New Avengers #63

What you need to know: That banner actually matters! Yes, it's been two issues, but this is a legit Siege tie-in. The New Avengers have hit Asgard, and this issue explores how the war affects some of the characters - specifically the 'shippers Luke/Jessica and Clint/Bobbi.

The Good:

- I'm not the biggest Bendis fan, but he really does have a great handle on real dialogue. It's funny, it's not clunky, and each character has their own voice - love his Spider-Man quips.
- You're seeing the seeds planted for some of the team shake-ups. We've seen the promo images and solicits of upcoming books, so it's nice to see the seeds get planted.
- I love that the banner actually matters. I love seeing some characterization in this giant war. I'm a big fan of characterization and character-driven stories so that really is a big plus to me.
- There's continuity between a lot of Marvel books this week. Love that.
- The ending actually makes the next issue important.

The Bad:
- I didn't like the art by Mike McKone. There's the occasional awkward pose, bad face angle, and the odd mix of 2-D and 3-D. I love his Spider-Man, but really dislike his Luke Cage and Taskmaster. The art doesn't fit the whole tone of the book really. I know it's not fair to compare him to Copiel, but his war scenes are a bit too busy while his relationship scenes don't nail the soft vulnerability that would've worked here.
- Some people will not like a book that boils down to relationships especially when we can get more of the war.
- You won't get more of the war. I feel like I literally have seen some of the same scenes in seven or eight books. I love the continuity, but hate the repetition.
- Next issue is the last New New Avengers book before New New New Avengers. I shouldn't have expected the book to go out with a bang, but rather transition.

Overall:

I liked this issue of New Avengers more than recent issues. It's an actual tie-in, it's giving me characterization, there's seeds planted for the future, but I really thought all of these Avenger books would go out fast and furious given the tempo of Siege and the big deal of "ending" an Avenger book. It's good, it's entertaining, but I definitely did expect something different so it tempers my rating somewhat.