Avengers #11

The Cover- The cover features the stars of this issue in combat poses. They all seem to be in more "Asian" influenced costumes than what they normally wear. Captain Marvel is a samurai, Spider-woman a anime School girl, etc. The only one who seems to be in his normal garb is Shang-Chi. Is this because he is already Asian? Regardless it is a fun cover by Dustin Weaver and Justin Ponsor.

The Comic- "Wake the Dragon" is a fun issue. It much like Avengers #10 is a story not focusing on the whole team, but instead on a smaller team. This team is made up of Spider-woman, Black Widow, Captain Marvel, Cannonball, Shang-Chi, and Sunspot. This lineup is sure to appeal to most Marvel fans one way or another. The story is a nice break from the more serious thought provoking stories told in this series so far by Hickman. The group is sent to the island of Macau to infiltrate a casino and stop the sale of a deadly weapon of AIM's. This results in some very fun scenes that mirror films like Casino Royale or the Oceans Eleven series. There's some really funny scenes as well such as a confrontation between Cannonball, Sunspot and some AIM goons. The issue isn't all fun and games however as we do get some action in the form of Shang-chi taking care of some bad guys. Hickman also shows us a bit into the mindset of Shang-Chi and his mantra, which I thought was a nice touch. The issue jumps back and forth between characters, which is a nice way to break up the action, drama and comedy. There is a nice blend of it all to make for a very fun read. The main problem with the issue is that Tony Stark didn't pick the best Avengers for a cloak and dagger mission. Characters like Captain Marvel have made their identities public, and Cannonball and Sunspot are quick to blow their cover. This could have been intentional, but its setup in a way that this is supposed to be a top secret undercover mission and the secret is revealed in the first encounter with the AIM doctor. Beside this one possibly intentional hiccup the issue is great.

The Art- The art in this issue is wonderful. Mike Deodato and Frank Martin do a great job. The art is as realistic as Opena's while also having its own style. The only real problem I saw was that Captain Marvel looks alot like 80's actress Lindsay Crouse with her hair like that. It got slightly distracting, but it's nothing horrible.

Final Verdict- This is a entertaining issue. It offers a break from the normal Avengers stories we have been getting the past 10 issues. It has some solid action scenes while also offering some drama and comedic moments. Overall it was a wonderful issue. If you are a fan of the Avengers I recommend checking it out. 4 out of 5.