New Avengers #29: I just realized the other day that I hadn't put "New Avengers" on my pull list when I started at my new comic shop two months ago, so I'm behind an issue. After reading it, though, I wonder if it would've been better just to skip it. This issue is a mess. Several of the characters act completely out of character, such as Namor telling Cap that they're "brothers" or Professor X reading everyone's mind against their will. To me, it's yet more examples of Bendis bending a character to fit whatever position he needs advocated at that time, regardless of whether it fits in the character's established personality to do so. About the only thing that I liked about this issue was that someone FINALLY mentioned the Infinity Gems again. One of my main complaints about "Fear Itself" was that no one even raised the possibility of using them. At least here, it's briefly discussed. But, that's it. That's the only good I've got.
New Avengers #30: Thankfully, this issue is MUCH better than the last issue. In the process of transporting Emma Frost somewhere, the New Avengers are attacked by Purifiers seeking to kill her. This sort of fight lends itself to the type of story that Bendis excels at writing, full of quips and quotes. It means that he can avoid the problem that plagued last issue, since he's not forced to have someone do something that they wouldn't normally do simply to advance the plot where he wants it to go. Instead, the fight draws out the personalities of the characters, like Luke getting all cranky and Daredevil getting all book-y. ("That's not even the entire quote!") The Purifiers are, in a way, a MacGuffin, though, since the point of the issue is Luke coming to the conclusion that he's leaving the Avengers. His conversation with Daredevil in the beginning of the issue was particularly well done, with Daredevil staking out the position that you can't raise a child in the sort of environment in which the Avengers operate. ("Can't we have one normal day?" is asked by several Avengers throughout the issue.) Deodato really brings Luke's dilemma home in a series of panels that show Luke's life with Jessica and the baby interspliced with scenes from his fight with a Purifier. As such, by the end, his decision to leave is pretty well reasoned.
With Luke's departure, Bendis is clearly also setting up his own departure, since Luke's presence at the core of the Avengers has been the most signature decision of his run. It's uncertain, to me, where we go from here with the team. Without Luke, I'm not sure if the New Avengers' roster of mostly street-level fighters will make sense anymore. I believe that "New Avengers" is confirmed for Marvel NOW!, so I guess we'll see.
One question I have, though, is why Emma was arrested in the first place. In "Avengers vs. X-Men" #11, Cap accuses Scott of "crimes against humanity," which is presumably why Emma is under arrest here. But, what crimes? Making crops grow in the desert? I obviously don't approve of Scott's whole approach, by so far we haven't seen any of the Phoenix Five other than Namor commit anything that looked even remotely like a crime.
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