Written by Brian Michael Bendis.
Art by Stuart Immonen; Wade Von Grawbadger; Laura Martin; Matt Milla; Rain Beredo; & Chris Elipoulos.
Collection Cover Art by Stuart Immonen.
SUMMARY:
Released by Marvel Comics in 2011, this 160-page hardcover compiles The New Avengers (Heroic Age) # 1-6 from 2010-2011. At Commander Steve Rogers and Tony Stark’s behest, Marvel’s ex-Hero for Hire, Luke Cage, takes custodianship of a rebuilt Avengers Mansion and recruits his own team.
With Cage as their leader, signing up are his wife, Jessica Jones; his best friend, Daniel “Iron Fist” Rand; Mockingbird; Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers); the Fantastic Four’s Thing; and, though already committed to other Avengers rosters, both Wolverine and Spider-Man. Their new liaison is Norman Osborn’s ex-associate, Victoria Hand, now in search of professional redemption. Briefly seen is Hawkeye, along with various other Avengers in cameo appearances.
Meanwhile, a malevolent supernatural entity has corrupted Daimon Hellstorm, Doctor Strange, and even the current Sorcerer Supreme, Jericho Drumm – Doctor Voodoo. Trying to defend Jericho, Voodoo’s ghostly brother, Daniel, is ominously abducted. In a subsequent clash with the New Avengers, Iron Fist is also briefly taken captive. As the team slowly deciphers who their adversary really is, the ultimate prize become clear: the all-powerful Eye of Agamotto.
On Earth and in another dimension, the New Avengers, Strange, Hellstrom, and Doctor Voodoo desperately make a stand against dark magical forces to save humanity. It may necessitate a heroic sacrifice leaving the Marvel Universe’s magical world vulnerable. Plot threads are also set in place for a sequel storyline here the New Avengers are targeted for vengeance by a ghostly nemesis.
Notes: This volume is available in both paperback and digital formats. As to this short-lived incarnation of New Avengers, it lasted 2½ years before burning out in 2012. Coincidentally, Bendis had shifted to X-Men, so writer Jonathan Hickman took over to begin a third incarnation of New Avengers in 2013.
REVIEW:
Beginning with its best asset, this book’s art squad devises appealing visuals making this volume almost a sufficient read. Insurmountably, though, the detriment is writer Brian Michael Bendis overextending himself. At the time, he was cranking out multiple Avengers titles simultaneously and seemingly rebooting these spin-offs every few years.
Pitching an excessive slew of Issue # 1’s, it is no surprise that Bendis’ eight-year run programming the Avengers franchise eventually imploded. Partial blame belongs to Marvel’s soft 2010 relaunch (dubbed their “Heroic Age”). While easily surpassing Bendis’ weak revamp of his primary Avengers title, this “Heroic Age” incarnation of New Avengers is evidence of fixing something that wasn’t really broken.
Despite his kid-friendly approach, conjuring up a supernatural plot for these New Avengers better suited for either Justice League Dark or Shadowpact clearly isn’t Bendis’ forte. The combined star power of this rehashed team roster, therefore, seems ill-fitted to the plot. Mortals like Luke Cage, Mockingbird, Spider-Man, the Thing, and Wolverine are subsequently left contributing too little to a generic magical crisis that Bendis doesn’t even bother to title.
It is as if standing around, cracking weak jokes about only knowing something bad is happening, and punching random things will help these Avengers resolve a mystical cataclysm. That’s why Bendis’ middling plot twists signal merely another day at the office for this unremarkable team. Case in point: an uninformed Ms. Marvel rashly blasts into battle, with little to no consequence, other than Doctor Strange having to then save her.
Note: One particularly weird sequence depicts a lethargic (almost zombie-like) Hawkeye easily pushing off a wrecked taxi (with one arm, no less) that he was trapped underneath. Despite the world-in-peril chaos, he then inexplicably tells his wife, Mockingbird, that he is leaving on an Avengers emergency priority call that no else knows about and then skips out. Describing this nonsensical scene (unless Hawkeye is a leftover Skrull) as out-of-character is an understatement.
By resorting to tired clichés (i.e. Bendis and his battlefield repartee) and expecting competent artwork to bail the story out, this version of New Avengers simply craves a fresh target audience – yes, the whole purpose of “Heroic Age.” If anything, even avid Marvel readers will surely forget this creative bore in a matter of days.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
Starting with Issue # 2, in a full-page format, the uncredited original cover precedes each story. The variant cover galley is also presented as full pages. For Issues # 1-5, artists Stuart Immonen, Wade Von Grawbadger, & Laura Martin showcased one character per issue. Specifically, the order is # 1: Luke Cage; # 2: Spider-Man; # 3: Wolverine; # 4: Jessica Jones; & then # 5: The Thing.
From artist Marko Djurdjevic, in a two-page montage spread, are his six Issue # 1 variants for Hawkeye & Mockingbird; Avengers Academy; Avengers; New Avengers; Secret Avengers; & Avengers Prime. The upper half of this spread displays Djurdjevic’s finished artwork while the lower half depicts his pencil sketch version.
Afterwards, there is Issue # 3’s “Women of Marvel Frame Variant” of Ms. Marvel from artist Joe Quinones. Following it is Issue # 4’s “Super Hero Squad Variant” from artists Leonel Castenllani & Chris Sotomayor. Lastly, in tone-deaf poor taste, is Issue # 5’s ghoulish “Vampire Variant” of the Cage Family by artist Stephane Perger.
Note: New Avengers # 1 ‘s primary cover is this collection’s cover artwork.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 5 Stars
