New Avengers #28

Genre action Author Brian Michael Bendis Publisher Marvel Comics External Links Official Marvel Comics Website

Team books, done right, can be some of the best comics out there. You get a bunch of your favorite characters, plus some that you might not know very well, all in one book. Although it received a lot of flak at it's inception, Brian Michael Bendis' New Avengers is one of those team books done right. The perfect blend of drama, action, and Bendis' trademark wittiness make the book that fantastic. In fact, Bendis' dialogue may be what makes this book so great. As I said before, the characters are what make a team book good, and at its core, character interaction is what New Avengers is all about.

New Avengers #28 continues right after the events of the last issue, however this issue is the first to carry the post Civil War "Initiative" moniker. What that means is that essentially all the classified information regarding the repercussions of the war are out of the bag, and the book needn't be constrained by them any longer. One of the worst parts of the whole Civil War crossover was that some of Marvel's key books had to be held back, due to the fact that the actual Civil War mini was delayed for so long. Now though, the cats out of the bag, and the book can go forward unhindered. I think #27 cheated a bit though, as that issue was released before the end of Civil War, but it was pretty clear that the pro-registration side had won.

After reading this issue, I felt I had read 3 issues of one book. I once got into an argument over Brian Michael Bendis talent as a writer, and the person's argument was that "he must get paid per word". I'm sorry, but when I read a comic, I do want to read something. This issue covers so much ground in such a short amount of space, it makes you laugh to think of the term "decompressed". One of the most phenomenal segments is a scene of Luke Cage doing a piece of unregistered vigilantism. After stopping an attempted hold up without breaking a sweat, Cage keeps his cool in an argument with a cop. After getting fed up, Cage flees the scene in one of the most hilariously awesome acts I've ever seen him do. It's epic in scope, yet this is not even the highlight of the book.

All that is done in only four pages.

I am well aware that there are many out there who don't just read a comic for the literary brilliance. Those expecting to see some pretty pictures are going to hold a new standard for splash pages. When Bendis' words aren't on the page, Lenil Yu's pencils do the talking just fine. Realistic yet stylized, Yu's talent borders that fine line between efficiency and aesthetic.

For those looking for a single issue that is packed with enough material to fill most trade paperbacks, please pick up New Avengers #28. Everyone who turned off back when Disassembled occurred, give the book a shot. For those of you clamoring for a more traditional Avengers book, pick up the concurrent Mighty Avengers, also by Bendis. Then, try to realize that they're trying to do something else with New Avengers, something incredibly beautiful.