The New Avengers # 28 - Revolution: part 2

Over two years later, the New Avengers is still one of my favorite titles. The Avengers in the past has also seemed mediocre to me. You usually had powerful teams with battles against enemies that usually didn't feel like that big a deal. I think what's been different about this team is that they're not going out fighting Bad Guy Team A then Bad Guy Battle B. There's still some unresolved storylines like who's been behind the Raft break-out and so forth. The team still has it's mis-matched feel. Doctor Strange and Avenger? Wolverine still ticking everyone off. Iron Man and [Power Fist] together again! And another Ronin to try to figure out who's wearing the costume.

In this issue we find out how this version of the New Avengers got together. We see their reaction to Captain America's death and how they can be called Avengers when Stark has just formed his own "Mighty" Avengers. Next issue's battle will be your typical good guy vs good guy but it looks to be good. I don't think anyone here is happy with Iron Man.

Bendis is still on his game. He still manages to throw in those funny little comments or situations. Leinil Francis Yu's art feels a little...weird. It's always hard when a new artist comes on board. It's great stuff but just different.

Another thing that bothered me a little but can't be blamed here is Spider-Man's portrayal. Everyone knows something has happened to make him return to the black costume. We know that apparently Aunt May was shot. We don't know (yet) if she lived or died and even if Mary Jane is still alive. So he's supposed to be sad or angered or depressed or something to have gone back. Because of editorial direction, we don't know why here. Spidey, for the most part, still seems his old self. He's still crackin' the jokes. That's the problem with sharing characters. Your hands are kind of tied. But this series is still at the top of my read list.

I've enjoyed New Avengers since the first issue. It's had it's up and downs, but I think the good outweighed the bad in most cases. I like the new team line up and find it makes sense. They're mostly comprised of heroes that were with Captain America during the Civil War. The only thing that kinda puzzles me is still having Wolverine on the team. Can he be a part of an outlaw superhero team, while he runs around with the X-Men? Although Astonishing X-Men is the only book that officially has him on the team, that whole story arc happens before Civil War (I think). My whole point of that is if Logan is going to be part of an outlaw team of Avengers, then I'd like to see him kept off the X-Men books. The occasional cameo is fine, but acknowledge the fact that he is now wanted by S.H.I.E.L.D. just like the rest of the New Avengers. I've loved the character for years, but he is being over saturated in to many books. Ok... enough about Wolvie.

I like the fact that most of the team are so-called "street level" superheroes. There's no super powered Thor or Sentry on the team, no millionaire to provide the team with jets and a mansion, no team member that stands out as a natural leader. It's already established itself as a different kind of Avengers book. Having Luke Cage as the leader of the team is very interesting, and the return of Jessica Jones is very nice.

So I like the potential of the series... now how about this issue? Well I was actually looking forward to see what was going to happen with Echo. That was handled all well and good... but then we had to deal with the storyline that was started in Civil War: The Initiative. I actually found it annoying because I knew there was no way this was going in a direction I'd like. And it didn't. After reading Civil War: The Confession, it would be mind boggling that a certain character would do something like this. I don't want to spoil the end of the issue, but I found that what is done makes no sense in the grand scheme of things.

Unfortunately it was the only direction they could go with that storyline. If it had gone the other way around it would have angered pretty much everyone, so as a reader you already know what the outcome is going to be before you get to the end of the issue, and it feels almost annoying. There was better ways to get the team in the situation that Bendis wanted them in, without exploiting a certain event... especially since I see it as very out of character for who caused the situation.

I have total faith that this series is going to be interesting and entertaining, but thought this issue fell short. Thankfully the question raised in Civil War: The Initiative is behind us now. Although I wasn't impressed this month, I'm totally looking forward to the next issue to see the what happens to Echo, and that "other" thing.

Ok, I can forgive the fact the issue started without knowing how they got together. I can even forgive the new art style Mr Yu. I can even go so far as to say I can forgive the fact the book feels like it should be called the DEFENDERS not the Avengers, all because of one thing.

Seeing Silver Samurai the once great crime lord, arch villian extraordinare, sitting in his den, with his surround sound dvd player watching Mean Girls is priceless

And that is why I like this issue, the humor, and interaction between the team.

Good stuff all around, and you can't beat Dr Strange and Wong, and Power Man and Iron Fist trading lines respectivily in one issue

Granted with the half a million INititive books being realeased, I might have missed where the team was formed and how Luke became the leader, a good choice, but still would like to see how he stepped up to become the man.

Overall not a bad read, but this seems like a book that will take a strory arc or two to get it's feet wet and make some noise.

As a number one issue, left alot of questions unanswered and presented a heck of alot more.

The cliffhanger wasn't really all that surprising ( damn Wizard magazine)

So my excitement for issue 2 is a wait and see status.

And not for nothing, since when are the Avengers running away from a fight with a pack of ninjas?

They better get it together before a certain green skinned gentlemen comes knocking...hard