Dark Avengers #185

The issue that is basically Dark Avengers #2 or Thunderbolts #185 continues with the Darkness storyline where the "team" awaken in a nightmarish alternate reality.

First off, this story is going very very slowly. These two issues so far could just as easily have been one. A lot of both issues are just Toxic Doxie and Hank Pym in a lab talking in mainly exposition. The other element is the turf war between the evil counterparts of Marvel's heroes but my main problem with this is... didn't we JUST have a turf war type of thing between the Thunderbolts, Boss Cage and the Outlanders in the story arc before? It's not the most exciting story, and considering we're "technically" 11 issues into Dark Avengers - we still don't have a purpose or even proper line-up for the team. I'm sure I said it last time but this relaunch is really pathetic. They could've easily waited to launch last issue as Dark Avengers #1 - a part of Marvel NOW! but for some asinine reason they decided to instead relaunch it when there's still 9 issues of Thunderbolts to go. I can imagine plenty of people were put off or didn't understand the first issue or two and combining it with legacy numbering of another book, people just didn't follow through. It's like Marvel purposefully want this book to fail.

Some positives... Neil Edwards art is genuinely good. It pains me to see Noto announced to be drawing the next arc of the hideous Thunderbolts bastardisation, I'd have loved to see a moderately big artist with a cult following drawing this superior book to get it's sales up before it's cancelled in time for Thunderbolts to usurp it's #200... but honestly Neil Edwards art is great. I can definitely see him going on to greater things, he has a style that would fit a lot of books well. The other positives? Toxic Doxie continues to have potential. I've been saying this for all 9 issues or so now. I want to just say "hey, she's met her potential, she's great" but it's still not really committing to anything. Oh, U.S.Agent - one of my favorite Avengers - gets his missing arm and leg back. I was never too happy about this decision since I thought Siege perfectly concluded the character's entire arc, but I was willing to live with it since at least this is being written by the same guy who crippled him. So, after a goddamn horrible tease that he was going to wear the alternate universe counterpart to Venom, I was happy to see that doesn't seem to be the case. If it later turns out it is, I am going to just admit Marvel is unsalvagable.

Any way, some more criticisms: Moonstone becoming Captain Marvel. This is awful. The covers showed her at least in the old Ms. Marvel costume but here we literally just get her in the exact replica of Carol's hideous new costume. The costume was horrible on Carol and it's just as horrible on Karla. This also will create major confusion if, god forbid, either of these characters inhabit the same universe and how easy it would be to confuse them. It's not like they already have this problem with Ragnarok and Thor wearing effectively the same costume. OH WAIT THEY DO. Skaar, again, does nothing. He mostly just growls. Trickshot, Ragnarok and the dumb Spider-God guy don't really appear throughout (there's a small one-panel appearance by an unconscious Ragnarok).

Really as an opening arc for a new status quo for a book that was already shat upon by Marvel relaunching it early...this is turning out pretty bad. We just don't have a purpose for this team's existence, we don't have any characterisation for most the cast, we don't even see most them in the issues. I do love Jeff Parker, he's a great writer and a lovely guy, but I feel like I'm reading this book more out of hope rather than enjoyment.