New Avengers (Vol. 2) #16.1

Background

Due to the events in the Siege storyline, Norman Osborn has been sent to prison. While incarcerated, The Avengers have been investigating rogue H.A.M.M.E.R. agents, who still believe Osborn was right.

Story Details

Norman Osborn is in his cell speaking to the voice inside his head. The voice asks him what he is going to do next. Next we see The Avengers eating, (as usual it seems the only time they are together is to eat or fight, kinda like my family at Christmas). Victoria Hand tells the team that Osborn is due in court and he needs an escort.

Later the team arrives on The Raft, (the superhuman prison where the original New Avengers team was formed). The Thing, Spidey and Luke Cage escort Osborn onto the Quinjet when Osborn is rescued by server H.A.M.M.E.R. agents. Once they get away one of the agents asks Osborn for the rendezvous point. Osborn doesn’t know and is revealed to be Dr. Strange who promptly arrests the agents. The Thing says “Someone tell Logan it’s his turn”.

Wolverine, Jessica Jones and Ironfist take Osborn from his cell. When Osborn threatens Jessica’s baby Wolverine gets into Osborn’s face. Osborn tells one of the guards the word is given. The guards take Wolverine down and attack Ironfist. Osborn is freed from his restraints, he throws Jessica into Ironfist and escapes with the guards. Jessica raises the alarm. During his escape Osborn fees Superia. Outside The Raft there is no trace of Osborn, the team have nothing to follow. Wolverine confronts one of the guards who tells him that Osborn is the future.

Finally we Osborn with thousands of followers, among them there are some members of A.I.M. and Hydra.

General Comments

Finally Osborn's back and he's not alone! It looks like Osborn has grown beyond Spider-Man villian and into a fully fledge threat to the Marvel Universe. It's about time one of Spidey's foes reached that level.

While I'm not sure it would be that easy to put Wolverine down long enough for Osborn to escape, the escape plan was sound and worked well, with Norman being two steps ahead.

Bendis has written a great Point one issue which sets up the next Avengers story in a big way. What can I say about Neal Adams' art that hasn't ben said before? The man draws a mean Goblin and he's a great story teller, and I'd love to see him return to New Avengers in the future.

Overall Rating

Great done in one story and the art gets a whole web just for being, no pun intended, Amazing!

Footnote

This issue is part of Marvel's point one initiative to provide new readers with a jumping on point.