“You’re not aware of it, are you? You devil, you don’t even feel it!”

Thinking he might be nipping some Jack I asked, “Whatjutalkinbout, Willis?”

“You’re excited about the Avengers again,” I could see his wry smile through the phone, “Three, four years back you hated the book, you dreaded having to review it, to even read it. Now, and I can hear it in your voice, you are psyched for the next issue. You can’t wait!”

My friend was right. And it certainly was the case with New Avengers #34, which picked right up from the previous issue with one of writer Brian Michael Bendis’ patented cliffhanger endings. Like a movie serial death trap, a Wednesday episode of the sixties “Batman” TV series or a Matt Wagner Sandman Mystery Theatre, we are kept on the edge of our seats waiting for –and discussing- what might happen in the next segment.

Let’s start with the cover of New Avengers #34 which has been a hot topic online and off since it was first teased months ago. Another beautiful cover by artist Leinil Yu, it depicts what at first appears to possibly be some alternate reality New Avengers. We see a goateed Luke Cage back in his canary yellow Power Man blouse, Wolverine in samurai mode, Jessica Jones back in her Jewel costume, I guessing that’s Clint Barton as Captain America with the battle-damaged shield, a differently outfitted Iron Fist, Doctor Strange and Peter Parker in civvies, Peter in vintage 1960s Ditko, and finally who may be Echo as the female Daredevil.

An intriguing mix, obviously designed to get them intranets buzzing and was obviously a success. Who was who? Why were they dressed like that? An alternate reality? New disguises? New identities? One thing was for certain, if the whole fugitive secret Avengers thing didn’t have you on board, or if the upcoming Skrullapocalypse (now revealed as next spring’s Secret Invasion) didn’t do it, surely you had to pick up the issue to find out what this cover was all about. Two points and twenty-four bits for Marvel’s marketing department, and props to Mr. Yu.

When last we left our heroes, the discovery that dead Elektra was actually Skrull Elektra led to the intimation that things might not be as they seem. Skrulls, shapeshifting aliens who have been trying to take the Earth from the human race since the early Lee/Kirby Fantastic Four days just might be responsible for many of the things that are out of whack in the Marvel Universe. This, coupled with the fact that not only Wolverine’s keen nose nor Spider-Man’s spider-sense could tell Elektra was a Skrull, means that everyone is suspect in what is probably a ‘secret invasion’ to borrow a term from the Marvel editing department.

After barely making it back to Dr. Strange’s Sanctum Santorum in one piece, after a plane crash and Spider-Woman stealing the dead Skrullektra’s corpse, the new Avengers have parted ways, agreeing to meet up later. It is assumed whoever does show up again is serious and to be trusted. Supposedly. Wolverine wanders off to a bar and meets up with The Hood, a low level superhero/villain bent on making a name for himself in the super-villain world as some sort of metahuman ‘kingpin.’ The Hood draws guns and Wolvie pops claws and hilarity begins.

This is where NA #34 picks up, with Wolverine and The Hood in combat. We see that the demon that originally gave The Hood his powers is still lurking about within him and it tears out Logan’s unmentionables then escapes. Wolvie’s “Maybe it’ll grow back bigger.” is pure Bendis and priceless. Yu and colorist Dave McCaig rock the party in the seven-page fight scene so much I didn’t even mind the full page spreads. I did however wonder why Logan retracted his claws once the demon attacked. It felt odd to me.

Next we go to the Sanctum where Doctor Strange and Night Nurse share pillow talk. I had been waiting for this appearance since Bendis had been talking it up recently. I was aware there was a ‘new’ Night Nurse but knew little to nothing about here, but was very please when she was addressed as Linda Carter. While she’s brunette and not blonde, this old Marvel Comics dinosaur was still pleased. And speaking of pleased, and I don’t say this very often as I think we have more than enough ‘old’ Avengers already, but I think the Night Nurse would make an intriguing new addition to the team.

When the scene next switches to Clint Barton interrupted in the shower, a thought occurs to me. This reminded me of something, and when I figured it out I was shocked. Bendis has been playing with the Way Back Machine; he’s using a David Michelinie trick. Back when Michelinie was writing the Avengers he used to do these stories where nothing happened, called ‘meanwhile’ or ‘interlude’ issues, we used to get little vignettes with the individual members as subplots and upcoming or watching villains milled about in the background. There were sort of inbetween-fight-stories and usually were full of character development. Bendis was doing the same thing, and doing it well. Wow.

Although, I do have one question. I realize it’s a basically PG-13 comic book, but why was Echo getting into the shower in a robe with underwear on? Don’t most of us shower in the buff? Maybe the Ronin outfit has messed with her fashion sense.

Even though I dislike the retconned legacy aspect of Iron Fist’s origin I did find his conversation with Strange on pages twelve and thirteen rather amusing. More Michelinie flair. After Spider-Man shows up cracking jokes rarely seen in his own titles of late, the rest of the crew –minus Wolverine- show up and the fireworks begin. Jessica Jones makes public her husband’s suspicions that both she and Little Baby Alias (oh sorry, they finally named the little kid – Danielle, after guess who) are Skrulls.

The Doctor, hoping to turn the tide of mistrust once, says he has a spell that will do the trick – reveal everyone as who they truly are. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t he try something like this once before? Made the baby laugh and Spider-Woman retch? Regardless, this is a different sort of spell, it’s visual, and it gives us the payoff for the cover of this issue. I won’t give it away, but only a color mistake mars the cover once you find out what it’s about.

Of course, previous suspicions force me to mention that the spell only proves effective IF Doctor Strange himself is not a Skrull.

Wolverine finally wanders in as the spell is in progress, a spell that doesn’t seem to affect little Danielle (or Wong for that matter) I’d like to note. Wolvie tells his tale of woe about The Hood and last issue’s diabolical plans to march Deathlok into Avengers Tower, and in old school Avengers style, the new Avengers decide to do the right thing. There are nice touches here as well, especially Clint’s (you know I keep wanting to type ‘Hawkeye’) comments about missing Jarvis.

We are left with a new camaraderie and a new mission and a new cliffhanger, with the Skrull problem promptly backburnered. This last bit is probably a good thing considering we won’t actually see Secret Invasion until April 2008. The ending does bring several continuity issues into view however. Didn’t Avengers Tower get destroyed in World War Hulk, and of course that same old bugaboo of when the Mighty Avengers series actually takes place in relation to New Avengers.

All things considered, Bendis, Yu and McCaig delivered an excellent issue, and I can’t wait for the next one. Well written and beautifully rendered, there is little to complain about, other than a bit more action, but I’m sure that will be fixed shortly. In a review where I compare Brian Michael Bendis to David Michelinie I have to give New Avengers #34 a solid four and a half stars out of a possible five.

I am indeed excited about Avengers again. We live in exciting times… again.

Avengers Assemble!

	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.