What I've Been Reading - New Avengers: The Reunion, Green Arrow and Wednesday Comics

Today I'm taking a look at a trio of superhero comics from Marvel and DC. First up, from Marvel, I picked up New Avengers: The Reunion from the library since Hawkeye & Mockingbird was getting some positive buzz. Then, from DC, I take a look at the recent Green Arrow relaunch and the experimental weekly comic Wednesday Comics. Hit the jump to see what I thought of these these comics.

Click Here to Read More!

New Avengers: The Reunion #4 Advance Review

NEW AVENGERS: THE REUNION #4
Written by Jim McCann
Art by David Lopez

The final chapter to this miniseries was another fun read, but seemed to lack any definitive conclusion. The cliffhanger from last issue was, as expected, quickly reversed and the villain of the piece never really stepped up to be a credible threat.

However, that doesn't make this a bad issue or even a bad series. The action and plot actually took a back seat for me in favour of the interplay between Hawkeye and Mockingbird - both of which were a lot of fun to read whenever they were together. While I do not have a lot of experience with their previous relationship, I know I like how they are being played together here and hope to see the threads followed up on in the future. Review continues after the jump.

Speaking of the future, one thing that had me a bit puzzled was how this lines up with the duo's portrayal in Brian Bendis's New Avengers title. It seems like McCann had set up a whole new direction for both characters to continue on with and none of it was being reflected in the New Avengers title, which I thought was taking place after this miniseries. It also looked like they wouldn't be Avengers post-Reunion, but if Wolverine can be in 22 books a month, I can overlook any discrepencies for these two. I am, however, hoping McCann gets a Green Arrow/Black Canary-like book for Hawkeye and Mockingbird to follow up on everything he set up here.

However, as I said earlier, this issue falls short in one regard and that is with the conclusion to the AIM dirty bomb business. It just lacked any kind of impact and just felt more like a reason to put Hawkeye and Mockingbird in danger and get them playing off of each other, which, again, I did enjoy, moreso than an actual plot that held up on its own. If you found the characters lacking, the plot would do very little to help interest you in the title.

Verdict - Check It. A solid finish to the miniseries that did a good job explaining how Mockingbird came back, what her state of mind was and set up a new status quo for both her and Hawkeye that I hope gets followed up on by McCann in the future.

Click Here to Read More!

New Avengers: The Reunion #3 Advance Review

NEW AVENGERS: THE REUNION #3
Written by Jim McCann
Art by David Lopez

After Mockingbird tells Hawkeye she actually filed papers to divorce him just before the Skrulls replaced her last issue, McCann and Lopez dial it back a notch and downplay the fallout of the revelation a bit.

They certainly don't drop the issue completely, but, after the cliffhanger showing them walking away from each other, I was expecting Hawkeye to be a little more broken up about it. As it is, he's more glib and cavallier about the whole thing, as if the revelation hasn't registered with him completely.

Review continues after the jump.

While both Mockingbird and Hawkeye still play off of each other nicely, the conflict of the series, which only has one issue remaining, still hasn't really been clearly established. AIM has a bomb of some sort and is kidnapping scientists while, in a rather convuluted manner, trying to make it look like they blew them up at this dinner party our two heroes are infiltrating. Why are they kidnapping them? Why go to such lengths to cover it up? What are they actually planning? These questions were fine in the opening issues, but this is the penultimate chapter and we still don't even know what this was all about. I assume it will be wrapped up in the last issue, but the actual plot of the series has taken a backseat to the flashbacks and now amounts to little more than a subplot when it should have been the other way around.

However, negativity aside, that doesn't make this a bad issue either. In fact, I continue to enjoy how McCann is writing Mockingbird and Hawkeye and how they play off of each other. There's some genuine chemistry between the two when they are on panel together and the tension and friction between them with their recent history is well done.

I also enjoyed the flashback in this issue, which thoroughly details Mockingbird's time on the Skrull homeworld. The mind games the Skrulls played with her, in particular the Skrull Hawkeye, were great insight into what kind of state of mind she's currently in and tells us why she's having such difficulty reconciling her past with her present, especially in regards to her feelings for Clint.

But, that lengthy flashback sequence, as I said, also pushed the main plot to the backburner and leaves a lot to be covered in the final issue, which also has to wrap up the 'are they or aren't they' lovers subplot, properly introduce and explain the main villain, as well as their goals and what the heck they are actually doing, and, finally, have the heroes put a stop to whatever it is they are trying to do. That's a tall order for this issue and doesn't even touch on the cliffhanger for this issue, which, arguably, could be more for shock value than actually relevant, but will have to be dealt with regardless.

Verdict - Check It. While arguably just as good as the last issue with answering questions about Mockingbird and her time with the Skrulls, as well as with the interaction between her and Hawkeye, there comes a time in a four issue miniseries where we need some plot progression and waiting for the last issue to really introduce and conclude that aspect of the story can backfire. Without having read the last issue, I have a sinking feeling this series might have actually benefitted from being a five or six issue miniseries instead, but I'll reserve full judgement until next month.

Click Here to Read More!

New Avengers: The Reunion #2 Advance Review

NEW AVENGERS: THE REUNION #2
Written by Jim McCann
Art by David Lopez

In the desire to be open and honest with you guys, I'd like to preface my review by saying that I was sent a review copy of New Avengers: The Reunion #2. I'd like to believe that I will still be impartial and avoid any kind of bias when reviewing this issue, but you deserve to know that I did, in fact, get this from Marvel for free.

However, based on the strength of last issue, I had committed myself to picking this series up regardless of whether or not I received a free copy and I will still be picking up my own physical copy of this book with the rest of tomorrow's comics.

Hit the jump for the rest of the review, but be warned, since this is an advance review, there may be some mild spoilers, but no where near as spoilerific as my regular reviews.

For those out of the loop, New Avengers: The Reunion follows the adventures of Mockingbird, who recently returned in Secret Invasion after a decade long Skrull abduction, and her husband, Hawkeye, who's still using his Ronan alias here. The first issue was dedicated to introducing us to the characters and setting up the basic premise of the book. While a solid first issue, it left me with some concerns moving forward.

However, this second offering from McCann and Lopez blew the first issue out of the water. McCann nails the Mr & Mrs Smith-like bickering between the couple, who, in light of the Skrull abduction, may or may not be as close as we previously thought. This tension between Mockingbird and Hawkeye is my favourite part of the issue. The history between these two characters, where one recently died and came back while the other was abducted and replaced by aliens before being presumed dead for the past decade, is played to full effect and it's easy to trace each character's reactions and thought process in regards to how they act around each other given those facts.

Speaking of history, a nice little touch I liked about this issue was the use of the old school dot colouring for the flashback sequences, which were intersperced throughout the issue. These flashbacks showed us the exact time and place Mockingbird was abducted by the Skrulls, answering one of the lingering questions I had concerning her time with the Skrulls. The timing of this event leads to a great cliffhanger that had a lot of emotional impact. As it's an advance review, you'll have to check back for it in the Moments of the Week on Friday if you want a full breakdown of it or, better yet, pick a copy of the book up tomorrow.

Verdict - Must Read. McCann really hit his stride with this issue. The interplay between Hawkeye and Mockingbird is spot on and many of the questions regarding Mockingbird's abduction, such as when and how she was taken, are answered here and the consequences of the timing for the abduction is played up for maximum effect.

Click Here to Read More!

New Avengers: The Reunion #1 Review

NEW AVENGERS: THE REUNION #1
Written by Jim McCann
Art by David Lopez

In the desire to be open and honest with you guys, I'd like to preface my review by saying that I was sent a review copy of New Avengers: The Reunion #1. I'd like to believe that I will still be impartial and avoid any kind of bias when reviewing this issue, but you deserve to know that I did, in fact, get this from Marvel for free.

That said, I had not even planned to pick this issue up prior to being sent an advance review copy, but, after having read it, I liked it enough that I will be going out and buying my own copy (I have a digital version) on Wednesday.

Hit the jump for the rest of the review and be warned, there are spoilers (but nothing too shocking) within.

This mini-series actually continues from the Dark Reign: New Nation one-shot that featured previews of multiple upcoming projects, including Secret Warriors and Agents of Atlas, to name a few. You won't need to read the introduction in New Nation to understand The Reunion, but it will help set the stage for what's going on with Hawkeye/Ronin and Mockingbird post-Secret Invasion.

For a quick recap of New Nation, though, Clint and Bobbi had a fight and she left their hideout at Captain America's loft with 'vital information' on something Skrull related. The story ended with her leaving a voice message to an unknown person using her SHIELD Agent 19 call sign.

The Reunion picks up shortly after these events with Mockingbird breaking into a hospital. However, before she can get into too much trouble, Ronin was quick to catch up to her. McCann does an excellent job with the chemistry between these two characters. It's clear that they still have a spark between them, but the recent events in their lives - Clint back from the dead and Bobbi back from her Skrull abduction - has left a void in their relationship and, while Clint is all gung-ho about getting back together, Bobbi can't seem to reconcile between what's real and what's not between them, as evidenced by her numerous, brief flashbacks to her Skrull imprisonment.

After meeting up with Mockingbird, we are treated to a flashback of how Ronin tracked her down. This lead to one of the best scenes in the issue - the confrontation between Clint and Bucky, the new Captain America. Clint has always butted heads with the original Captain America, so it was quite entertaining to see him meet up with the successor, a role he turned down when Iron Man offered it to him and something he even throws back in Bucky's face during the heat of the moment.

While there was no cliched superhero fight between the two, it was heated confrontation that ended with Bucky giving some very sage and Steve Rogers-like advice and a seeming respect between the two characters shining through that was the highlight of the issue for me.

With the flashback taken care of, we were given some action as we find out exactly why Bobbi was at this particular hospital. It turns out it was actually a front for AIM biological research and she is hunting them down. Our required action sequence plays out, along with some playful dialogue between Mockingbird and Ronin before the duo escape, having found out the weapon they were looking for has been shipped off site already.

All-in-all, I enjoyed the issue, but it wasn't without its problems, either. While it's understandable that Mockingbird would have some pyschological problems post-abduction, we're never allowed into her mindset long enough to really understand just what is driving her to her current actions. Add in we're intentionally kept in the dark about the nature of her Agent 19 business (SHIELD is dissolved at this point, so is it Nick Fury or not?) and the fact Mockingbird appears fine in New Avengers (her text boxes indicate she's happy just cracking skulls and content where she's at in NA#50) and it's as if we have two versions of the same character going around or the timelines aren't clearly defined, but that latter problem is more a problem with writers using the same character on different books than the fault of McCann.

Verdict - Check It. McCann doesn't knock it out of the park on his first big foray into writing, but, to continue with the baseball metaphor, it's easily a solid ground rule double and enough to have me come back again next month to find out more.

Click Here to Read More!