Those are Spider-Man’s first words in New Avengers #30, and he’s referring to Brother Voodoo’s actions to find the New Avengers within Doctor Strange’s supposedly abandoned Sanctum Sanctorum. If possible, I’d like to try and collect that dollar, Spidey.

Unfortunately writer Brian Michael Bendis doesn’t make that task easy. New Avengers #30 is part four of the “Revolution” story arc, which has been a very complicated tale as far as the way it has been told. “Revolution” is actually two interrelated stories, one taking place in the present, and one hours earlier in flashback. Here, in part four, it would seem to me better that it be told in chronological order. The jumping back and forth, and the continuity problems caused by the stories themselves, do nothing but muddle what might be a stronger narrative if told traditionally.

First off, there is a time problem rather than continuity problem that plagues this story. It’s not one that affects New Avengers as much as it does Mighty Avengers. As a matter of fact, it completely ruins any suspense in the latter title. The unfortunate spoiler is a throwaway line on the first page of the first issue, one that is compounded by Bendis’ equal insistence on an erratic flashback storytelling method in that book as well.

The opening of MA cites that the team has only been together for a matter of minutes. What follows is a battle with the Mole Man’s monsters, crazy global weather, the seeming death of Iron Man to create a new and deadlier Ultron and of course the rest of the story yet to be seen. The Mighty Avengers team do all of this before their appearance in New Avengers. Thus, they defeat Ultron, Iron Man does not die, Ms. Marvel is demoted as leader, Ares is not kicked off the team (among other mild sundries) and, most importantly, the world does not end. How long all of that takes will come later, let’s just say it’s a mess, okay?

My question is how does this happen with two titles supposedly intertwined, and most of all, written by the same man? You should be able to keep track of your own time lines, especially when you wrote both of them! For shame, Bendis.

As for the issue itself, let’s start with the cover. Those of you who know me already know I’m thrilled that the cover is a scene that’s actually inside the book rather than just another boring posing poster shot. It’s also a great use of color and non-color. Excellent work and props to artist Leinil Yu. My only complaint, and it’s a minor one, is that without color, Yu’s Dr. Strange looks almost identical to Gene Colan’s classic Dracula. Not a bad thing, but a confusing one – still great cover.

The first page, Previously, telling us what has gone before, is usually where Bendis betrays himself. In the past he’s used this page to fill in details previously not clear, making blurry logic fact, at least in his mind. To my mind, I would have loved a Previously description of New Avengers #26… but we’ll get to that soon enough. Here, we find that what many of us believed a cowardly narrow escape from Electra and the Hand two issues ago – Bendis calls a ‘heroic getaway’ and ‘rescue.’ Of course it was. I’m glad someone feels that way.

Continuing, Iron Man believes Dr. Strange is in fact home and simply hiding through magical means. Why is he so sure? So determined that this is where the New Avengers are hiding? I apologize if I missed this, but a hint or reminder might be nice. It’s just that I would think staking out Aunt May Parker’s hospital room might be easier, or trailing Danny Rand. Hell, find Mary Jane Watson, she can’t be too hard to find – she’s all over the news with that sexist statue. Seriously though, why is Iron Man so fixated on Strange’s house?

After some nice dialogue from Brother Voodoo acknowledging Strange’s power and supremacy, Iron Man makes a speech to the interior of the seemingly empty house. He posits that the New Avengers ‘lost’ the Civil War and in a circular logic stinking of what he said (also through Bendis’ pen) in Civil War: The Confession, he wants to know why they are doing this. “Please tell me. Please let me in on it.” Honestly, Brian, let us in on it too.

Once Iron Man (who has apparently shaved off most of his goatee, and no, I won’t ask where any of the four editors this title has are) leaves, the New Avengers discuss what he had to say. It’s Spider-Man, inexplicably taking off his mask to speak, who first questions the motives of their leader, Luke Cage. After what Peter’s gone through because of that damn mask, if I were him, I wouldn’t be taking it off again, ever! This is a bad habit he should have learned better of by now. He should get some Crazy Glue for that thing.

Luke Cage is a character that Bendis has gotten right for most of his tenure on the Avengers books and page seven gives him not only a place to shine, but also for Bendis to solidify his game plan thus far for the New Avengers. Luke suspects a defining thread behind everything they have faced thus far, including the Civil War, despite CW writer Mark Millar insisting there was no villain behind the scenes there. Of course that doesn’t mean characters within the story can’t suspect such a thing. The Watcher knows enough readers suspected the same.

In the midst of Luke’s conspiracy theorizing he rattles off the names “Secret War” and “Civil War.” Now let’s forego the fact that I dislike that Bendis refers to events in the Marvel Universe by their book titles, I’ve said it before and you’re all tired of that particular rant (among others). There’s an important point here. Secret War was written by Bendis and to many serves as a prequel to the original line-up of the New Avengers. Bendis did not write Civil War.

Like many writers over at the Distinguished Competition for many years and a few at Marvel in recent years, Bendis was thrown under the bus when it comes to crossovers. As he himself was the instigator of one of the more successful ones in “Avengers Disassembled,” he might not have liked being steamrollered by Civil War.

A viable comparison can be made to David Chase’s critically acclaimed “The Sopranos” on HBO. The show’s been going for about seven years and will be wrapping up shortly. David Chase is a long time planner, and has known how the story would end when he began – the show was pitched as closed-ended series with a beginning, middle and end. Many fans of the program know that Chase’s plans were thrown into chaos when actress Nancy Marchand died a full season before he intended her character to go. After a harried season of rewrites and rearrangements Chase set his epic back on track.

Bendis is also a long-term planner. Anyone who’s read his excellent Powers, Alias or Daredevil can tell you that sometimes loose ends will dangle for years before being tied up. Most times these revelations are worth the wait, but it’s proof of how Bendis works his stories to resolve logically and not just because the comic is out of pages or the arc is over.

Here in Cage’s page seven conspiracy rant there is a hint of some resolution to the prison break-out that formed the New Avengers almost three years ago. Knowing how Bendis works, I can only wonder how Civil War monkey-wrenched this whole plan. If the Mighty Avengers are a spin-off of CW, and the Ultron and Dr. Doom story arcs are new and sprung from there, correct? Where does that leave the New Avengers?

To say Iron Fist, Dr. Strange and Hawkeye (I’ll get to him in a second, folks) would have eventually been added to the ranks of the New Avengers is basically a no-brainer to anyone reading from the start. The real hard part is determining what plans got jettisoned regarding Iron Man, Captain America due to Civil War, and to a lesser extent what plans for Sentry and Ms. Marvel were rethought for the same reasons. And if the Mighty Avengers are a fairly new entity, then the New Avengers are ironically old.

How old are the ideas we are seeing now in New Avengers, and a better question, how long a time period are they taking place in? Again, it’s back to a time problem. The Avengers ‘disassembled’ months ago. The New Avengers formed just weeks before the Civil War. The question remains, how long was the Civil War? And have the New Avengers really been together long enough to feel like they are the Avengers? Tricky footing here, folks.

The discussion over these events evolves into a chance to get out of the country, and that’s when the boot drops. Hawkeye comes calling. Hawkeye. This is another hard timing thing. This must obviously occur after his encounter with Iron Man in Fallen Son: Captain America. You mean to tell me that Tony Stark - the kind of jerk who would clone a Thunder God, bug Spider-Man and nearly beat his best friend to death – doesn’t put a tracking device on a loose cannon like Clint Barton, especially with him knowing what he knows? I don’t buy it. Iron Man did say he would come after Clint.

I will however take what I get for granted. For the last three years, Hawkeye has been under the creative thumb of Mr. Bendis, so I will go with his characterization. A more coherent and familiar Clint Barton appeared in the Fallen Son book but I’ll assume that writer Jeph Loeb was a bit rusty. Bendis’ Clint has been dead, twice, and betrayed by friends. His personality here is more in line with that backstory.

Why Dr. Strange comes out of hiding for Hawkeye but not Iron Man is a bit puzzling though, for much the same reasoning I outlined above. How does Strange know the man isn’t carrying a bug? Once he’s in though, Wolverine and Spider-Man (who has put on and taken off his mask again) press him for info on the Scarlet Witch. I’m surprised they didn’t push harder. After what she did to all three of them, I’m surprised they didn’t completely forget about Maya Lopez.

The New Defenders remark is priceless. Who else would they be? An eclectic and argumentative group of heroes including Dr, Strange, Luke Cage, Hawkeye and Spider-Man meeting at the Sanctum Santorum – of course they’re the Defenders. Damn, with so many new super-teams popping up in the wake of the Initiative (by the way, why does this issue have that banner on the cover?), wouldn’t it be nice to have the Defenders, the real Defenders make a comeback? Oh well, I guess the New Avengers will be as close as I get to that.

Strange is forced, by a divide between Luke and the rest of the team over Hawkeye’s trustworthiness, to perform the ‘spell of Tartashi,’ which to me sounds kind of made up. Bendis should stick to known Strange spells. Anyway the spell reveals intent and purity. Strange does it and fills the room with weird lights. It makes Spidey smile. It makes the baby laugh. And it nearly gives Spider-Woman a fit. No one notices that however, but gives Hawkeye the all clear sign, as well as the Ronin uniform.

No ones notices that Spider-Woman freaks out?? Everyone is a little more concerned with the baby. This is the first time the parents have heard the baby laugh. Maybe this is a sign that this is not the ideal environment for an infant. Shades of the Batman, somebody better get this kid into a foster home before it ends up just another empty Robin costume in a dark cave.

Now, Clint Barton as Ronin doesn’t bother me as much as it does a lot of other folks. Clint is no stranger to changing identities, and most folks may not remember that he was not just trained by Trickshot the archer, but also the Swordsman, a master of edged weapons. He is a master of various fighting arts and let’s face it he won’t need all the padding the outfit came with. He is also, since his deaths, and that of Captain America, a man without a master – the definition of a ronin. I am however a little bugged at his later ferociousness in bloodsport – undead ninjas or not.

Speaking of undead ninjas… what is the point of Luke Cage’s plea to discuss rather than fight? “You really think she’s worth however many men you’ll lose if you come at us like this?” They’re undead ninjas. Can they die? And if they can, would they care? And besides, based on the end of this issue, it doesn’t really look like the New Avengers were really that much of a threat to The Hand anyway.

All that said, I give New Avengers #30 three and a half stars out of a possible five. And again, a good portion of that is for artist Leinil Yu. The more exposure to his work I get, the more I like it. He gives this book a very distinctive style and I’m really enjoying it. I do miss the crisp clear and colorful art that formerly would be the mark of an Avengers book, but then again, that’s not what this really is anymore. Still, great stuff.

A peek at the last page of the comic gives a hint to what the title of this arc is really about – it’s a “Revolution” in sales. The Avengers is the new X-Men. Uh oh. I hope not, cuz the X-Men went to hell awful quick.

Of course I’m looking forward to the next issue, because as the hype says, New Avengers #31 “changes everything.” Everything? Um, I don’t know about you folks, but it looks to me like they’re still fighting ninjas. Again.

Hey, Spidey, where’s my dollar?

	Glenn Walker
	Glenn has been a fan of Marvel Comics' Avengers since the early 1970s, when their current adventures were chronicled by Steve Englehart and their early exploits by Stan Lee in classic reprints featured in Marvel Triple Action. He has persevered through many incarnations of the team and he still loves the Avengers to this day.