OH MY GOD! This week was probably my favorite week in comics for 2010 so far. Siege is over, The red Hulk's have been revealed and as Socko said "The Birds of Prey got back together."
I have so much to talk about...lets get to it.
SIEGE #4
Bendis did it and he did it big. This was the final piece of the puzzle that he layed down seven years ago in "Avengers Disassembled". Steve Rogers rallied the Avengers and they kicked Norman Osborn's ass and hard. When all was lost and nothing seemed like it could stop The Void from destroying everyone on the remains of Asgard, Loki of all people repents for his past crimes and gives the heroes the power of the Norn Stones to defeat The Void. Not only does he show a side we the readers have never seen but he also sacrifices himself.
As Bob Reynolds in his human form begs Thor to kill him to stop The Void, Thor crosses the line that no hero ever wants to but in the end has to because it's a mercy killing and it stops the villain.
The Hood and Madame Masque make a run for it leaving behind all of their powered down lackeys to get arrested along with the remaining H.A.M.M.E.R troops left in Broxton.
With Norman Osborn out, Steve Rogers is called in by the President and asked to become America's next top cop. He replaces Nick Fury, Tony Stark and now Norman Osborn as the big security chief. His first order of business is to abolish The Super Human Registration Act, which means The New Avengers and all the real heroes are no longer criminals in the eyes of the law. The Heroic Age has truly begun.
Speaking for myself being a huge Avengers fan, I'm so excited to see what all the new titles spinning out of this have in store. Which bring me to my next book...
NEW AVENGERS FINALE.
I never thought I'd see this book but alas all good things must come to an end. So like I said The Hood and Madame Masque escaped Oklahoma and are on the run from the heroes and the law. What better time for Madame Masque to run back to daddy, who turns out to be the long time Avengers villain...Count Nefaria!
The New Avengers are hot on their trail when they find out from The Hood's scorn crew that he has a cousin and they're all fairly sure that if The Hood's on the run, he's going to get in touch with him.
They find his cousin and set everything up for a trap. Inside Count Nefaria's penthouse, he's explaining to The Hood that he'll help him get his powers back but he wants every single penny the two have stolen since becoming Norman Osborn's dogs. In mid conversation is when the trap snaps and everyone gets their asses beat Avengers style.
The team heads back to Broxton where they drop off the three criminals and find out from Maria Hill that the Super Human Registration Act has been lifted and Steve Rogers is America's next top cop.
I really enjoyed this issue and the little look back at what this incarnation of the Avengers has had to go through since their inception. It's sad to see this book end because it's been such a figure head for so long but a New-New Avengers series starts in June so we'll see what comes from that then.
which leads us to...
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #35
With all the other heroes fighting in Oklahoma, The Avengers Resistance is waging a full scale battle on Camp H.A.M.M.E.R and it's remaining villains. So much happens in a small amount of time.
Taskmaster and Constrictor make their way out of Asgard leaving behind Diamondback to wonder just what Constrictor is going to do now that the tide of power has shifted once again.
The Avengers Resistance aka The New Warriors and The Camp Hammond graduates finish off the last of Osborn's remaining loyalists at Camp H.A.M.M.E.R, while Cloud 9, Komodo and Hardball make amends with one another and realize that the first group to graduate from the Initiative need to stick together and work hard to make sure that nothing like what's happened can happen again.
The best part of the issue is where Parker Robbins aka The Hood is tied to a chair in a holding cell and Tigra comes in and does the unexpected and doesn't kill him but gives him the ultimate F- You by telling him that no matter what he'll never touch his family again whereas she will be with her son and nothing can stop her.
A son? When did Tigra get pregnant? Who is the father? I think it's Skrull Hank Pym. Another story plot we'll have to wait and see what happens.
I'm sad to see this book end because it's been nothing short of awesome every month since it came out but with the new book Avengers Academy coming out soon, we won't have to wait to long to see these characters again.
DARK AVENGERS #16
Another book that see's its final issue come and go. To cut through all the retold stuff about how the heroes win and how Steve Rogers gets the job he should've gotten all the way back when Civil War was starting, we see Daken escape Broxton, the remaining Dark Avengers get arrested, Victoria Hand is asked to work for Steve Rogers as his new director, Thor gives Phobos Ares' helmut and battle axe and tells him that no matter what his father did really love him and everything he's ever done no matter how messed up was always for his benefit and that maybe one day he'll fully understand it.
My favorite is the ending, we see Norman Osborn locked up and talking to himself. Is it Loki or someone else playing with his fragile mind?...no! It's the Green Goblin persona telling him that no matter what Norman does, he'll always be a part of him.
I think I'm more excited to see what happens to the remaining Dark Avengers in this new Heroic Age than I am for anything else. Will they be treated like the criminals they are and be locked up or will they attempt to rehabilitate them again in the Thunderbolts program under the guidance of Luke Cage? only time will tell.
SIEGE EMBEDDED #4
This book really gives you the ground view of everything that's happened. Ben Urich survives the Sentry crashing into Asgard and like the good person he is begins to look for other survivors. In his search he comes across loud mouth icon Todd Keller.
Ben meets up with Volstagg and Will Stern just in time to see everything go down as the heroes face off against The Void and win. They also bare witness to Volstagg stopping Norman Osborn from fleeing the scene.
After everything is said and done, Ben and Will both head back to Frontline and return to "normal" life. Volstagg has pledged to help with the clean up of Soldiers Field. Norman Osborn is in jail and big mouth Todd Keller has switched band wagons and is now telling everyone how Captain America is in charge and he ain't taking crap from no one. All in all a nice ending to a great story.
Granted we've been running the gauntlet with continuing attacks, invasions and sieges, it would be nice to see Ben Urich and Frontline get their own ongoing so we can still get that view from the streets when the battles up in the air over our heads. We'll see what happens.
SIEGE EPILOGUE: THE SENTRY: FALLEN SUN
With the battles finally over and things returning to a somewhat state of normal it's now time to bury the dead and the one person who everyone knew and was sad to see die but knew it had to happen was Bob Reynolds aka The Sentry. The Fantastic Four, Rogue, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers and Cyclops and Emma all make their way to his grave to say their last goodbyes.
This issue is really weird because you have to take in the fact that The Sentry was written into Marvel continuity only a couple of years ago. He's had roots in the beginnings of so many heroes lives. Reed Richards for one was Bob's best man at his wedding. Everyone says their goodbyes in their own ways and for the most part it was a very sad and touching issue unlike any other death of a hero comic, this one was really about the things Bob did to save people by making them all forget him as opposed to his accomplishments.
Thor who was the one to strike the killing blow visits Mrs Reynolds, Bob's mother and attempts to tell her what happened but winds up hanging out with her and enjoying each others company.
The strangest part which leads me to believe that something is going to happen with The Sentry / Void in the future is Cloc's response to Reed Richards telling him that he's going to rebuild the Watchtower in anticipation for his masters return and if anyone comes near it they will be considered a threat and killed on site.
If you don't get what everyone is talking about in this story, make sure you check out the three Sentry mini's that have come out and maybe you'll get a better insight into this unsung hero.
and that's the end of SIEGE! HERE'S TO THE HEROIC AGE!
check back later this week for more on this weeks books including:
The next chapter of Second Coming
The Return of Bruce Wayne
Fall Of The Hulks
The return of The Birds Of Prey
and
Justice League Lost Generation
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