New Avengers #1
One thing that’s starting to get old with these Marvel NOW! titles is the way the stories are structured. I’m fine with the series being written ‘for the trade’ as so many comics are now these days, but so many debut issues have started with the ending, turned back to the beginning, and then jumped back to the ending. This style of story telling is starting to wear thin and makes these comics less enjoyable. I like this New Avengers story, but the structure is annoying.
Negativity aside, one thing I really enjoy about this comic is you can easily see from the series is the gravity of the situation here. I can’t think of the last time I read a superhero comic where the stakes in the story were as visible in the debut issue as they are here. It’s not in the dialogue either, it’s in the fantastic artwork by Steve Epting. His renderings of the characters in this tale really show how serious it is and how these characters reactions are genuine. Even beyond his figure work he has created some fantastic background and scenery out of all the Marvel NOW! series.
New Avengers is a wicked cool comic. It’s got a really solid story, a fantastic cast, and some of the best art we’ve seen from the Marvel NOW! relaunch. The only fault in it is the selected style of storytelling which no longer feels like a unique perspective to start a ‘Super team’ story. In short, it’s a great addition to the rest of the titles.
Rating: 8.5 / 10
