Pham’s cover promises, at least in a limited sense, a confrontation between the Mighty and Dark teams of Avengers. I sincerely hope this comes to pass. I still have a bad taste in my mouth from New Avengers #50 where a similar fight was promised but The Hood’s thugs stood in for the Dark Avengers disappointedly. Bait and switch is never a good way to sell comics, especially if you want to continue selling comics. One last point regarding the cover – man, is it nice to have the Vision back on an Avengers cover again or what?

Part one of the “Mighty/Dark” two-parter is titled “The Real Deal,” digging into Norman Osborn’s determination that he runs the one true Avengers team. The Mighty Avengers’ acceptance overseas and approval by GRAMPA, as well as their continued success against Avenger-level baddies, has Norman’s panties in a bunch. Besides other fragments that are tied up this issue, “The Real Deal” mainly deals with Loki finally putting the screws to the already stressed Osborn to do something about Hank Pym’s team of Avengers.

My mind has changed since last issue (and review) regarding using Cassie’s online journal as the ‘previously’ page. I like it this time out. I guess as long as it stays clever, it’s cool. It just wasn’t all that last issue. I loved the comment about Crystal and Medusa’s hair, and also liked that Cassie suspected Quicksilver’s story as well. I liked the “Snark Avengers” and “Misinformin’ Norman” bits, but too much of this and I might start to have to wonder who else is reading this in the Marvel Universe. Heck, that could be a whole new subplot on its own.

Nice to see thought balloons again, and used properly, rather than in Bendis’ experimental manner. No dis meant of BMB there, it was just cool to see the device used traditionally again. More fanboy goodies show up on the second page – is that an honest to goodness editor’s note I see? And is the story title “The Real Deal” in classic Mighty Avengers logo font? Oh my, I am in fanboy heaven.

I do like this new dimension Dan Slott has been giving our favorite Avenging speedster. Between Pham’s visuals and Slott’s stuff, Quicksilver is becoming (once again, for the first time in maybe four decades) a favorite of mine again. Go, Pietro, and go, Dan and Khoi!

I loved Karnak the Inhuman’s comment to Hank Pym about his confidence as well as Crystal’s that she might once again be an Avenger someday. There are many moments, not just here, but throughout the Dan Slott’s run (especially last issue’s already famous “God, I love you” line) where it feels like he’s channeling Kurt Busiek, and that’s a good thing. Mr. Slott is in his groove.

I wish that pages five and six where our heroes are thumping Zzzax, Terminus and company had been more. It was nice to see Jocasta out in the field if only in a compilation splash. I had feared she was shackled to the Infinite Mansion now. While I didn’t care for the Loki and Osborn interlude in the middle of my Mighty Avengers comic, I really dug the scenes of Loki lurking unseen, recalling his role in Avengers #1 very nicely. Serious props, guys.

Page eleven was like it came right out of the ‘Meanwhile’ days of David Michelinie’s days on the Avengers, another good thing. I loved the Vision and Cho playing chess, and Cassie and Herc’s bet. Keep giving me more of this and I will love this line-up. Also on the ‘more please’ menu should be Pym and Cho interacting as a team. They rock.

Henry Pym and Norman Osborn on page eighteen is priceless. Norman’s “So, still slapping women around?” followed by Hank’s “You still throwing ‘em off bridges?” was beautiful, and a perfect example of Pym’s new Scientist Supreme confidence. I loved it. Also on the love list were the last three panels of the story – perfect in both words and pictures. Man, do I love this book!

I am thrilled with the return of Khoi Pham. Nice to see an accurate rendering and continuity of Quicksilver’s new costume as well as new bits like the various versions of Jocasta. He continues to get better with facial expressions; I am reminded of Kevin Maguire’s early work. I am loving the bits where we see Pym’s eyes through the goggles. Nice touch.

His detail does wander sometimes. Witness the good but vague consistency of the Inhuman audience vs. the poor rendering of Avengers Tower amongst the other skyscrapers of New York. I can forgive however as Pham is constantly improving and becoming one of the best in the biz. As I’ve said before, to me, Khoi Pham is Mighty Avengers, just as the sadly missing Leinil Yu was New Avengers.

This issue isn’t perfect though. Things I could do without include the Bendis-ian swearing throughout. When surrounded by the trappings of the classic Avengers vibe, stuff like that really seems forced, even in the mouths of the villains. Also bothersome is Pym constantly bringing up the Scientist Supreme card. I’m sorry, even as a joke, I don’t see Hank bragging like that.

I also could have done without so much of the Osborn and Loki backstory. There was just too much Osborn and Loki. The longer it goes on, the more weary I have become of Dark Reign, and yearn for it to be over. I think we would have been better served with more of the Mighty Avengers’ encounters with Zzzax, Dansen Macabre or Terminus (!! Terminus taken down within a panel, wow!). One last problem was how does Sentry know what happened at the end, let alone what a Cosmic Cube is? That bugged me.

Even with that said, Mighty Avenegers is indeed back on track. I give this issue a solid four stars out of a possible five. I can’t wait for the next issue!

	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.