New Avengers #17 What I was most hopeing for this issue was a story that I didn't feel like I breezed through it in 3 minutes. Last issue was an increadibly quick read thanks to a bunch of cinematic splash pages that I'm sure will work great in the trade but made the issue itself feel about 10 pages long. Thankfully I'm happy to report that, yes, there is some story content and movement here, enough so I feel like I read a full comic, although most of it's on other fronts than the main "glowing guy" thing. The story begins in a bad neihborhood in Detroit. The Avengers land their jet and start to loiter around and harrass people on the street. When the Media arrives Cap let's Luke give a speach the gist of which is that the Avengers are going to try to be a more positive influence on the world by going to areas like this on days Red Ronin isn't attacking and just hanging out there (like one of those "Meet your favorite Super-Heroes" things at the mall) untill the hoods and dealers leave or stop. It sounds like a decent (although who knows how effective) idea, that is until Iron Man gets a message the moment Cage is done talking and all the Avengers immediatly run off to fight someone in long johns. I don't know if this was meant to be funny or not, but it really was. I mean IMMEDIATELY after giving the speach about how they were gonna be there for people the Avengers run off and leave. Was Bendis trying to show the flaw in this plan? I'm not sure but it made them look like tools a bit to put in a 3 minute appearence, talk about how they care, and then rush off without explanation to something more important. Anyway on their way to face The Glowing Man (c'mon that so would have been his name in the 60's) the Avengers get a rundown on last issue from Sheild. Wolverine asks the phenomenally stupid question: "Is that Alpha Flight?" When he knows them intimately and it clearly is. (Ok, I know it was likely rhetorical, but does it really seem like the sort of think Wolvie would burst out with?) Anyway Cap decides they need major back up on this. They call Mrs. Marvel to join them. They try the X-men but no one is answering the phone post House of M. Spidey makes a valid point about superheroes kind of needing to be on call in an emergency but apparently the X-men don't have caller ID and have decided to ignore any potential world ending threats. (Good job convincing folks you're superheroes guys). Cap's next request is for someone from that stupid Secret War miniseries that I dropped cause it only shipped every leap year. And lastly he tries for the Sentry. Remember the Sentry? That guy they made a big deal about joining the team? The one whose never done anything since he did join except occasionly stand in the background and not talk? Yea, him. (At least he's doing better than Ronin who also got a big deal made about joining and then immediately left to go do something else. ) Anyway Bob's having a bad day and is curled up in bed in terror. Cap yells at the poor basket case some to try to get him to snap out of it and come help. While this is all going on Ironman tells Spidey that he can't help punch things today, but has to go to Sheild and actually use his brain to help come up with a solution. This confuses Spidey since it seems very unsuperhero like. Meanwhile, Ironman flys off to try to make peaceful contact (yea like Alpha Flight did, but preferably without the spanking). Oddly it seems to work. Mostly becuse The Glowing Man seems to have been looking for Ironman the whole time. He mumbles his name is Michael. And then before we can learn more and have a peaceful solution (and quick story resolution) Ms. Marvel totally ignoring her millitary training and apparently not bothering to get a sit-rep from anyone (little too eager to be a big time superhero there Carol) swoops in and screws everything up. She lifts The Glowing Man up and tries to absorb his energy. The result is a HUGE explosion in the sky and her crashing down. The last page "shocker" would be more exciting if I cared more about Ms. M. but still I'm looking forward to where the rest of plot goes next issue. On the whole this issue was pretty good. Good quality art from Deodato (much better than the last time I saw him on something) and some actual story. I question some things here as being more "story mandated" than "character motivated" or logical but on the whole decent, exciting and fun enough that I'm happy to stick with the book. I REALLY hope The Glowing Man isn't Professor X. It doesn't look like it is going to be, but I'm just saying. My Grade: B+
Perhaps if you'd picked up Ms. Marvel #1 you would have cared. It's a great book. I made a thread about it but some jackholes hijacked it in post 2.
Hmmm. . .I am planning on going back tomorow to pick up the Anihilation Prologue since I've decided to buy that series after all and there are still some copies on the shelf, so I may pick up Ms. Marvel myself. Now, back to the main event. I liked the issue. I wish that I had picked up 16 (didn't realize that this arc was finishing with a Civil War Crossover until after issue 16) since I hate North Star and wanted to see him pwned. So, any guess on what exactly The Collective is? Based on the name and the description of it as being related to House of M, I think that glowing guy is the physical embodiment of all the mutant powers that were ripped away on M Day. But, the way he pronounced Micheal he could also be Micheal Rasputin, brother of Collosus. Maybe both somehow?
Northstar wasn't on the team shown in #16. Speaking of which, did you read Mark Millar's WOLVERINE storyarc?
I liked the story as a whole, but I'm a tad more concerned with the whole letters page devoted to Bendis and his plugging of not only Civil War, but this so called New Avengers Dissasembled crap... The team just started up and thanks to Civil War it might not even keep the same roster at the end of this so called politically hyped crossover event. All I can say is if the New Avengers lose the likes of Spider-Man and others after Civil War I sure as slag won't still be picking up the title, Spidey is the big driving force behind me sticking with the book, I like the dynamic of Spidey on a team and would hate to see everything return to the blasted status quo, but you know these things are inevitable with Marvel, I guess. Ah well; it was a great run so far, if it continues to hold my interest then great, if not... I can always use the money for something else, like more Beast Wars comics.
Are you kidding, the Avengers can't go two years without getting a new line-up. That is my biggest complaint (and really the only one since Bendis took over) is that they keep changing the team around.
This issue had alot of dialogue, making it possibly the longest read of any NA issue thus far for me, but the way Ms. Marvel messes everything up at the end left a bad taste in my mouth.
Can you point out the issues as of 17, where the line up as has changed? Becase in my 17 issues, it hasn't changed once. It took three arcs for the team to finally come together, that's true. But no one left, and no one was added outside the characters on the cover of the first issue. Solid issue, I'm glad all of Alpha Flight isn't dead; at that's what I took away from Bendis's comment in the back. Although, I think the Collective is pretty lame. A mass of energy caused from all the missing powers powers? meh
The Avengers have always had a changing roster. And it makes sense to disassemble the team for Civil War, since the whole point f it is that former allies are fighting eachother.
One thing confusing the hell out of me. Is Tony in the armor or not? Some pages we see the armor talking to the Shield Agent, and other times we see Tony standing in front of a bunch of monitors, which I'm assuming is him back at Avengers Tower. What gives?
Tony is in the armor. I don't know why they show it like he's in a void with several screens in front of him though. My only guess is that it's some kind of visual interpretation of an interface system Tony has while he's in the armor.
Presumably the Ellis IRON MAN run will explain it (#6 will be coming out this coming Wednesday, so hopefully it explains it).
Iron Man #5 basically explains that Tony Stark is now directly wired into the Iron Man armor; his sensory perception has been improved tenfold. For example: He can mentally talk to someone over a cell phone while also talking verbally with the person. He can see through satellites. Basically, that visual representation of Tony is to say that these are all the inputs his brain is currently getting from the Iron Man armor, and the only way we, as readers, can comprehend this great amount of information is via a Batcave-esque presentation.
I liked reading the issue...until the end. I cant' stant Carol at all as an Avenger. She's to unstable. She's a great character otherwise but a team player she is not. The only reason she's on the team anyway is because Iron man has a soft spot for her because she is a recovering alcoholic.
As an Iron Man fan, who has undoubtedly also read titles such as Force Works, v.3 Avengers, Iron Man's own title, etc...you're going to tell me that Iron Man is a superb team player, ala Cap and Logan? He has a soft spot for Carol because she's like him: a recovering alcoholic, yes, but a powerful person that has trouble, unfortunately, being a team player. He can relate to her in that way as well. And if we're only letting "stable" characters on the Avengers, what the hell is the Sentry doing there?
I didn't think that she is as much "on the team" as just in the neighbourhood and butted in. But then again this is the first issue of NA that I picked up. But ya, she has never been a team player. Didn't she once throw a hissy when she found out that Rogue was a member of the X-Men and refused to work with them?
I enjoy Carol on the Avengers. I have since I picked up the earlier issues if Vol. 3 before she was kicked off for being a drunk. But she's not on the team now; she just happened to be in the area. Hope she joins during New Avengers Disassembled though.
I think you mean AFTER New Avengers Disassembled. Technically, there won't BE an Avengers during that arc.
