New Avengers #26

Writer – Jonathan Hickman
Artist – Kev Walker
Inker – Scott Hanna
Colours – Frank Martin, Dono Sanchez Almara

New Avengers returns with a look at Tony Stark who currently sits in a prison, essentially of his own making.  The events with the Illuminati, the incursions, with the deceiving of Captain America and more have all led to his current situation and so it is that he sits, with little hope that someone will come to set him free.  Hickman paints a great portrait of Stark, a man who as Black Swan states ‘has never served anyone beyond himself.’  Tony has always been brash, egotistical and self-centered.  He does help out humanity and his teammates quite a bit, but he always has something in the back of his mind, something that is always working on how to make the most of the situation, of how it can benefit him in some way.  That thinking has now landed him here and when an opportunity presents itself in both Black Swan at one point and in Spider-Woman and Black Widow during another to gain freedom, it is his ego that prevents it from happening.  The issue did not focus solely upon Tony as we see Doom continuing with plans of his own on how to benefit from the disputes taking place within the ranks of the heroes, as well as the incursions.  The conversation between he and Valeria was fun, as are most instances between the two and it gives Doom an idea, for what, remains to be seen but it should be quite interesting.  Another great issue from Hickman and artist Kev Walker detailing the future of the Avengers eight months later.

4 out of 5

Avengers #38

Writer – Jonathan Hickman
Artist – Stefano Caselli
Colours – Frank Martin

Roberto Dacosta, Suspot, and the owner of A.I.M., has a plan.  He wants to not only stop the incursions, but also the fighting between the various heroes of Earth.  He wants to bring all of the Avengers back together and remind them that they are all friends and that there is something bigger out there worth fighting for instead of each other.  It is not going to be easy.  Taking place soon after the events of New Avengers #26, this book sees Spider-Woman and Black Widow join Sunspot’s new team which also consists of Manifold, Cannonball, Smasher, Shang-Chi and new members Pod, Validator and the Zebra Kids.  Hickman also starts to tie things in together, going all the way back to the first issues of the book when Ex Nihilo was going to remake the Earth and how those creation bombs may now play a part in its salvation.  It is nice to see Sunspot as the confidant man that he is in this book from being the former, reckless New Mutant.  His evolution as a character has come a long way and is in part, thanks to Hickman and his fondness for him.  Pod seems to be a very intriguing character and it will be interesting to see what Hickman does with her, not to mention Validator once we start to learn a bit more about him.  The ending of the book does not so much go out with a bang, but it does give the reader a promise of excitement and action to come which is something to look forward to.  There is a lot to love in this book, whether it is the suspense present or the cast of characters, and it never fails to entertain which is something you can never get enough of.

4 out of 5