New Avengers #5 Review

Black Swan has got to be the most intriguing character to come out of Marvel NOW! Not that Marvel NOW! has a lot of new characters, really. DC seemed to have a mandate for 52 new villains for each of its relaunched books, but how many of those have stuck around? Black Swan would probably be around whether she was a well-written character or not -- she’s necessary because she seems to be the only one who knows why the machine is broken and all that -- so it’s a good thing she’s quite entertaining. We see an origin of sorts for her here, and while it raises as many questions as it answers, it at least feels like we’re making meaningful progress, which is more than can be said about the main Avengers series. Now if only we could do something about her outfit.

I’m glad to report that Steve Epting continues to wildly exceed all expectations on the art side of things. He gives Black Swan some serious page presence. She is of simple form, yet her hard stare and intense expressions make it impossible to take your eyes off her. There’s also a brief flashback to last issue’s climactic battle, and Epting tells us all we need to know with five beautiful pages devoid of dialogue. I don’t know what sort of brain slug writer Jonathan Hickman uses to convey his intentions so vividly into Epting’s mind, but I will continue to approve of this cruel and unusual art process if it means getting books that not only look great but work this well.

It almost seems strange that Avengers and New Avengers are telling two different sides of the same story. Or are they? It’s hard to tell. The Avengers team appears to be on a wild goose chase for answers, while the ego-driven brain trust of New Avengers dives headfirst universe-sized answers and then fight to make sense of them. I couldn’t begin to tell you where this is all going, but Reed, Black Panther, and the rest of them have me on their side thanks to Hickman’s razor sharp scripting.

Joshua writes for IGN. If the Powerpuff Girls are made of sugar, spice, and everything nice, then he is surely made of ketchup, pizza, and lightsaber replicas. Follow him on Twitter or IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com