Customer Reviews

New Avengers, Vol. 1: Breakout (v. 1)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Before I get into the nitty-gritty, let me just say that I love Bendis. He's a god among men. Powers, Jinx, Daredevil, Alias, Goldfish... these are some of the best comic books that money can buy. He writes great noir and fantastic dark stories.

But the New Avengers, having risen from the ashes of Avengers Disassembled, has left me with a few issues that could be problems later on:

Lineup. This team is a little too much contrived for my own tastes.
1. Luke Cage, having a big resurgence in recent years (thanks to Bendis and the Maxx comics) as a bad-a$$ African-American superhero. I like Luke Cage. He's cool to the core. He's the Samuel L. Jackson of the Original Marvel Universe. Yet, what are his powers? His skin's unbreakable and he can punch. He's the strong-arm.
2. Spider-Man. Another power-house. Sure he can swing around on his webs too but only if he has something to adhere them to. Take the boy out of the city and he's in trouble. Also, Bendis under uses Web-head. He's a comic relief for the team. Spider-Man is better than that and Bendis knows that.
3. Captain America. I have no problems with Captain. He's a born leader, strategist, moral compass, and all-around great superhero. Only problem is that he's a strong-arm too. Sure he can throw his shield but only so far. Captain America is all about fisticuffs and throwing the shield around.
4. Iron-Man. Now we get into some power. The suit can do amazing things (but can it toast a piece of bread just right?) and having Iron-Man on the team adds mobility and power to the team. Also, Tony Stark has developed from his tortured, recovering alcoholic into this playboy, all-around fun guy in recent years.
5. Spider-Woman. I always have a problem with the female knock-offs of male characters (Batgirl, Spider-Woman, Supergirl, She-hulk, etc). I'm not being sexist here at all. I love female superheroes. Give me Rouge, Storm, Sue Storm, and the Wasp (especially The Ultimate's Wasp). Spider-Woman has most of Spider-Man's powers but can shoot "venom blasts" from her wrists. So mostly she's a strong arm with limited-range artillery.
6. Wolverine. Same as Luke Cage in that Logan's a rough-neck who will get the job done at any costs. A strong-arm with a killer set of claws and even deadlier instincts. On top of that, he works with the X-Men, but as an Avenger, I don't get it.

So my problem is that this team was put together by the marketing guys instead of the writers. Luke Cage, black. Spider-Man, popular, Captain America and Iron Man, staples, Spider-Woman, chick, and Wolverine, popular. This is not a team put together to be Marvel's Authority or JLA. 5 out 6 members are earthbound. This is not a good all-around team.

Story: the story is for the most part weak. The whole escape of the bad guys and the subsequent hunt for them would be a great premise. To have S.H.E.I.L.D. be the bad guys is interesting but I think could be limiting. To have the guys go after the escapees every week would be great.

Artwork: I love Finch's artwork but sometimes it's not the right type of work for the book that Bendis is writing. Finch doesn't do repeating panels very well. Nor does he handle panels when it's just someone's face. He tends to put too much detail into it. Oeming does Bendis' writing style justice. Finch doesn't. But then give him an action sequence and the boy shines like a beacon. If Finch is going to be a regular, than Bendis needs to write to Finch's strengths. That's the only way this book can flourish.

Overall: If this book is going to be a "Dark" Avengers, then go that route. The whole going to Savage Land made no sense. Luke Cage and Spider-Man are city superheroes. Wolverine can work just as well crouching in the back alleys, chasing down one of the escaped convicts. Make it dark, keep them in cities, and have them chase down the remaining victims. It will give the series structure and will allow you to take a superhero group in a whole new direction: hunting down criminals. It could be very interesting.

Sorry for the novel. I just wanted to put my three cents in. This comic has serious potential. It just doesn't know what it wants to be.

The Worst Day in Avengers History

I remember when a friend of mine showed me Avengers:Disassembled as it came out. At first I thought it was cool. Not that I knew anything about the Avengers, but I appreciate a good story and good artwork as much as anybody (I'm still somewhat new to the mainstream superhero universes of DC and Marvel). Of course that story was in the end quite a mixed bag as I was thrilled with the melodrama (Iron Man drunk and making a scene at the U.N., She-Hulk ripping the Vision in half, and Hawkeye dying in quite possibly the most glorious manner I've ever seen a superhero die), and disappointed with the ultimate explanation (Scarlet Witch is coming unhinged and killing her own teammates?). Regardless of how people felt about the disbanding, dissolution, and dissolving of the old Avengers, it of course gave rise to... THE NEW AVENGERS!

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night...

Whether the setting at the start of the New Avengers is silly or classic probably depends on your point of view, but personally I think it's about as good as it gets in the world of comic books. On a night filled with foreboding, all heck is about to break loose as one of old Spidey's classic villains Electro overloads the security system on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s maximum security prison for super-villains. Spider-man hitches a ride of a helicopter to see what's going on, and quickly finds himself with Captain America, Luke Cage, sort-of S.H.I.E.L.D. agent/superhero Jessica Drew (Spider-Woman), Matt Murdock (Dare Devil), and a man that Matt Murdock claims is the most powerful superhero on earth... the Sentry.

From there it's a matter of shocking terror turned into magnificent triumph as the heroes are first terrified (Spider-man gets his arm SNAPPED, Luke Cage feels the fear of mind-control), and then victorious (in a moment of supreme awesomeness, the Sentry grabs Carnage, blasts off into space, and rips him in two!).

Avengers! Assemble!

In the aftermath of the massive breakout of super-villains only mostly stopped (a bunch still escaped), Captain America tells Iron-Man (who showed up just in time to wrap things up) that what is needed for the situation is a New Avengers. The next order of business is finding out who is on board for the New Avengers Dare Devil declines, and Cap puts off the business of dealing with the Sentry, but the recruiting of Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, and Luke Cage is great. Things really get moving the first time we see everyone together as a TEAM. The first time you see everyone together, ganging up on Electro, you just know they're a group you do NOT want to mess with. Then it's off to a jungle-island ( Savage Land) to track down the person who engineered the breakout (the one pulled out by Electro himself during the confusion, one Karl Lykos).

The Trouble with S.H.I.E.L.D.

On the island we get a quick confrontation between Wolverine and Spider-Woman (kinda gruesome too), followed by the whole team getting captured. Of course they fight back, break out, and much chaos of battle ensues, with things taking a surprising turn when Lykos turns into a flying pterodactyl-looking flying lizard (Sauron), and then gets blasted by hidden S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents, who then turn their sights on our heroes and start attacking THEM. A quick fight between Black Widow (not the red-head), Lykos gaining a second wind and attacking again, and then our heroes move out to check on some strange readings in Iron-Man's armor...

Of course what they find isn't good (S.H.I.E.L.D. has got slave labor mining materials for illegal weapons), but before they can do anything about it, one MASSIVE explosion blows away everything in the vicinity (thank goodness for Iron-Man's energy repulsor field).In the end it turns out that the real enemy is within, and S.H.I.E.L.D. is up to all kinds of no-good. The battle ahead won't be easy (especially with a bunch of escaped super-villains on the loose), but with Wolverine on board (Captain America REALLY doesn't like that idea), the team seems to be ready for action. Only... who exactly IS... the Sentry?

The Start of Something Great

Undoubtedly, many people will hate this new series just as many people hated that the old Avengers was ended. But taken on it's own merits, this series is definitely off to an excellent start. The action, mystery, intrigue, and drama start with page one and just do not let up until the conclusion of the book. As so many people have said, this series is a wonderfully refreshing departure from the superhero stories of old where everybody is happy and everything is wonderful in the end (not that I mind that, we just need a change of pace once in a while). All of the heroes in this one are people with ISSUES. There isn't really a member on the team that people might not say "Are you sure he/she belongs there?", except of course, for Iron Man and Captain America. This new team is not a squeaky-clean image of wholesomeness. They are a gritty, black and bruised, determined bunch of fighters who know the worst that life can throw at them and just came back more determined. Each member has their own way of doing things, to the point where many would question how long they can really stick together. But that's just part of the fun:)

The first time I read this series I was shocked right from the get-go, and only got more drawn-in as I continued to read. While the action and drama is great, what really makes the seres special to me is the character interaction and characterization. We've got Spider-man and Iron Man joking together, Captain America and Iron Man talking like old soldiers stepped off a battlefield, and Spider-Woman and Luke Cage providing the feminine touch and a healthy dose of attitude respectively. And since Wolverine is one of the best fighters as well as being the guy who's the toughest to get along with, the edge is sure to stay sharp on this one. Of course there's still supposed to be one more team member AFTER the Sentry's permanent addition.

Just Super / Caught in the Web

Of course you could always push the theory (and maybe even make a case of it) that the Sentry is just the Marvel answer to Superman. You know, he's got glowing eyes. He can FLY. He has the strength of a million exploding suns (or whatever). You know what though? He's a great character. When I saw him locked in a prison cell of his own volition, looking dejected and full of self-loathing, when I saw him being BEGGED to save the lives of the heroes who were fighting a losing battle with the prison inmates, when I saw him fly out and rip that monster Carnage in half, I knew I loved his character.

Oh, and the bringing back of Spider-Woman was a nice move. I love female superheroes, but the old ones from the Avengers just didn't do it for me. This one on the other hand, with her gliding, supreme-fighting, deadly good-looks, and whip-snap humor is just my kind of gal. I found ample reason to read this comic just between Spider-Woman and the Sentry. And Spider-man. The way he plays off of the other team members is wonderful. Kind of funny having two spiders on one team though, huh?

Bendis and Finch, a match made in heaven?

The overall tone of this book is one of chaos, darkness, mystery, and valor in the face of overwhelming odds. You know, the stuff that friendships are so often made of (a friend in need is a friend indeed). The realistic, edgy writing of Brian Michael Bendis is a perfect match for the shadowy, gritty art stylings of David Finch. In the end I'm left with the thought that this is not like the stereotypical comic book. This is more like a good TV show (NOT a cartoon show) or a good movie. Everything is cinematic, you are drawn into the world of the characters, everything moves fast and sharp, and the story is well told and well shown. There is great untapped potential in this series (the fun is just starting and the back stories of some main characters haven't even been told yet), there is great untapped potential in comic books (these new writers and artists keep taking us higher and higher). So far this has been my favorite year for new comic books. The future is looking interesting indeed.

To say that the new Avengers lineup raised a few eyebrows is saying it lightly. Plenty of fanboys call New Avengers Brian Michael Bendis' attempt to JLA-ize the team with the company's most popular characters (Spider-Man, Wolverine), but a few of the other choices he's put on the team is quite intriguing. By the end of this TPB, the New Avengers consists of returning members Captain America and Iron Man, along with Spidey, Wolverine, Spider-Woman, Luke Cage, and the Sentry; who may be the strangest choice here (you may remember the Marvel Knights mini-series a few years back starring the character by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee) as Bendis gives the team a Marvel version of Superman. As this TPB opens, Electro is hired by an unseen employer to break into the most powerful prison in the city. As this happens, Matt "Daredevil" Murdock, his partner Foggy, and bodyguard Luke Cage are brought in to find out why the Sentry, the most powerful superhuman on the planet, allowed himself to be imprisoned. Soon enough, the power goes out, and all the super criminals break free. Spidey, Captain America, and Iron Man soon join the fight, which thanks to the awesome art of David Finch, is one of the most action packed and well orchestrated brawls in mainstream comics today. After that, a new team is born, and a mystery begins to develop. Bendis' storytelling is ok, while Finch's art definitely sells the book. His action scenes are incredibly detailed, and his rendition of Spider-Woman is incredibly luscious. The new team lineup however is what hurts the book, because we don't need Wolverine on any more teams, and having Spider-Man on the team just comes off as cheap (I'm surprised he didn't include Daredevil as well, which is probably on the way). Despite that, this first New Avengers arc is surprisingly solid, and is definitely worth checking out.

Wolverine. Captain America. Spider-Man. Iron Man. The Sentry. Luke Cage. Daredevil. The original Spider-Woman, Jessica Drew. Ronin. With the launch of the new Avengers ongoing, Marvel answered the decades-long speculation of what it would be like to bring together an Avengers team packed with a group of the highest-profile and/or most powerful characters from across the different sections of the Marvel Universe. (How long have people been wondering what it would be like to have Wolvie or Spidey on the team? Probably since the late-70s for Logan and from about 1964 for Spider-Man.) At the same time they've brought in much lower-profile characters (Luke Cage and Spider-Woman) for the less obvious merits they can - and do - add to the series, and the "Who's that?" character of Ronin (introduced a bit later on in the series than the others but foreshadowed in covers from early on) to add to the nearly-omnipresent air of mystery that surrounds this run of Avengers.

This volume, reprinting Nos. 1-6 of the current ongoing, opens with the Avengers still disbanded after the catastrophes in "Avengers: Disassembled" a few months prior. An unknown person or group hires the super-villain Electro to siphon the electrical power out of Manhattan and use it to overload the power system on The Raft, an ultra state-of-the-art superhuman prison floating off the coast of New York, currently housing 87 of the world's most dangerous criminals and super-menaces. During the chaos, Electro rescues his assigned target - who at first remains unidentified - and flees the scene, leaving the Breakout riot to rage unabated.

A series of events has brought a number of the Marvel Universe's greatest champions together, coincidentally, at this time to try and contain the Breakout, and Captain America ends up taking this as a sign that the time has come to reform the Avengers, basically allowing fate to pick the new roster. It turns out this is a good thing, because as the story unfolds, it quickly becomes apparant that there's a lot more darkening going on behind the scenes in the Marvel Universe than its heroes are aware of. "Breakout" continues to take the characters across the globe in follow-up to the events in the first couple of issues, and the first couple of a seemingly unending series of shock revelations play out.

When I say that this is the beginning of probably the greatest extended run in Avengers history, I don't make that claim lightly. The Avengers books have, despite an occasional rough, produced a a wealth of smashing material over the years - presided over by some of the greatest talents in comics history - but in this current series it just keeps running at such an incredibly high bar that it's hard to see it as anything but the best in Avengers history.

Random thoughts - during the prison riot, thankfully, each villain doesn't refer to himself by name, or end up being identified by someone pointing and shouting "Look! It's So-And-So!" Instead, a small picture panel inset into a larger image discreetly gives the name, sometimes a very brief powers description, and a clear head shot. One of the characters incarcerated aboard The Raft is in fact The Sentry, who isn't a villain but who checked himself into custody out of fear of....himself. The 'emergence of the Sentry' scene in issue 2 is one of the most memorable moments in comics history, absolutely stunning. Speaking of stunning - Spider-Woman, her extra-snug costume, just the general way she's drawn - Holy #)/*! The conclusion of the book leaves open a great wealths of paths just waiting to be explored, and those explorations begin in the issues immediately following those reprinted here. Every character is superbly rendered with iconic art and excellent, defining, dialogue. One qualifier to that 'dialogue' statement - the only real minus is that Spider-Man's one-liners, usually witty and entertaining, sometimes slip off the track in New Avengers and come off forced, or annoying and obnoxious. A minor quibble - and the fact that in later issues that tendency seems to be rubbing off on Tony Stark, of all people(!), I've yet to decide whether I view it as another tiny negative or so unexpectedly humorous that it's a positive. Overall, it's certainly nothing that slows down the momentum of the series.

Bottom line - New Avengers is a strong contender for the title of Marvel's best current ongoing, and it all starts here. An awesome collection.

After the polarizing 'Avengers Disassembled' storyline, Marvel replaced the classic 'Avengers' title with this reshuffle of superheroes headed by Captain America and Iron Man. Marvel risks overexposure of Spider-Man and Wolverine by including them on the team. This series also marks the return of Spider-Woman and Luke Cage. This inaugral six-issue collection begins with a prison break, conveniently providing an assortment of villians for future New Avengers issues. Penciler Finch handles these famous Marvel characters well. While enjoyable, this collection does not merit the higher-priced hardcover edition.

I had heard about the plan to redue the Avengers in Wizard magazine so I had high expectations before reading it. Great writing, great art, and Marvel brought back some great throwback characters like Spider-woman. Captain America, Iron Man, SPider Man, SPider Woman, and Luke Cage all agree to reform the Avengers after all fighting together to stop a super villian prison break courtesy of Electro and a secret backer. There's even some X-Files style conspiracy with the SHIELD organization and a secret person Spider-woman has a relationship with.
Pick this up today. I know I can't wait for the next compilation.

To say that the new Avengers lineup raised a few eyebrows is saying it lightly. Plenty of fanboys call New Avengers Brian Michael Bendis' attempt to JLA-ize the team with the company's most popular characters (Spider-Man, Wolverine), but a few of the other choices he's put on the team is quite intriguing. By the end of this TPB, the New Avengers consists of returning members Captain America and Iron Man, along with Spidey, Wolverine, Spider-Woman, Luke Cage, and the Sentry; who may be the strangest choice here (you may remember the Marvel Knights mini-series a few years back starring the character by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee) as Bendis gives the team a Marvel version of Superman. As this TPB opens, Electro is hired by an unseen employer to break into the most powerful prison in the city. As this happens, Matt "Daredevil" Murdock, his partner Foggy, and bodyguard Luke Cage are brought in to find out why the Sentry, the most powerful superhuman on the planet, allowed himself to be imprisoned. Soon enough, the power goes out, and all the super criminals break free. Spidey, Captain America, and Iron Man soon join the fight, which thanks to the awesome art of David Finch, is one of the most action packed and well orchestrated brawls in mainstream comics today. After that, a new team is born, and a mystery begins to develop. Bendis' storytelling is ok, while Finch's art definitely sells the book. His action scenes are incredibly detailed, and his rendition of Spider-Woman is incredibly luscious. The new team lineup however is what hurts the book, because we don't need Wolverine on any more teams, and having Spider-Man on the team just comes off as cheap (I'm surprised he didn't include Daredevil as well, which is probably on the way). Despite that, this first New Avengers arc is surprisingly solid, and is definitely worth checking out.

I read about the "New Avengers" title in Wizard Magazine and I was intrigued. Spider-Woman? Wolverine? Luke Cage? What kind of Avengers is this? So I bought issue#1 and loved it but I missed the rest of the series. So thank you Marvel for the TBP so I could catch up. Yeah, it's more of the new trend of darker, grittier, and cynical superhero stuff in comics today. But the writing is some of the best I have seen in awhile. From the first team battle at the SHIELD prison to the team effort in the Savage Land--this current Avengers team rocks. The art is great, action scenes are cool, and the story has got me hooked. Major super points for the character interaction. This book is just as clever as Joss Whedon's "Astonishing X-Men". The rapport between Jessica Drew and Peter Parker regarding the "Spider-Woman" codename. The bickering between Wolverine and Spider-Woman after she stabs him with his own claws. And a hysterical scene invloving the Savage Land Mutates catching the heroes with their pants down, literally. I don't know how fans of the classic Avengers are taking this change but I am enjoying the New Avengers storyline so far and this book is an excellent read. I highly recommend it.

When a mass-escape of super-villains from a super-secret prison, Captain America decides that it is time to form a new Avengers. And so, Cap grabs Iron Man, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, and Like Cage and they set out to get to the bottom of what happened. Before long, they are joined by Wolverine, of the X-Men. But, it turns out that there is something strange going on, and it appears that S.H.I.E.L.D. is behind it.

Overall, I found this to be a rather disappointing book. The initial fight scene at the prison occurs mostly in the dark, which really hurts in this visual media. After that, the story just kind of limps along, telling you nothing, and expecting you to be intrigued by the fact that nothing makes sense. Also, the nude scene wasn't titillating, so don't expect too much there.

Now, if the series picks up with the next story, I will gladly eat my words. But, if you just read Breakout you will be disappoint, I know I was.

Ignore the contrived crossover that lead to this. Forget it ever happened. Erase it out of your memory. What you have left can be described in just one word. Kickass.

Breakout can be summarised as Setup leading to Fight leading to Team. A three step process to forming the new Avengers (Or should that be New Avengers? Nevermind). A team that comprises of Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Luke Cage, The Sentry, and Wolverine. The first two are logical, and essential choices. Cap for the leadership, and Tony for the moolah/pad. They're returning members, senior Avengers now. As for the others, as far as I know, this is their first time on the team.

I really can't wrap my head around the fact that Spider-Man is on an Avengers team. He doesn't come across as a team player, and secondly, with his day job and all the other stuff that keeps happening to him every other minute, I'm surprised he has time to even look at the other members. I have to say though, Bendis writes him well. He mouths some of the funniest lines I've read in recent times. Heck, the way he plays off the other team members is probably the only reason I'll read him in the team. He makes a great mascot. In fact, the Luke Cage - Spidey banter reminds me of the Flash-GL (Kyle) relation from Grant Morrison's JLA. Good stuff, this.

Luke Cage, I don't know much about. He has unbreakable skin, and superhuman strength. I'm not sure he's invincible. So I doubt he could actually survive a fall off the top of a skyscraper. Good thing he did, because it leads to one of my favourite moments in the book - Luke Cage in the lift. Hah, little moments like that make the book.

Spider-Woman is in the book because, well, I guess an all male team would get too boring to look at? Finch draws a hot Jessica Drew. Smokin'! As for the remaining two, The Sentry's not in here for long, and Wolverine meets the team mid-way.

So it's a very contrived team, but the story leading up to it is some seriously explosive stuff. Breakout is essentially a two-parter, six-issue long slugfest - The Ryker Island episode, and the Savage Land episode.

Electro is hired to break someone out of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s maximum-security prison on Ryker Island, and he does that by overloading the prison security systems. As luck would have it, Matt "Daredevil" Murdock, Foggy Nelson, Luke Cage, and Jessica "Spider-Woman" Drew are on the island to meet The Sentry. The man who, according to Reed Richards, may be the most powerful person on Earth. Cap America flies in on a chopper, and Spider-Man hitches a ride. Whoo-hoo! And the s#@t hit the roof! Spidey gets his arm broken (which is mysteriously fixed by #4), and the heroes get their collective asses kicked. Cutting a long story short, the heroes win, but not before discovering that half the inmates have escaped. The Cap and Tony decide that fate has brought them together, and since they fought well together, they should become the New Avengers. ?? Yup, just like that, outta the blue, the team is formed again. They haven't approached The Sentry yet, and only Daredevil declines to join. Good move, Matt.

So from there, it's on to the Savage Land, because the target of the breakout was Karl Lycos, the terrible Sauron! Tremble, mortals!! Wolverine is on the island, and after his little tumble with Spider-Woman, the customary heroes-meet-then-fight-then-team-up moment of the story, they move on ahead. After they take down Sauron, they are attacked by S.H.I.E.L.D. and "a" Black Widow. They discover that S.H.I.E.L.D. has been mining vibranium, illegally stockpiling weapons material.

So that's it, the team's formed, but the story's just beginning. There's still things I don't like, but I'm thinking I'm not gonna sweat the small stuff. After all, it's a great read, and it's got one helluva good artist on it, David Finch. This team may not last, but while it does, I sure as hell hope it's all as kickass as this.