. It's been said many times, but the vast majority of the storytelling depth and character development that should be in the main series has been found in these two books. However, as Invasion has progressively faltered each month, so too have New and Mighty worn out their welcome. There comes a point where I just can't read the word "Skrull" without glazing over. That's why this issue of New Avengers is such a welcome relief. It's technically the final Invasion tie-in of the series, yet it's only lightly connected to the events of recent months. In truth, this issue hearkens back to those earlier years when it seemed like Brian Michael Bendis could do no wrong.
It's interesting to see how Luke Cage and Jessica Jones both welcomed and ended the presence of Secret Invasion in this series. In one of Bendis' first tie-ins, the two broke up amidst Luke's paranoia and Jessica's fear for baby Danielle's life. If you've read the last couple issues of Secret Invasion - and I'd recommend reading issue #8 before this - you know that Danielle is in a bad way at the moment. Rather than jump into that quagmire, Bendis offers a look back at the Cage/Jones marriage before everything turned sour.
What follows is a two-fold flashback. One half is a charming little look at the domestic family as Luke struggles with his greatest nemesis yet - poopy baby diapers. It's amusing, to say the least. The scene reminds me a great deal of those more talky issues of Ultimate Spider-Man. You know, the ones that almost invariably wind up being high points in the series? I will say, though, that Billy Tan seems somewhat less than at home in this scene. His Jessica Jones is a bit too young and sexy-looking, for one thing. Later in the issue there's a panel where Luke takes on almost Liefeldian proportions. More problematic is Matt Banning's inking. It's very haphazard and gives the characters a harsh, jagged quality that doesn't suit the tone of the issue at all. I'm hoping this is just a sign that the new art team needs time to gel.
But you can ignore all of that in the end, because the true highlight of this issue is the second flashback to an early partnership between Luke and Jessica. This sequence is illustrated by - who else? - Michael Gaydos, and it feels like coming home to this Alias fan. This section of the story is more melancholy, but still charming in its own way. Even after several years, I find that Bendis still does his best work with characters like Luke and with artists like Gaydos.
The issue isn't perfect, as I do have some worries about the art team, but for me it's probably the highlight of the entire series since Luke and Jessica were married in the first annual. When he finally does loop around to connect back to Secret Invasion, Bendis offers a dangling plot thread that I can't wait to see explored as the series moves on. If you've grown tired of everything Skrully, New Avengers is waiting to welcome you back with open arms.
Review Score: 8.6 Great
