Avengers 8, New Avengers 4, Dark Avengers 188

Avengers 8
Hickman (w) and Weaver (a) and Ponsor (c)

As I said in my pre-game this week, this is the new Avengers' series first two-issue+ story since the first arc. We've taken every issue between to fill us in about some newly created character or other. It's fitting that this is the longest arc since the first one as it's apparently tying into the first arc more than just featuring Nightmask, who was created in that first arc. Nightmask who, along with Captain Universe, seems to be the only one who comprehends what's happening right now brings the Avengers to the new Starbrand, a being who has the power to defend a planet while it rises to a new level. Starbrand is a student named Kevin Connor and he has just discovered that his enormous amount of power has leveled his school and killed over three thousand people. He panics over the news and the Avengers start to make a path for the outside the blast radius except Hulk, who charges the new superhuman. Defensively, Starbrand shoots Hulk into space. The Avengers, a little less comforting and a little more wary now, approach Kevin to try to take him in for tests and questions, which alarms Kevin and provokes another attack. He's hit by Mjolnir but dusts it off before blasting Thor and Hyperion away. Meanwhile, Captain Marvel and Hulk share a moment as she flies to retrieve him and flings him back at Starbrand, at least knocking him down for a minute. Nightmask and Captain Universe stop the battle so Nightmask can take Starbrand and show him what's happening. Nightmask shows what he can of the conflicted system. Nightmask explains the system is conflicted because the builders had other, older systems that weren't meant to be used in tandem with this newer system. He then brings Starbrand "home" with him to Mars and Ex Nihilo and Abyss.

There's plenty to work with going forward and certainly a story worthy of the Avengers. I've made this argument before, but an Avengers story is hard because it has to be fairly self-contained but also present a big enough problem so as to actually require the Avengers, and not just Captain America or Iron Man or Thor. This story is doing an excellent job balancing that. It's a story that keeps to itself quietly enough (spare the three thousand dead civilians at the school) but has possibly catastrophic consequences and the characters involved are enough to take down any single or two Avengers. I am really enjoying this new series and I think it's headed in a great direction. Hickman and his artists have brought back a feeling of an epic scale that I think has been rather missing from Avengers books recently. Marvel is doing a fantastic job in Marvel NOW! of making the many Avengers titles feel bigger and more serious than they have over the last several years, if ever. Avengers, New Avengers, and Uncanny Avengers are all better books than I would have hoped for in my wildest dreams. They, as a unit, are the single best thing I can point to in Marvel NOW! to explain why I think Marvel's at the top of its game right now (not to mention all the other great books that have spawned from this new lineup).

New Avengers 4
Hickman (w) and Epting and Magyar (a) and D'Armata (c)

The next incursion event has happened a little sooner than the New Avengers were hoping. Black Panther and Reed Richards have come up with an idea, a bomb of sorts, to be prepared to destroy any incurring worlds. Tony Stark, meanwhile, has begun construction on a sphere that will weaponize the sun. Both plans require more time when the newest Earth appears over 616's. Doctor Strange has turned to dark arts to find a way to stop any incursion. He's found a spell that could work but will cost his life. When the incursion begins, a new Earth appearing over Ellis Island, Beast suggests they enter that world and search for that Universe's infinity gems. They agree to attempt it before using other and more fatal means, though they realize it would mean someone needing to stay behind to operate the gems from their native universe. Doc Strange mentions that his plan requires much of the same sacrifice, so the New Avengers all travel into the incurring Earth, which has a statue of Magneto welcoming them as opposed to the Statue of Liberty. As they begin to argue about where to start searching, Black Bolt directs their attention to Galactus, who has set up shop in the new Earth and is creating his conversion machine. It turns out Galactus is aware of the incursions and also requires it to stop, lest it destroy the universe of which he is a constant. Terrax, Galactus' herald, explains this to the New Avengers, who are now torn between allowing Galactus to continue, ridding them of their problem, or taking the time to try to defeat him when they should be looking for the infinity gems.

It should be no secret to readers that I think this book is the best Marvel book coming out right now. That's not said lightly. Even if you read the review above this one, you should know how not lightly it's said. It's in competition with a ton of other books (Avengers, Captains America and Marvel, Hawkeye, Uncanny Avengers, to name a few) but I'm constantly blown away by it. I love the moral dilemmas, I love the struggle this team is facing, I love that it's a problem seemingly only worthy of the Illuminati, and I love the characters in the book. I talked above (and I've talked before) about finding problems big enough that the Avengers have to solve them without requiring a Universe-spanning event. In a way, I think it's harder for this New Avengers book to find problems like that because they also have to be intensely challenging moral questions on top of finding big enough and contained enough problems. This story falls very much into that range, asking its team to make the hardest possible choices while also being unable to involve anyone besides themselves. Phenomenal book and another phenomenal issue (I also can't say enough how great this art team is, with Epting pencils, Magyar inks, and D'Armata colors. Each issue is gorgeous on top of the great stories).

Dark Avengers 188
Parker (w) and Edwards and Pallot (a) and Sotomayor (c)

Skaar says his goodbye to the apparently dead Moonstar after a devastating attack from one of Grimm's creatures. He doesn't have much time to mourn, though, as he and Reed Richards uncover a pair of AIM spies who appear to have time-warped in. One escapes but Skaar stops the other from phasing away and Richards infuriates Grimm enough to leave the spy behind for Skaar to question. Meanwhile, the majority of the team is stuck trying to cross Hell's Kitchen to get to Strange. After questioning from a bunch of street heroes (Misty Knight, Shang-Chi, Iron Fist, Daredevil, and Colleen Wing among them), the team is released from their webs by Spider-Man ("befriended" by Al Apaic) and they continue towards Strange, who promptly kills Spider-Man, the street team's strongest hero. Finally, we see into Pym's lab, where he's supposed to be making a neutron bomb for Tony before Namor and Sue Storm attack the city. He has, instead, been working to revive Ragnarok, who finally wakes up as the issue ends, able to see some form of Moonstone, who gestures to him to be quiet.

A lot happened in this issue that sets up even more to happen in the next one. I don't want to sound like this issue is spinning its wheels and not going anywhere, because there were some big developments, but it does seem like the last couple have been pushing us towards a climax that has yet to be seen. It seems impossible, though, that we won't get some answers next time, what with most of the team being confronted by Strange, one member working on what seems to be the core of the problem in this world (the AIM spies, who Richards believes might have put this all in motion), and a couple members in the basement of Stark's territory. It's all coming to a head and it feels like everyone is in a place to make something happen. It's still interesting to me to see where everyone has ended up in this strange and broken world. Daredevil, wearing a version of his yellow costume, has given up hope for heroes while his allies seem a little more optimistic. There's something up with Tony, who apparently refuses to reveal his face. Grimm is incredibly angry and bitter over something that's happened to Alicia Masters. It's all very interesting and I think whatever the reveal is about AIM will either enlighten us to how everything could have turned so ugly or disappoint us about it. Time will tell.