Avengers (Vol. 4) #20

Background

Fear Itself is over and Steve Rogers has just chosen his new Avengers team... and Spider-man is not on it! Spider-woman is though, so there's still a reason to keep reviewing it.

Story Details

Norman Osborn has banded together with Hydra, AIM and other bad guy organisations with a new plan to take down the Avengers and gain world domination! Step one is to bust in on the Avengers press conference announcing the new team and stirring up the public against the Avengers. Step two is split up the Avengers and use the genetic material stolen from the world's superheroes to create strike teams capable of taking the Avengers down.

The Avengers do split to try and track down Norman. Hawkeye and Spider-woman head to Thunderbolt mountain and are confronted by a bunch of Hulks with wall-crawling powers. The Red Hulk and Storm head to an old Oscorp plant and are taken down by a bunch Wasp-like guys. Protector and Iron Man head to an AIM base, where Iron Man's armor is hacked and then used to take down Protector.

Cap, Vision and Maria Hill are quin-jetting around when the news filters through to them about what is happening. Just as they are about to turn around they are set upon by a giant-sized HAMMER agent, with phasing powers!

General Comments

This is a great issue that's fairly fast paced and easy to enjoy. Not everything that has been done with Norman Osborn has been great since his resurrection, but I have liked him as Marvel's new number one bad guy in recent years. His motivations are a bit unclear at times and it would be great if in this current arc, they could be a little clearer. I know he wants to be in charge of the world again, but the why and what he is going to do different this time would be great to know.

The way Norman battles the Avengers on two fronts is great. Cap's annoyance at the way the public react to Norman's appearance and words is clear. For the reader even, Norman's arguments are compelling, his lies are laced with just enough truth that they make sense and seem reasonable.

The other, more traditional fight front is a little more problematic. I can buy into Norman playing the Avengers and trapping them. That part I'm fine with. But the whole creating a bunch of powerful bad guys out of thin air is a bit hard to believe and just seems convenient to the plot. I know this is a comic and this sort of stuff happens all the time when it's convenient, but this seems to be at a ridiculous level. Multiple superhero powers mixed and cloned in a short time frame, it just doesn't quite seem right.

Overall Rating

I liked it. Good art and entertaining story.