The New Avengers #53 - Mobile Edition

Marvel Comics
The New Avengers #53
By Hervé St-Louis
June 9, 2009 - 22:50

Marvel Comics
Writer(s): Brian Michael Bendis
Penciller(s): Billy Tan
Inker(s): Matt Banning
Colourist(s): Justin Ponsor
Letterer(s): Albert Deschesne, Jimmy Betancourt
Cover Artist(s): Billy Tan, Matt Banning, Jason Keith
$3.99 US

The Avengers are trying to help Doctor Strange find the new sorcerer supreme of Earth, but the Hood is already on the case and ready to steal the Eye of Agamotto from its new owner. Unfortunately, the Hood may not be up to the task to defeat Earth’s new sorcerer supreme. Elsewhere, Madame Masque is up to no good, providing back up for her boyfriend the Hood. Will Spider-Woman be able to defeat her?

Clearly, Bendis is putting more efforts in the Dark Avengers than in the regular Avengers’ series. This one read as if an afterthought of the main storyline. It feels like this team of Avengers, although the natural prime team is not that capable. They have all the big guns, yet Madame Masques can give them trouble. This story is really a preparation for the next Marvel Comics’ crossover, which should involve a new Doctor Strange. It feels like the series is on pause until something big happens. And because of that, the stakes are not as important, it would seem.

Tan is a clone of Leinil Francis Yu but with better sense of how to pace a fight. He also uses less cinematic tricks to get his storytelling to mean anything. That’s useful. He doesn’t have the crispness nor provide the anorexic cheek bones similar to Yu’s characters. It’s a good improvement when I think about it, even if it feels a little off Yu’s style.
Rating: 7/10