Some thoughts on some recent comics

[laughing_tree]

These aren't reviews.

Black Widow #5, by Chris Samnee and Mark Waid. For better or worse, this series is the closest I've ever seen anyone not named Warren Ellis successfully mimic the Warren Ellis action comic aesthetic (which, to my mind, is defined by long, decompressed scenes of skillfully sequenced wordless action, punctuated by brief scenes of memorable conversation between characters. See: Ellis and Master's current James Bond.)





New Avengers #14, by Al Ewing and Paco Medina. Question: Is there currently any superhero writer more skilled at juggling a large cast than Al Ewing? Counting the secondary characters, there are about ten different people in this book's cast, and each one of them always comes off as distinct. They're never interchangeable pieces just filling a slot as the guy to do the science stuff that's necessary to the plot or as an extra head to fill ranks in a big fight or whatever. Whenever they're doing anything, they're doing it in a way that's very much them. Also, even when the focus of a given issue or arc is only on Characters A and B, the story still finds time to give others their memorable moments.

I'd be interested in seeing Ewing at the reins of the Inhumans, as that bunch needs a sprawling cast to be the kind of story Marvel wants it to be.

Comments

[nyadnar17]

What are those Shield agents doing? hmmmmmmm?

[zero_elec]

They were clearly having an argument about comic book posing and how women tended to be placed in weird positions, she was demonstrating when the crash happened.

[super_fly]

"No, no, you gotta rotate at the hip a bit more, so the chest and the ass are both visible. Y'know what, I wish Hawkeye was around, he could nail that pose flawlessly."

[burkeonthesly]

"See if that calendar's still up in the break room. It might be in there."

[astrakhan42]

That's Hunter and Bobbi. They're trying to decide whether or not to get back on Agents of SHIELD next season.

(Okay that actually isn't Mockingbird. But considering the rumors, that conversation is definitely happening, most likely on screen in season 4.)

[mastermahan]

"I'm a super villain. So sue me. Actually, don't sue me, I'm already dealing with this Cease and Desist from Dr. Fate."

[long_silence]

Max is pretty fun. I hope that he finds a book once US Avengers starts if he's not in it.

[astrakhan42]

Max is a Ewing creation from back in Mighty Avengers, so I'll bet he's going over to that book. Plus if Toni Ho/Yinsen (also created by Ewing) is going to be in the field as the new Iron Patriot, someone has to be back at the ranch to do the science stuff.

[long_silence]

True but there's no guarantee. Right now we don't even know if Wiccan, Hulkling, Power Man and White Tiger are coming too.
Songbird may be forced back into the Thunderbolts

[cdamascus]

Do we know that New Avengers is ending though? Maybe Hulkling and Wiccan will stay in that title along with Power Man and White Tiger, maybe Songbird and a couple other new recruits.

[long_silence]

The fight against Maker and WHISPER seems to be the end of the book based on solicits.
It would be great if New Avengers continued, but between All New All Different, Uncanny, A-Force, Occupy Avengers, US Avengers I feel like there may be too many Avengers books these days

[malitia]

Apparently in Marvel NOWer:
- All New All Different Avengers will be split into Adjectiveless Avengers and Champions,
- Uncanny Avengers will continue uninterrupted,
- US Avengers will replace New Avengers (I so hoped that it only spins off but no sign),
- Occupy Avengers and Great Lakes Avengers (Yeah, Squirrel Girl's former team) will be a new series,
- Ultimates gets relaunched as Ultimates Squared,
- To date there is no info on A-Force yet.

[zylly]

Totally called who showed up at the end of New Avengers.