MooUA-Ha-ha-hA!

COVER BY: ALEKSI BRICLOT
WRITER: BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
PENCILS: BILLY TAN
LETTERED BY: COMICRAFT

Having produced universe shaping crossover event after event over the last few years, Marvel Comics have at best become deep, rich and insightful and at worst convoluted and/or confusing – mostly the previous I’m happy to report.

While important events such as House of M, Civil War, Annihilation and now Secret Invasion have rewritten the rules on the Marvel (616) Universe, some fans are too intimidated to jump back into this beautiful technicolor Soap Opera for fear of feeling lost or out of touch wthin a familiar environment. Such a pity. While Marvel has consistently produced a plethora of high quality source books and free one shots that bring new readers up to speed as best they can, I recommend curious readers do like we used to when we were (robo) kids – pick up a comic and read the fucker – you’ll figure out the score eventually.

Needless to say, New Avengers is one of those consistently great books that is very much at the epicenter of the major goings on in the Marvel Universe right now and is a great place for new readers to start. Probably the best consistent example of the “Post Civil War” Marvel landscape.

With the Secret Invasion in full swing and Scrulls infesting nearly every power structure in the world – New Avengers 46 delves into their (attempted?) infiltration of the Hood‘s Criminal Syndicate while delving deeper into the Hood’s demonic origin and powers. Bendis has done great job of developing this b-lister into a real force to be recconed with and with the events of issue 46, I get the feeling that he will only continue to get bigger and badder.

This one is very much worth your $2.99 and as always provides a close and interesting tie in to the Secret Invasion saga. Huge props for the last page of this issue featuring one of my favorite often overlooked baddies in the mighty Marvel Pantheon – when this guy shows up, you know some serious shit is about to go down. It also leads me to believe that if the Scrull’s will truly be defeated (which I don’t think will be the immediate outcome) the baddies may have a much larger role to play than I previously thought.

Find it at your local comic book store today folks.