New Avengers v1 #17: Impact Superhero Work

[stolisomancer]

The new arc on Superman has reminded me of one of the scenes I really liked from early in New Avengers, right before the "Civil War" crossover blew the status quo to hell again.

I'm on record as saying that my biggest disappointment with Quesada's era of Marvel is that he's come up with some genuinely interesting new directions for characters or teams, only to immediately double back or veer off when a big crossover jumps in. The first two dozen issues or so of New Avengers is a good example there, of a potentially cool plot idea that's never been touched upon again.

Comments

[protogarrett]

This was such a cool scene.

(Also, Spider-Man, back when he had poison talons, armor, and could glide. Admittedly, I liked it when he was suped enough to take out entire teams of avengers on his own had he wanted.)

[salad_barbarian]

This seems like an interesting idea. But while it will drive down regular crime it might end up attracting supervillian crime.

[doomisay]

To be fair, this seems to be meant as foreshadowing Luke leading the Avengers, which he's done off and on since Civil War ended.

[thatnickguy]

Am I the only one who wishes Cage would go as Power Man, instead? It's got such a great sound to it. Plus, maybe wear a costume. Not the gaudy 70s costume, but something a bit more modern.

Otherwise, he just looks like a dude wearing street clothes next to everyone else with their bright, primary colours.

[jcbaggee]

To Spidey's credit, he's done that without the armored costume. But I still dug the suit for the brief time he had it, it wasn't a terrible change.

[jcbaggee]

He tried updating his costume in the 90s to a black leather jacket and red shirt thing, don't think it went over too well.

I think the fact that he doesn't use a codename or a costume anymore is a great growth for the character personally. He's not a super hero per se, he's a street level guy who isn't afraid to step up to bigger threats when they arise.

[thatnickguy]

Oh, I have nothing against it being character growth. If any character is most suited for how he's been done, then it's Cage.

I just mean more in the sense when he runs around with the other Avengers. It's a minor complaint, at best, honestly.

[crabby_lioness]

Did New Avengers start right after A:Disassembled or what? My chronology is a bit fuzzy.

[stolisomancer]

I want to say it started right after Avengers: Finale, but I don't know for sure.

[ninjapeps]

my biggest disappointment with Quesada's era of Marvel is that he's come up with some genuinely interesting new directions for characters or teams, only to immediately double back or veer off when a big crossover jumps in

no kidding. The Other is the main thing that comes to mind. it was supposed to be something that would change Spider-Man but no one bothered using anything that developed from it. He Who Shall Not Be Named at least used the (admittedly stupid) stingers in Friendly Neighborhood but no one else seemed to remember that Spidey's other powers got upgraded, too.

Quesadia

[nefrekeptah]

my biggest disappointment with Quesada's era of Marvel is that he's come up with some genuinely interesting new directions for characters or teams, only to immediately double back or veer off when a big crossover jumps in.

Wasn't this more Bendis' idea then Quesada's? How many of the current new story directions and arcs were Quesada's idea? The only one I know of it OMD. I thought a lot of the stuff happening in the Marvel U right now came from the respective writers.

[glprime]

I loved what Dan Slott said in his short-lived Thing series, where Ben gives Peter flak for the suit only have three robotic arms, as opposed to the more logical four: "It looks like you can't count."

[ravenous_raven]

Surely not if the visits are all unplanned and they just hop-skip to different places with no rhyme or reason?

[salad_barbarian]

Wouldn't they have to stay in an area a little bit to be effective? If they only stick around a few minutes criminals will figure out they only have to hide or stop for a short time before getting back to selling drugs* or whatever.


*I have problems with superheros going after drug dealers and prostitutes but that's a whole different issue.

[stolisomancer]

The general idea behind "impact" police work, and thus hero work, is that it restores order to a neighborhood that doesn't ordinarily have it. If the criminal inhabitants of the neighborhood are accustomed to working openly, because the law enforcement isn't around, you screw up their entire working model once law enforcement is around.

It's meant to destabilize, not to create a predictable routine.

Re: Quesadia

[stolisomancer]

I suppose it's more of my phrasing than anything else. I'm honestly not sure what comes from him and what comes from the writers' circle he talks about. A better way to phrase it is that under his tenure as EIC, the status quo changes rapidly and well before it's quite worn out its welcome, with the arguable exception of Dark Reign.

[anewchallenger]

I honestly think it'd be cool to have a side team of Avengers who [never] wear costumes. Batroc or some poon starts messing up everyone's dates at a French restaurant in San Diego, and some motherfucker casually stands up, pulls a bow from his attache case and fires a hundred arrows into his ass. By the time people realized 'Oh shit - that's Hawkeye!' he'd be gone.

[lbd_nytetrayn]

It was too bad, too. I thought the upgraded powers freshened things up a bit.

--LBD "Nytetrayn"

[darkblade]

"Tony ran out of cave scraps. That box couldn't last him forever."

[tzipwich]

The series did, but I think in Marvel time it was half a year later.