New Comics!: The Avengers Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

New Avengers #23:  Somewhat predictably, it feels bizarre to be reading this comic almost a full month after "Avengers" #24, given that the events of this issue precede that issue.  I had already started trying to move past the H.A.M.M.E.R. war, but this issue amounts to an unfortunate relapse hindering my recovery efforts.

Amazingly, Marvel still finds a way to spoil the revelation that Skaar was working for Captain America (despite the fact that we already knew he was from "Avengers" #24) by doing it ON THE INTRO PAGE.  Hi, pet peeve #1, it's been a while.  Pet peeve #2 is also in effect, since the New Avengers at no point fight Skaar, despite the cover depicting them doing so.  The rare bifecta!  Bendis, you must be so proud.  Seriously, though, WTF?  Let's say you didn't read "Avengers"#24, because you had been warned by a disgruntled friend that you should read this issue first.  You open up the book wondering why Skaar attacked the Dark Avengers on the last panel of issue #22, and, BAM, the intro page tells you he's working for Captain America.  I don't think anyone would've necessarily guessed that Skaar was working for Captain America just because he attacks the Dark Avengers.  I mean, sure, it was a possibility, but Skaar could've had any number of motivations for attacking the Dark Avengers, particularly since Bendis hadn't really done any character work with him until that point.  I really would've believed almost anything.  But, there you go, the intro page tells you why he attacked them. I mean, I just don't understand how Marvel can manage spoiling a surprise when said surprise isn't even a surprise anymore, but it manages to do so here.

I wish I could say that it was my only problem with this issue, but it wasn't.  I mention above the fact that Bendis hadn't really done any character work with Skaar, making it hard to guess that he was working for Captain America before the intro page reveal.  Well, Bendis doesn't really do any work with him after the reveal, either.  I mean, Bendis spends the first few pages of this issue telling us that Skaar is working for Captain America, but never tells us why.  I accept the fact that I could be missing something, since I don't read any of the Hulk series, but you'd think Bendis could throw in a comment telling us why Skaar would feel some sort of loyalty to Captain America.  I mean, if Norman Osborn thought he was a good candidate for the Dark Avengers, it's clear that Skaar doesn't exactly walk on the side of angels as a default setting.  Bendis needed to do some sort of explaining about why Skaar chose to be loyal to Cap.  But, Bendis doesn't do that.  Like Bendis always does, he just tells us Skaar is loyal to Cap and wants us to accept it just because he says so.  He's done the same thing with Victoria Hand for dozens of issues, and it's no different here with Skaar.

The highlight of this issue is the fight between the remaining New Avengers and the remaining Dark Avengers, but it still feels like an afterthought.  Moreover, I want to know what Bendis was thinking when he has Ms. Marvel just pound on whoever it was that was pretending to be her.  She seems to be in a full-on rage, something that not only seems like a total non sequitur but also seems totally uncharacteristic of her.  At any rate, the best thing I can say about this issue is that it brings us when step closer to the bright light at the end of the tunnel.  Bendis' reign of holy terror over the Avengers titles will soon end.  That day can't come soon enough.

Avengers #24.1:  OK, I actually liked this issue.  The Vision isn't my favorite character.  I mean, I've read a lot (a lot) of issues where he plays a role, and I can't say I really missed him.  It's hard to get attached to a guy who doesn't really have feelings.  But, Bendis does a good job of exploring the range of feelings, however limited that range may be, that the Vision does have, bringing him from forgiveness to rage to sorrow.  Before, I get to the Vision part, though, I want to say how thrilled I am that Bendis finally gave us a decent Hawkeye and Spider-Woman scene, making it as fun and funny as their pairing promised to be.  ("You act like it's my fault we haven't had ten minutes to breathe since you and I - uh - you know."  "No, please, I'd love to hear how you're going to word this.")  I mean, they even get Cap's blessing!  I really hope whoever takes over this title keeps up their relationship and the focus on the comedy.  I mean, I love Mockingbird, but, really, it's time for them to be apart for a while, I think.  Now, focusing on the Vision, I thought Bendis did the best job with the Magneto/Vision scene, if only because I totally bought his depiction of Magneto.  One of the things I've hated in the X-books is how we've just wiped away Magneto's history as a homicidal maniac, forgiving all his sins.  I mean, Billy had to remind the X-Men about the fact that they had welcomed this legendary murderer onto their team with open arms during "Avengers:  The Children's Crusade," when they were all getting on their high horses about Wanda.  I'm glad that Bendis doesn't seem to buy the new, improved Magneto either because he gives us the old, enraged Magneto.  It's this Magneto -- threatening, manipulative, arrogant -- that I recognize.  In fact, I hope Cyclops took a good long look at the hate with which Magneto responded to the Vision, because it might remind him of who Magneto was and who he one day may still be.  Moreover, Bendis uses Magneto as an excellent foil for the Vision, provoking the Vision's rage, getting him to show some sort of emotion.  His conversation with Jennifer earlier in the issue was somewhat one-sided, but it's during his fight with Magneto that we see the Vision actually start to engage.  As such, it's not a surprise when we see him fall apart at the end.  I'm surprised to be complimenting Bendis on bringing anyone, let alone the Vision, on an emotional journey, but there you have it.  Given that the re-introduction of the Vision was done so terribly, this issue went a long way to me believing it is actually the real Vision and I can start thinking of him as such.  For Bendis, that's pretty much hitting a home run.

Secret Avengers #24:  OK, so it appears that this council that the Father heads is a council of synthetic -- or least artificial -- lifeforms, comprised of Doombots,"sentinaughts," adaptoids, "machine people," Reavers, etc.  I was pretty sure that it was just about the adaptoids, despite the fact I seemed to know less about them than Remender thought I should.  Or maybe it was just about the descendants.  Honestly, I can't remember.  It had something to do with the both of them.  At any rate, I can honestly say I have almost no idea what story Remender is trying to tell.  I think he's building a story where these artificial lifeforms are planning to rise against the "real" lifeforms.  But, it's hard to focus, when Remender's got so many other irons in the fire.  We've got the Pakistani boy, who may or may not be one of these descendants.  We've got Ant-Man, who may or may not be dead.  We've got a reanimated Janet, who I'm pretty sure isn't Janet given that she exploded, making it hard to believe that she'd have left behind enough body to be reanimated as a deathlok.  It's all just a lot to try to keep straight.  It seems to me like Remender is writing for a trade paperback, and I can see myself enjoying this arc more when I re-read it from start to finish after it ends.  But, at this stage, I'm having a hard time staying engage when each page brings something that either confuses me or seems to contradict something that happened on another page, possibly even in a different issue.  Honestly, I think I'm done with this title after "Avengers vs. X-Men," even if it is being run by Hawkeye.  Sad, but true.