Secret Avengers 1, Avengers Assemble 12, Avengers Arena 4

Secret Avengers 1
Spencer (w) and Ross (a) and Wilson (c)

Okay, so like I've said the last two days (in my excuses), I've just started a new job this week, one that requires lots of prep time and long hours and it's something I'm only mildly prepared for. I'm prepared for it by way of "yeah, I guess this is something I'm short-term qualified for, I can help you out." Look, what I'm trying to get at is that I'm also awful tired at the end of the day and the end of the day is when I plan to read some COMICS.

This much forewarning should probably give you some idea what's happening in this review.

Maybe it's how tired I am. Maybe it's how burnt out I am after the week. Maybe it's the change of pace of this job. But I had some trouble following this story. I got it to a point, but a lot of this memory implant business is going to be necessary to re-explain. I also have NO IDEA where this fits in the Marvel Universe. They made reference to things that I'd relate to The Avengers, even if they are actual events in the Marvel Universe. WHY WOULD YOU BE THIS CONFUSING TO ME, SECRET AVENGERS? Still, there are things from deeper in the regular Universe (like reference to Quake, the new head of SHIELD, and to Druid, who I don't think we've seen since Secret Warriors) and enough to keep you asking questions about the Universe as a whole.

There are some things to look forward to in this book, it seems. There's a bit of a conspiracy a'brewin' (welcome to SHIELD, amirite guys?). There's enough intrigue to keep me reading. I'm interested to see how the next few issues play out before I say that there's enough to keep me subscribing. I think this issue asked more questions than it answered, even after months of speculation around the book. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though. That's what keeps us coming back. We'll just have to see how these things play out.

Avengers Assemble 12
Deconnick (w) and Woods and Hanna (a) and Beredo (c)

This book has developed into something I rather enjoy after starting as something I avoided. That might have to do with my fondness for Kelly Sue Deconnick, but it might also be just because Kelly Sue gets it. This is a book that has the chance, maybe more of a chance than other books, to have a fun spirit to it. It's tied to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a weird way. It's not a part of the Cinematic Universe, but the book started as a result of the movie, trying to pick up new readers interested in the movie but not dying to delve into the decades and decades of interlocking backstories. FAIR, guys, that's totally fair. It's a bit of a cleaner version of the Marvel Universe then. The characters are still the same ones we've seen, but the problems are almost entirely new ones. It also leaves probably a little more room for fun. Not obnoxious "serves no one" fun. Fun, character based dialogue. Even, and this has been a shock to me both here and over in Captain Marvel, fun Spider-Woman. WHAT. I know.

On top of all those good things, last arc was an interesting one that challenged characters with tough decisions and intimidating villains. This one follows in the same vein. Black Widow wants to make up for her past and, as a result, has given out "markers" to people she's wronged in the hopes she can repay them some day. That's the frame for this story, which also gives us our first real look at Hawkeye and Spider-Woman's relationship. Yes, it was started in Bendis' Avengers run out of his love for Spider-Woman and his similar infatuation with Hawkeye getting women, but the brunt of that run was just them making out and being together an awful lot. Here, Deconnick dives into a very complicated relationship, one rife with past relationship problems on both sides and the problems they face today.

It's interesting stuff without coming off too soap opera-y. Hawkeye and Black Widow's relationship, too, is a fun one to read. Compared against Secret Avengers 1, both characters show up with more of a history together. We know they HAVE a history in Secret Avengers, but it might as well have been any two Marvel heroes talking to one another in that issue, whereas this one gives us a real sense of familiarity and camaraderie beyond simply working together. If you haven't yet, maybe because you consider yourself a long-term fan and uninterested in anything movie-connected, it's worth kicking the tires on this series. I think you'll find yourself pleasantly surprised.

Avengers Arena 4
Hopeless (w) and Vitti (a) and Martin (c)

The same thing I've said about the first three Avengers Arena issues so far holds true in issue four just as well. I don't know the Runaways as well as I really should. I know they had a great origin. I know they had a really interesting run. I know they split time between Brian K. Vaughn and Joss Whedon, giving them one of the best pedigrees in all of modern comics. I know all that. I still haven't read it. I'M SORRY. I've seen them every so often when they pop up in other things (Avengers Academy, something to do with X-Men) but I often forget their power sets and personalities until i'm reading about them. Also, I tend to forget they exist.

That said, Hopeless does another good job making me care about the characters I don't even know in this series. On top of loading this issue with enough backstory and personality to give us a true sense of the characters, Hopeless never does so much that it makes the reader feel overwhelmed by the story or by the history. It's a really hard line to toe but Hopeless has done it for four straight issues. It's worth reading if just to watch that happen. It's also worth reading because it's exciting and new and different and seems to have some real stakes to it.

As I intimated, this issue features Nico and Chase of the Runaways meeting up with Reptil, Hazmat, and X-23 of the Avengers Academy as they all try to stay alive. There's still some sort of unseen assassin out there and s/he strikes again, doing major damage to Reptil and making it seem like Chase was behind the attack. Nico and Chase talk their way out of a big fight with X-23 and Hazmat but still have to leave their company. As Nico takes off ahead, Chase stumbles on Darkhawk's amulet (now stripped from Darkhawk after last issue) and it dives inside him, giving him Darkhawk's power. There's a lot of great character business here, including Hazmat refusing to be called Jen in the wake of Mettle exploding in issue one, Chase worrying that he'll survive all this (as he always survives crazy stuff, he says) at the cost of someone he cares about, Reptil and Hazmat's friendly relationship, etc. This book is worth subscribing to, if you have any interest in the younger heroes/maybe heroes of the Marvel Universe. It's worth it anyway, frankly, but give it a shot one way or another.