New Avengers (Vol. 1) #56

Background

Last issue The New Avengers lost their powers in a battle with Chemistro. Powerless and with half of the team unconscious how will our heroes survive?

Story Details

The only Avenger standing is Mockingbird as she has no powers. After defeating Chemistro Mockingbird battles The Wrecking Crew. During the battle she is saved by Spider-man’s webbing and helped out by Ronin. The Wrecker confronts Luke Cage who is having trouble with his heart. The Wrecker says that they weren’t even aiming for these Avengers but they’re the icing. Thunderball tells the group “Here we go”. There is an explosion, it’s The Sentry, suddenly The Sentry loses his powers and reverts back to Robert Reynolds. The rest of The Dark Avengers arrive. Iron Patriot asks what the villains are doing. The Wrecker tells him they were here to get his attention and to hold for a second. Dr. Harrow hacks into Iron Patriots armour and tells him he knows about his deal with The Hood and he is now in charge since The Hood has lost his powers. He tells Osborn it’s time to renegotiate the deal.

In Bayamo, Cuba, The Hood, Madame Masque and Loki find The Stones of Norn in a church. Loki tells The Hood these stones will restore his power, if he accepts them. Back in Times Square, Osborn is still talking to Harrow. Harrow tells him that they can have the same deal he had with The Hood and he’ll even throw in the power dampener. Osborn is about to tell Harrow no when Harrow depowers The Dark Avengers. Surrounded by The Crew, The Wrecker tells Osborn that Harrow wasn’t bluffing...

General Comments

So The Crew were after Norman’s Avengers just to renegotiate the same deal as they had under The Hoods leadership? This seems a bit of a dramatic way to get his attention, but this is the Marvel universe so I’ll let this pass! It’s good to see an old school Avengers against the odd issue but as soon as The Dark Avengers arrived the action just stopped dead, just as it was becoming exciting. I don’t know what The New Avengers were doing while the faceoff between the Crew and Dark Avengers was taking place but that should have been shown. I’m looking forward to seeing how The Hood takes his group back but as for his new source of powers I have to say this, every book he appears in has him still linked to Dormammu is it too much for a little continuity these days? One minute he’s with Dormammu, then he’s with Loki!

Overall Rating

3 webs. Good action to start but then the usual talking takes over. I hope this picks up next issue but as with most of Bendis' this will read better if all parts are read in one go, not on a monthly basis!