New Avengers

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New Avengers Volume Two Issue 3 Women of Marvel Variant

Posted by John Klein III on April 6, 2017
Posted in: Review, Websites. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

New Avengers V2 3 Woman of Marvel Variant

Writer Brian Michael Bendis

Penciler Stuart Immonen

Inker Wade Von Grawbadger

Colorist Laura Martin

Letters & Production Chris Eliopoulos

Cover Dated October 2010

Cover by Joe Quinones

I own this issue, just for the cover.

New Avengers V2 3 Recap

Steve Rogers, as Director of SHIELD, has made a couple Avengers teams.  This one boosts of a cast of – Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Captain Marvel, Mockingbird, Spider-Man, Wolverine and Thing!  Which is a pretty awesome roster, actually.

Brother Voodoo is the Sorcerer Supreme, was attacked by possessed Doctor Strange and Daimon Hellstrom.  They were after the Eye of Agamotto so Voodoo sent it to Cage.  The demon that took over Strange and Hellstrom’s body, also took over Cage’s body.  Iron Fist took the Eye of Agamotto (which I may end up learning how to spell, without having to refer to the last time I wrote it above) and then the demon took Iron Fist’s body and vanished.  After that, the sky opened up with fire and lightning and a horde of demons are entering this dimension.

Now you know what I know, up to this point.

Issue opens with Victoria Hand, sitting in her car.  Apparently, Steve Rogers placed her on the New Avengers team.  She was Norman Osborn’s right hand person, at HAMMER.  Looking her up at Wikipedia –

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Hand

Apparently she dies in issue 32 of this series.  That explains why I haven’t seen her much, these days.  Reading more on that page, the events of this issue play out for the rest of this volume, at least – up to issue 32.  That’s some long form writing.

Hand is not happy with being forced onto the team, it is a jail sentence.  Her punishment will be to hearing teases from Wolverine and Luke Cage.  She looks up and sees that the sky is on fire.

Iron Fist is in a white room, with two voices, who want him to hand over the Eye of Agamotto.

Central Park.   Captain Marvel (she’s Ms. at the time but that does seem backward), Thing, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Doctor Voodoo, Hellstorm, Dr. Strange and Mockingbird are wondering what to do.

Hellstrom suspects he recognizes the demons but Strange says he is misidentifying them.  Carol (that’s what I will call her, why not) asks if she can just punch the problem.  Mockingbird is curious if Carol really needs permission.  I like these two being on the same time, though I don’t really know Mockingbird.

Carol, taking charge, takes along Spider-Man and Thing – who I like in this issue and on this team.

Strange takes Hellstrom and Brother Voodoo (I don’t get why they renamed him, Doctor Voodoo, Strange is an actual doctor – the word ‘doctor’ isn’t associated with being the Sorcerer Supreme – if anything, he should be called Supreme Voodoo – or something) away, as they need to handle the bigger issue.  Strange casts the, Mordune’s Reversal Teleportation Spell.

Jessica is going back to the Mansion, to get her baby to safety – which will be her mother’s house in Jersey.  Which I thought her family all died in that toxic spill.  I guess not.  Wolverine tells Cage that they need a nanny -which will be Squirrel Girl, eventually.  That happens in issue seven and has the job until the final issue, 34.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squirrel_Girl

Carol reveals she never saw Ghostbusters, which Thing and Spider-Man both start questioning her about that.  Which is where the fun of this issue comes in, as we get classic Bendis team interplay.  Spider-Man starts talkin to Thing, about how this would be a perfect time for an ol’ Clobbering Time shout but Thing wants a new more Avengers expression.  Spider-Man points out that he, himself, hasn’t stopped making with the jokes.  Spider-Man gives the people what he wants, whereas Thing wants to grow, as a person.

Avengers Mansion.  Jessica lands and starts fighting the demons off.  Veronica Hand starts blasting at the ghost demons with a giant gun and this gives Jessica a chance to grab baby Danielle and take off.  Cage sees that his family is safe and can commit to the fight.  Wolverine wonders if the magic folks are having better luck.

Doctor Voodoo’s Sanctum Sanctorum, New Orleans.  The trio start reading books, trying to research who is behind the threat.  Hellstrom keeps asking Strange, who is strong enough to possess Strange.  Strange can’t think of anyone and we can tell that troubles him.

Over in the Astral Plane (I’m guessing) with Iron First.  One of the voices recognizes Iron Fist’s molten heart of the dragon, Shou-Lao – proving he is a mystic warrior.  This voice condemns the other voice for being an idiot – he possessed the one hero that could resist them.  Issue ends with the big reveal that the smarter voice is . . . The Ancient One, he who trained Doctor Strange!

Not a bad issue, I’m a little more curious, after reading up about how tightly the next thirty issues are plotted.

. . .

Part of the Heroic Age relaunch, and having Bendis writing the Avengers titles, was that this gave Bendis a chance to retell Avengers history, via The Oral History of the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.  This is Chapter 5.

Those interviewed are – Kang (the time traveller, would-be conqueror), Reed Richards, Alicia Masters, Ben Grimm, Hank Pym, Tony Stark, Rick Jones, Captain America.

This chapter mainly deals with Kang, and his influence on the Avengers.  So this takes place, from what I can tell – Avengers Volume One issue 8 to 16.  Kang appears in those two issues and in-between those, in issue 11.

The next chapter takes place in Avengers 4, which I reviewed here –

https://shadowandflamewithmagik.com/2015/05/22/avengers-volume-four-issue-4/

New Avengers Volume One Issue 8

Posted by John Klein III on December 19, 2016
Posted in: Review. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a comment

new-avengers-vol-1-8

Writer Brian Michael Bendis

Penciler Steve McNiven

Inker Mark Morales

Artist, Pages 1 – 3 Sal Buscema

Colorist Morry Hollowell

Letterers Richard Starkings & Comicraft’s Albert Deschesne

Cover Dated August 2005

Sentry Part Two of Four

I only own this for the last page, which was a double splash page, which features Kitty Pryde.

I really like how the first three pages are made out to be an old school comic.  Having Sal Buscema provide the art, was a nice touch.

These pages are part of the cover story Joe Quesada and Marvel, with the help of Wizard Magazine, did to sell The Sentry.  The story they tried to sell us on was that Sentry was a character Stan Lee created in the early days of Marvel.  With his legendary poor memory, he forgot about the character until someone found the character sheets one day.

The concept of Marvel’s version of Superman, was enough to sell me on giving the original miniseries a chance.  I bought that one and the various one shots that were released.

Marvel had to sell the character as a forgotten Marvel, as that was also the in-universe explanation as he apparently was a mainstay of Marvel.  Something happened and everyone forgot who Sentry was.

Sentry has a dark side, The Void.  The Sentry gets his powers from the sun and Void from the darkness.  Get it?

Onto the issue.

I like that Bendis credits Paul Jenkins, the actual creator of the Sentry, for the original three pages.  It is the least he could do as the final panel of the third page transitions us to a cave wherein Sentry is reading the comic book.  In the cave with the Sentry is – Captain America, Iron Man, comic writer Paul Jenkins and Sentry’s wife, Lindy, who the Sentry believes is dead.

Everyone is confused by the Sentry’s presence.

SHIELD Helicarrier, One Week Ago.  Iron Man is trying to recruit Wolverine to the team.  Iron Man thinks Wolverine joining the team, will help his image.  He needs is as Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. just completed their amazing run that had Hydra kill Wolverine, bring him back and control him.  Enemy of the State / Agent of SHIELD, was the name of the two arcs.

There is an awkward white square that is stapled into the comic right here between the comic page and the ad for the 90s Spider-Man : Venom Saga DVD.

Tony hints that standing next to Captain America, makes yourself want to be a better person.  He needed that when he was hitting rock bottom, which apparently Wolverine doesn’t know about.  Since all of the pep talk isn’t working, Tony decides he will just pay Wolverine to be on the team.

Today.  Long Island.  The Wrecker is tossing Wolverine about a neighborhood.  The only Avenger still standing is Spider-Woman, who I believe is really Veranke, the Skrull Queen with enhancements to give her Jessica Drew’s powers.  She is secretly setting up Secret Invasion, Norman Osborn will kill her a few years from now.

Spider-Woman gets inside Wrecker’s mind, asking him what he really wants out of life.

Arizona.  Lindy is trying to talk to Sentry.  He can’t believe she is alive.  He creates a burst of sunlight and disappears.

The first Fantastic Four film must have just came out as thee are several ads for the film and merchandise for it.

Poor Paul Jenkins fainted.  Sentry is gone.

Bob Reynolds wakes up, grabs some food and watches some television.

Back to Spider-Woman and the Wrecker.  There is an insert for Entertainment Weekly subscription.  I’m glad this practice isn’t still used today.

Wrecker talks long enough for Wolverine to get back into the fight.  He slashes Wrecker’s back.  Spider-Woman uses Wrecker’s magical crowbar, tosses to Luke Cage and he hits Wrecker with it, as well.  Cage decides to keep the crowbar, going forward.  Spider-Man webs up Wrecker, the day is saved.  I keep wanting to type, Wreckler, what is that about?

New Avengers V1 8 Spider-Woman funny

This is a great page!  We learn one of Spider-Woman’s forgotten powers and it is actually a funny moment, too.

Spider-Woman reveals she emits a pheromone.  In the Facebook : Avenges Alliance game, this power emits fear.  Its a waste of a move.  Wolverine was getting dizzy due to it.  Luke Cage was feeling nuts.  Spider-Man’s “I love my wife” is so funny, he’s been having naughty thoughts!  Now that stupid One More Day happened, this page is no longer in continuity.  He probably said, girlfriend, now.

Iron Man tells the team to assembled.

Bob fell asleep in front of the television.  Something I could never do.  I need to have my legs up, I think.  Emma Frost wakes him and tells him to go outside.

New Avengers V1 8 Kitty Pryde

It has always bugged me Kitty’s stance there.  What is she even doing?  Also, what is Emma doing, pointing those guns at Captain America!  Cyclops looks on, approvingly.

Issue ends as The Void is seeping out of Bob.

I had kept issues nine and ten as there was a website that implied that since those issues take place on his front lawn, that Kitty is technically in those issues but if you don’t see her or they don’t mention her, I don’t count it.

I can tell you that after this, Sentry joins the team, so there’s that.

New Avengers Finale

Posted by John Klein III on November 10, 2015
Posted in: Review. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

New Avengers Finale

Writer Brian Michael Bendis

Pencilers Bryan Hitch with Stuart Immonen

Inkers Butch Guice with Andrew Currie & Karl Story

Colorists Paul Mounts with Justin Ponsor & Rain Beredo

Letterer Chris Eliopoulos

Flashback Artists – David Finch, Danny Miki, Frank d’Armata, Steve McNiven, Dexter Vines, Morry Hollowell, Olivier Coipel, John Dell, Mike Deodato Jr., Joe Pimental, Dave Stewart, Leinil Yu, Mark Morales, Laura Martin, Bryan Hitch, Rain Beredo, Billy Tan, Matt Banning, Justin Ponsor

Cover Dated June 2010

Jessica got the cover treatment!  Looking at the credits, I’m not sure which other pages Immonen and his team did, besides the very last page.  I suspect he may did any pages with Jessica (as she isn’t part of the action) but those pages still look like Hitch.  Maybe it is the inkers throwing me off but I’m not sure.  The final two page splash are the only pages that look like Immonen.

This issue starts with a warning, to read Siege 4, prior to this issue.  This issue ends the, Dark Reign of Norman Osborn.  Well, Siege 4 did that, but this has the aftermath.

Issue opens with everyone’s favorite villainous father daughter pair, Count Nefaria (of Uncanny X-Cast fame) and his lovely daughter, Whitney, Madame Masque.  She is seeking help from her father as her boyfriend, The Hood, and her are on the run.  This is one of the few appearances of the Count’s that I’ve actually read and it is hard not to read his voice in the classic vampire fashion.

New Avengers Finale Jessica Jones 1

I do like how, under the Iron Patriot helmet, Norman would still paint his face green to represent his Goblin side.  So kooky!  Siege took place on the Asgard portion of Oklahoma.

Poor Jessica Jones is watching the news, looking for any sign of her husband, Luke Cage.  Danielle is happy, sucking down some milk or formula.

New Avengers Finale Jessica Jones 2

Jessica gets a call from the US Army, Luke borrowed a phone.  Which is nice as my wife would not answer her phone from a number she didn’t recognize.  Luke is telling her that he is okay but there is a mess.

Cut to an awesome and what Hitch does best, double page splash.  The pages are full of debris and so much detailed destruction.

New Avengers Finale Jessica Jones 3

Jessica wants him to come home but he can’t as the New Avengers are still fugitives of the law – due to the Superhero Registration Act.  Their phones get disconnected.

The team make sure that they are all okay.  Ronin wants to take a moment to appreciate their win.  After that moment, the team wants to leave as, if they help the police, they will get arrested.  Most likely, after the damage has been cleaned up.  Captain America, the real one, is summoned by the President.  Most likely, Obama, but Bendis doesn’t like dating his comics, like that.

Spider-Woman looks over and sees the fallen villains that Norman had en massed, including the Wrecking Crew.  Ronin wants to know where the Hood is, but none of the thugs know.  So this whole issue is about finding the Hood.  Someone gives up the name of Hood’s cousin, John King.  They find him, he calls Hood and arranges a meeting.

The team gets to where Hood, Madame Masque and Count Nefaria are.  Cage is told about who Nefaria is.  Carol explains his powerset.  He has the combined power of Living Laser, Atlas of the Thunderbolts and either Whirlwind or Whizzer (it is Whirlwind)’s speed.  So energy projection from Living Laser and strength from Atlas.  Also, he is essentially immortal.  Cage makes a phone call, they need some additional power.

Inside, Nefaria is willing to help Hood but only for all of his money.  With the power upgrade that Nefaria promises, the Hood can make up all of that money, rather quickly.  He is not impressed with the Hood,at all.

The Avengers crash through the window and the fight begins.  Carol is the first to confront Nefaria, she’s going by Ms. Marvel at this point.  She starts taking a beating from him, but only so she can absorb his energy – a powerset people forget that she has.  I didn’t even know she had it!  Is that a left over from her Binary days?

So she hits him with his own power which weakens him to merely “not so powerful” but still.  He takes down Carol and shouts that he is immortal.  Just then, Wolverine shows up to start ripping into Nefaria.  This is who Cage called.  Carol starts back into Nefaria, taking more of his energy.  He is immortal but a tad less so, so Wolverine’s attacks are mostly weakening him.

Wolverine was on the West Coast, as the X-Men are on Utopia.

Asgard, Oklahoma.  The Avengers drop – Hood, Madame Masque, Count Nefaria and John King.

Cage asks Hill what the Avengers are, and she tells him that they need to watch the news.

New York.  The Next Day.  Superhuman Registration Act Thrown Out.  Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, replaces Norman Osborn as America’s Top Cop.  So this issue sets up the Heroic Age, a more back to basics approach Marvel branded the titles with.

New Avengers Finale Jessica Jones 4

Rogers, out of his star spangled suit, informs the team that the President has appointed him, The Director of SHIELD.  Which lasts a decent amount of time.  Rogers reveals that Count Nefaria was one of the responsible parties from the original first issue of New Avengers, volume one.

New Avengers Finale Jessica Jones 6

Mockingbird brings up the question of what they do now.  This, somehow, sets up Cage to provide a giant monologue, which is mostly an excuse to reprint art from previous storylines.

We get a glimpse from the original Ronin storyline, that had Echo under the hood.

New Avengers Finale Kitty Pryde

Yes, I own this just because of this page, that I already own once, during the original Sentry storyline.

Cage has been honored to be counted among these New Avengers.

New Avengers V1 8 Kitty Pryde

Which is taken directly from New Avengers 8 with art by David Finch.

I guess the House of M counts as it was a Bendis penned crossover and this title would have had tie-in issues.

We get the storyline reminder, and the mess that it was, with the essence of the lost mutant powers, reappearing on Earth and killing Alpha Flight and eventually ending up with Weapon Omega.  It also was Bendis doing what Marvel needed so that they can use Magneto again after Morrison’s attempted to shelf the character with the Xorn business.

Double splash page (they all have been, thus far) of Secret Invasion, another Bendis written crossover.

Double splash from when Doctor Strange was looking for the new Sorcerer Supreme.

New Avengers v Dark Avengers!

The final one of these is when Rogers, as Captain America, got to throw his mighty shield into Iron Patriot, Norman Osborn’s face.

New Avengers Finale Jessica Jones 5

I really like this final page, clearly done by Immonen – with all of the characters, out of costume.  My only problem, with it?  Shouldn’t Bucky’s arm be metallic?  It is definitely flesh colored.

The next issue is Bendis’ first Avengers 1, with a very complicated time adventure.

New Avengers 51

Posted by John Klein III on November 5, 2015
Posted in: Review. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

New Avengers 51

Script Brian Michael Bendis

Art Billy Tan, Matt Banning and Justice Ponsor & Chris Bachalo, Tim Townsend and Antonio Fabela

Lettering RS & Comicraft’s Albert Deschesne

Cover Art Billy Tan, Matt Banning and Paul Mounts

Cover Dated May 2009

I only own this issue for the Magik appearance on the cover.  I will eventually review issues 53 and 54 of this series but Jessica Jones only appears in this issue.

This issue is broken down into two stories, the Doctor Strange portion and the New Avengers section.  So that is how the two art teams break down, which is pretty smart.  Tan gets the New Avengers and Bachalo gets Doctor Strange.

New Avengers 51 Recap Page

Here is a quick recap of what has been going on.  Secret Invasion happened, Norman Osborn killed the Skrull Queen and became Director of SHIELD, which he renamed to HAMMER – for reasons.  Due to the World War Hulk, Doctor Strange tapped into some dark magic and became overpowered and had to leave for a time.

The Hood’s Penthouse.  The Hood has summoned Dormammu, so that he can have even more power.

Avengers Tower.  Mockingbird watches as her boyfriend, Ronin – secretly Hawkeye (to the world at large) as he goes on television to review Norman Osborn for the villain that he is.  The news media is skeptical.

Dover, New Jersey.  Wiccan, of Young Avengers fame (and possible son of Scarlet Witch) uses his magic to prevent a car crash.  Doctor Strange interviews Wiccan – as he is waiting for the Eye of Agamotto to reveal who the new Sorcerer Supreme will be.

It is a real shame that Bendis didn’t make the cut to be the Sorcerer Supreme, though Bendis would sort of correct this in the Uncanny X-Men Annual 1 2014.

There is a house ad for Exiles 1, the third attempt at the series, this time with Jeff Parker and Salvador Espin, it was pretty good for the six issues it lasted.

Doctor Strange is approached by the suped up Hood.

Th second issue of War of Kings is coming out.

New Avengers 51 Jessica Jones 1

Avengers Hideout.  The Bronx, really it is Bucky Cap’s safe house.  These are my favorite pages of the issue, with one being very fun.

Ronin wants to conduct their meetings in the classic Avengers fashion.  There will be a leader and a deputy leader, even a handbook.  Cage is surprised to learn that he has been the acting leader.  No one wants the leadership role.

Secret Warriors 3 is coming out.  Blair Butler of G4 TV’s Fresh Ink Online states “Hickman is the next Warren Ellis, the next Alan Moore.”  Which seems pretty bold back in 2009.

New Avengers 51 Jessica Jones 2

Spider-Man offers that Bucky Cap has the military experience but he counters that he doesn’t have the Avengers experience.  Jessica offers up that her friend, Carol, has military training.  Carol turns it down.  Since no one else wants it, Ronin will lead.  Ronin makes Carol the deputy leader.

Ronin has an issue, and it is with Spider-Man.

Thor 601 by Straczynski and Djurdjevic start the concept of Asgard in Oklahoma.

New Avengers 51 Jessica Jones 3

Look at that first image above, notice how all of the Avengers are maskless?  Except for the one, not at the table.  That is an issue for Ronin.  Wolverine vouches for Spider-Man but since he couldn’t tell Skrulls from the genuine article, so he can be tricked.  Of the Skrull big reveals, only one of importance is that Mockingbird is back in the world of the living.

That panel of Danielle Cage (named after Luke’s best friend, Iron Fist – which I love!) eating sloppily with her hands?  So true to life!

Ronin wants no secrets, so he wants Spider-Man to unmask.  Spider-Man is cautious as he doesn’t want to risk his family’s safety.  This is Post-Civil War, where he had unmasked in front of the world – but it is also Post-One More Day, where he made a deal with the Devil (Mephisto) and rewrote time and his identity back into the hands of a few.

New Avengers 51 Jessica Jones 4

Peter Parker unmasks and introduces himself.  Jessica Jones recognizes him, immediately.  They went to high school together.  All of this was revealed in the awesome two part origin story of Jessica’s over in Alias 22 & 23.

Poor Jessica, she was even more invisible than Peter was!  Peter had, at least, bullies in Flash and the popular kids, razzing him on a daily basis.  Jessica was just in the background, so even Peter didn’t see her.

Jessica reveals she had a massive crush on Peter, which shocks Peter AND Luke Cage!

New Avengers 51 Jessica Jones 5

I love this page so much!  Jessica knows she has to give Peter some additional information.  She repeats her origin (briefly) about how she was doused by radiation and was in a coma forever.  Apparently students at Midtown High School called her, Coma Girl, as they were pretty clever.  She is not happy with the nickname.

Luke’s running commentary is a delight.  He can’t believe she had a crush on Peter, who is pretty much the opposite of, in every way.

Jessica, in full flirtation mode (look at that classic hair pull!) she claims it was a billion years ago but she sure does want to keep talking to Peter.  I like how the rest of the team is merely watching in silence.  I imagine this is more along the lines of two friends from high school, catching up after years apart.  Then she says she use to love Peter and Cage starts losing his mind.

Apparently they spoke to each other in ninth and tenth grade, but he barely noticed her.  Cage wants to know if it was a crush or love, which at sixteen, I’m not sure if there is a difference.

New Avengers 51 Jessica Jones 6

Peter wishes she was up front with her feelings, as he was just stuck at home with his test tubes and eating flapjacks.  Which I adore that, as a Spider-fan, that it is a term that I just know and recognize but Mockingbird and Ronin have no clue that Peter is talking about pancakes.

So I believe you are suppose to read the top row, then the right panel and then move to the middle row.  Those panels do seem out of place, as she just leaves and they were talking.  I guess she is thinking about how life would have been different.  Now that would have been a decent What If, right there!

Wolverine is very pleased that reunion happened, as it was fun to watch.

Peter reveals that his best friend’s father is Norman Osborn, they have a history.  He leaves out that his blonde girlfriend cheated on him with his best friend’s father and flew to Paris and birthed his twin babies and then Norman threw her off a bridge and Peter broke her neck with his web.  I suppose I would have left that part out too.

There is a hug crash and we get Luke saying, Sweet Christmas, which I totally say too!

Issue ends with Doctor Strange beaten and weakly asking for help.

I read every issue of Alias and the short lived sequel series, Pulse, and I became a huge Jessica Jones fan.  It was a sad day when I started selling those issues.  Such a great original series.

AAFES 3rd Edition – New Avengers : Time Trouble

Posted by John Klein III on April 5, 2014
Posted in: Review. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

85385_20070218111456_large

Writer Robert Kirkman

Art UDON

Pencils Scott Hepburn & Alex Chung

Inks M3TH & Alan Tam

Colors Rob Ruffolo

Udon Chief Erik Ko

Letteres VC’s Joe Caramagna

Cover Dated April 2006

AAFES stands for Army & Air Force Exchange Service

According to the Wikipedia page :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_and_Air_Force_Exchange_Service

The Army & Air Force Exchange Service (Exchange) is an agency of the United States Department of Defense.  Its dual missions are to provide quality merchandise and services of necessity and convenience to authorized customers at uniform low prices, and to generate reasonable earnings to supplement appropriated funds for the support of United States Army and Air Force Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) programs.

Marvel, to support the troops, creates and provides an entire free comic to the soldiers.

My mother was in the Army from before I was born to when I was entering junior high school.  Thus, I am partial to that branch of the military.

Inside front cover has an ad for the PSP game, Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max.

Issue opens with Spider-Man webbing Boomerang upside down on a skyscraper.  Spider-Man is updating him on how much nicer his life is now that he is an Avenger.  Even though he is fighting global threats now, he always has time for his old Rogues Gallery.

As he swings away, he continues to think how good he has it.  Mary Jane is happy, Aunt May is healthy and he is liked by his teammates – for the most part.

Spider-Man gets to Avengers Tower.  Jarvis has been knocked to the ground, and there is a portal.  Jarvis tells him there was a large fight and the X-Men were involved.

Spider-Man jumps through the portal.  The New Avengers and the Astonishing X-Men are in WWII.

The New Avengers are – Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Iron Man, Luke Cage and Captain America.

Astonishing X-Men are – Emma Frost, Wolverine, Cyclops, Colossus, Beast and Kitty.

Technically, Wolverine is a member of both teams.

Iron Man commits two pages to updating Spider-Man on what was and is still happening.

Kang the Conqueror has attacked the Tower.  Then he attacked minutes later but for Kang, it was four months later.  I do like how Kang doesn’t go farther into the past with each new attack.  He likes the challenge so he picked a moment in time and has rarely gone before it.

During the first attempt, Kang brainwashed the X-Men into attacking the Avengers.  Kang left behind some technology.

Now Kang’s plan is to kill WWII Captain America, thus the Avengers will not be the force they are now.  Which will also be a rough plot to one of the What If Age of Ultron issues.

The heroes used one of the portals to jump back in time.

There is a full page house ad of Marvel heroes supporting the military.  Heroes present are – Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, Wolverine, Thing, Sue Richards and Spider-Man.

Instead of Spider-Man, they were hoping the Sentry would have entered the portal.

There is an ad for Rubbermaid – because bright, crisp colors aren’t just for comic books.  Which, even though there are vegetables only shown, took me a few seconds to figure out exactly was meant.

The plan is to fight Kang and his robots until there are no more robots or Kang gives up.  They have WWII Captain America hiding somewhere.  Spider-Man asks the question of why they don’t go farther in time to prevent Kang from attempting this latest plan.  Iron Man tells him that they can’t control the portal, it is dependent on Kang.

There is an ad for Samsung – immerse yourself in the experience.  I like how these ads are clearly some type of partnership so they can’t advertise a specific product – just their brand name.

Cyclops and the X-Men finally makes a proper appearance.  Cyclops tells them that they can’t risk losing any of the brave soldiers, as that could trigger a change in the time stream.  Though, wouldn’t it only create an alternate timeline?  That is typically how time travel works in the Marvel Universe.

Kitty quips about how that doesn’t add any pressure.  Emma is quick to tell Kitty that they are the X-Men, not the New Mutants.  Kitty calls her a cow – such an uncalled for comment from Emma.

Beast is trying to figure out how Kang controls the robots, so that they can skip having to fight them.

There is an ad for the PSP.

There is a pretty nice poster of both the New and Young Avengers teams.  The text in the bottom is – AAEFES has always gonr and will always go where you go as we have for the last 110 years.

Also an ad for Leatherman, which looks like a Swiss Army knife type of tool.  There are ads so you can take out the poster and not lose story pages for the reread.  That’s planning ahead.

Nice splash page of Kang, making his first appearance in the issue.

Colossus fastball specials Wolverine at Kang.  Kang blasts Wolverine away.

The original Howling Commandos parachute in.  Luke Cage is impressed.

Fury tells Cap they can offer a hand.  Spider-Man makes a bad joke that what they need is their guns – I had to read it twice to make sense if it.  Fury shoots him a look, with both eyes!  Spider-Man tells him that he gets that look from Future Fury quite often.

Lego, just imagine.

Kang wants WWII Cap, he threatens to kill them all if they don’t comply.  Spider-Man jokes to Iron Man that Kang should know that the Avengers have beat him before and can again.  Iron Man tells him that the villains never remember that.  Which is a nice observation by Kirkman.

Cap tells Emma, Spider-Man and Iron Man to get the injured soldiers to safety.

Wilson, a true testament to American craftsmanship.  This is the ad that I noticed that the brands had no products specifically shown.

There is an ad for Top-Flite, a brand I am not familiar with.  They make golf products.

WWII Cap shows up, finally.  Spider-Woman was doing her best to hide him.  This Cap confronts Kang.  If the future without him is truly horrible, he will surrender.  So Kang and he go into this alternate future.

Spider-Man wishes Reed Richards was there to explain the ramifications of these actions.  Iron Man is insulted as he is a world class genius, in his own right.  Iron Man echoes my theory that what should happen, is a divergent timeline would be created.

Kang brings Cap back and surrenders.  The future without Cap was okay, the Avengers have a little harder time with challenges but they still overcome.

Young Cap is surprised his older self, isn’t that much older.

The heroes come back to the present.  Wolverine is going to stick with the Avengers for the moment, as they have a bigger TV.  Kitty likes the idea of a bigger TV.

Jarvis is left to clean the mess up, by himself at issue’s end.

Inside back cover ad is fot Igloo, and not a cooler in sight.

Back cover ad for the PS2 24 game, which wasn’t bad.  It takes place between seasons two and three.  Three is my favorite season.  That moment with Jack Bauer, the terrorist’s daughter and the inflicted hotel?  I still reference that as the most bad arse moment of the series.  Jack in body armor in the eighth season, going after the former president, might be the second place holder.  I knew that president was corrupted, simply because the actor resembled Nixon to me.