Mighty Avengers 1 - A New Era For The Avengers

This issue is fun to read from start to finish. This was something of a surprise given that this story comes right after the conclusion of Civil War, which I was fully expecting to be marked by darkness and moping around. Instead, there is a Tony Stark who seems overall confident and having a clear vision of the future and putting together a new Avengers team with Ms. Marvel that really brings out an old-school feel for this long-time fan while offering a new line-up that while provide some new character dynamics. It would certainly be absurd to lack any reference to Captain America and Civil War; in fact, those references made to Civil War are more negative than anything, with Ms. Marvel pointing out how useless The Sentry was during the whole thing and Ares, god of war, calling the whole thing a “slap fight". Perfect. The gathering of the team is done in this one oversized issue via several flashback scenes which are intermixed with an ongoing battle raging in downtown New York between the new Avengers and a variety of monsters. We learn that Tony Stark has chosen Ms. Marvel to lead the Avengers as he’s rather occupied being the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. The team’s roster is an interesting one that feels more like classic Avengers than it's sister title New Avengers does. I like the introduction of each new member and how they are made through a balance of the conversation between Tony Stark and Carol Danvers with a nice sequence of the Avenger being discussed battling the monsters... a really nice touch there. Incidentally, the interaction between these two strong-willed superheroes and the way they react to the inclusion of the different members shows a lot of promise for some pretty interesting team dynamics, and that is beside the personality dynamics of the other members, which is also very promising indeed. Artist Frank Cho is best known for his drawing of beautiful women. Here however, he doesn’t overplay the cheesecake factor. None of the female Avengers’ forms clash with how they’re usually portrayed and overall he just draws some rather nice superhero action. His Ares actually looks and acts like a cross between Thor and Wolverine, (Carol's description here), and I actually find myself liking his inclusion. Though hardly a traditional superhero artist, Cho’s crisp, clean art style adds to the whole superheroic feel of the book, with the Avengers ripping and smashing their way through hordes of monsters without it ever feeling at all gory or wrong. The story concludes with an appearance by Mole Man, the presumed perpetrator but, as it turns out, fellow victim. This leads to a bizarre transformation of Iron Man, and the new Avengers team face to face with a new, female Ultron! This is easily the most fun Avengers issue I’ve read in a long while, easily my favorite of the current two. Nearly everything about this comic works as Bendis seems to effortlessly combine good old superheroics with his usual trademark banter. This isn’t an issue that relies on reader nostalgia. It’s a new take on the Avengers that incorporates many of the elements that fans have always looked for in this team. A truly great start to a promising series...