OK, this issue is pretty awesome. I liked that Yost didn't drag out the story behind whatever it was possessing Water Snake. We didn't have to wait 20 issues for a revelation that made no sense. (Can you tell I've been reading comics too long?) That said, I'm hoping that it's not over, since I'm not entirely sure what happened. An agent from the elder demon Chthon tried to gain a foothold in the world, possibly through Water Snake? OK, sure. But, Yost still needs to tell us how Water Snake found herself as the vehicle for that in the first place. Was it connected to Mount Wundagore somehow? If not, it's feeling a bit random.
Water Snake aside, Yost also does a great job showing Vance hold his own with the Avengers. When Cap throws Stamford at him, he throws the Civil War at Cap and Tony, reminiscent of Billy asking the superhero community during "Young Avengers: The Children's Crusade" why people like Wolverine don't have to pay for their sins but Wanda would never be allowed to escape hers. The Avengers brand is as tarnished as the Warrior brand, and the Avengers not seeing that gives Vance all the more reason to try to make the Warriors into something that inspires confidence again. Moreover, Yost didn't just drop Mount Wundagore into New York Bay to set up that confrontation; it's also going to be the team's new HQ. It's this type of layered storytelling that makes for a good book, and Yost shows all the skill that he displayed in "Scarlet Spider" is still there. Great stuff.
Unfortunately, we're now due for the obligatory event tie-in issue, but hopefully we'll escape with minimum damage. (Apparently the Inhumans have bad guys?)
**** (four of five stars)
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