About Heroes

This Review was submitted by Knightwingbk
Writer: Brian Bendis
Artist: Leinil Yu

I didn't realize how much I was missing New Avengers until I read this issue. Before the muddy Deodato art in "The Collective" New Avengers was a slam-bang read for me month after month. Bendis wrote lots of action, plot, and Spider-man quips every issue to keep me coming back. Since last summer, we've had some great one issue spotlights (See the Captain America & Luke Cage issues), and some not so great (Spider-Woman). New Avengers returns to form with issue number 27. For some reason, Marvel decided to put this out before Civil War ended, and thank god they did as I now realize how tiring and drawn out Civil War really is. A lot of people didn't like the Ronin arc, and had issues with a positively male-Ronin actually being a girl, namely Maya Lopez or Echo, familiar only to Daredevil readers. This issue gives readers more background into Ronin than the previous arc ever did. Maya has been in Japan infiltrating the Japanese underworld, a month after the Avengers asked her to do so. She writes a "if you're reading this I'm probably dead" e-mail to Matt Murdock, and asks him to "Avenge her." Enter the New New Avengers. Yes, you read that right, this is not a sole Ronin issue, as the cover may suggest. The New New Avengers appear about half-way through the book to rescue Maya Lopez, in all of their glory. This issue doesn't do much to set up the arc, but it's still a great issue. There are no references to the outcome of Civil War, other than some news footage on television, so think of this as Marvel's One-Month-Later, since it's released before Civil War actually ends.

I like the team for the New New Avengers. Returning players are Luke Cage, Spider-man, Spider-Woman, Wolverine, and Ronin? Yes you read that right. Ronin rescues Echo... Bendis has enough returning members to keep the feel of the book similar to what it was, but also enough new members, who I will not ruin, to keep readers interested. Two of the new members haven't been on a team, or on a serious team, in such a long time that this seems like a fresh idea. Color me hooked.

The art is fantastic. Amazing. Just plain great. Leinil Yu draws great action scenes, and everything feels so kinetic, and the detail and gritty-ness matches the direction that this book feels like it is going in. The lack of inking, or addition of digital inking, adds to the art. It allows Yu's pencils to shine through, leaving much of the energy intact. The coloring is also great on this book; it fleshes out Yu's drawings without taking anything away. For me, the coloring here does the same thing that Morry Hollowell's colors do for Steve McNiven on his books. It adds a new layer of depth to the book. If you dropped this book after the Ronin arc, pick this book up, it may answer your questions. If you're not reading New Avengers, now you should, this book is a can't miss. It's a breath of fresh air in the smog filled highway of Civil War. A+