Bendis makes this book another winner because of his trademark dialogue. In every book he writes, he uses his very specific brand of dialogue, and sometimes it works, other times not so much. But this time, very much so.
This issue is part 4 of a larger story, but this is the first time we see the “new” Avengers dealing with a little bit of downtime. Not a whole lot, mind you, but we get to see the new Avengers digs, and we’re starting to see how they deal with each other.
Bendis and Finch have complete control over the tone of their book, mixing the perfect amount of plot, action, characterization and humor in these 22 pages. The main story is how they are going to find Electro. And then they do. It’s that simple. But the whole book is crammed in with a lot more, little nuggets like the new Avenger Quinjet, the return of Spider-woman (and her subsequent knock-offs), SHEILD red tape, a box of donuts, and even an appearance by a very famous X-man. It’s not a big surprise, but it’s an effective cliffhanger.
I was not a fan of the Avengers until recently. I didn’t dislike them at all, I was just not a huge supporter of them. I got that they were a team of superheroes, but what I couldn’t get behind was their meaning. The simple “why” of their existence. What I like about this New Avengers series is that we’re starting to see the reason they are a team. The reasons behind what they do. Now, it’s only issue #4, so I don’t pretend to know everything about them right now, but it’s great to see them evolving every issue.
Some criticize Bendis for making his comics too fluffy, and padding them so they run longer than they need to, but this issue was packed with tons of stuff to keep readers and the Avengers busy.
Honestly though, I can’t wait until the Sentry shows up again.
