About Heroes

This Review Was Submitted by Knightwingbk
New Avengers #21
Writer: Bendis
Artist: Howard Chaykin

Two issues of New Avengers in two weeks. This is how they should handle late shipping on books, finish the book and keep the next couple of issues on the same schedule. Compared to how weird and confusing last week’s issue of New Avengers was, this issue was much better than the last because New Avengers has finally caught up with the rest of the Marvel Universe and is embroiled in Civil War! This issue focuses on Captain America, and I suppose takes place between issues 1 and 2 because Cap is collecting his “team” and he visits Spiderman only to see that he’s loyal to Tony. The beginning of the issue focuses on Cap’s thoughts and how he feels betrayed by everyone around him, and even his own country, that all of us don’t know what we want, whether we want to be free or to be safe, and that there is a difference between those two words. Cap evades S.H.I.E.L.D. yet again and flees to another bunker only to meet Sam Wilson, the Falcon. That’s where Cap goes to assemble this new team.

Bendis finally has an idea and a story to tell that is actually succeeding. I’ve always liked his Captain America in New Avengers, and he is just as strong here. Sam Wilson the Falcon is written with the usual ebonics, with all the ain’ts, brotha’s, and y’thinks. Not even Bendis’ Luke Cage talks like that, so why does Bendis make Sam Wilson talk like that? I would think that Sam Wilson was better educated than Luke Cage and would not be using all of the ebonics he is using here.

This is my first experience with Howard Chaykin’s art and it takes awhile to get used to. He has a rough, loose style that lends itself to this gritty story, and I liked it but my complaint is that it looks like he left a lot to the colorist. Every shot of Cap’s uniform and shield looks like Chaykin did not bother to draw it. Cap’s scales on his uniform are perfect in every panel, and if you’ve ever drawn Captain America, you can’t get the scales to be perfect. Also the shield is completely color done. There are no inked pencil lines of the star or stripes on the shield. In one panel it seems like Chaykin did not even bother to draw the star in the middle of Cap’s chest! Now that is just plain lazy, the scales I can understand, but the friggin star? Lazy!

Art issues aside, pick up this issue if you’re enjoying Civil War. A solid B because of how much an improvement over last week’s issue, and because it is a strong issue overall.