" @Nobody said:

I don't think Clint should lead this team, because of his involvement with the other Avengers. I'm fine with Carol leading the team though. Why not remove Luke Cage and Jessica and add She-Hulk or Jack of Hearts(he's back, right?), or bring back Echo. "

She-Hulk is in Heralds...and I didn't know Jack of Hearts was back.I think Echo is being saved for Shadowland.Monica is in Heralds too but they could always take in some of those Initiative guys that they graduated.Remember Cloud 9,Butterball,Annex,all those guys? Hey they made Nova come back to earth..why not Mantis? Or someone like that.There are plenty of options. "

I like the part where Cap tells Luke he can make his own team......."anyone but Thor and Ironman," huh! like Luke would pick ether one of those "cake eaters". I'm pretty sure that he still hates Tony's guts from the SHRA and Luke and Thor have no rapport whatsoever, so Cap needs to chill.
 
I also like the relationship Bendis created with Luke and Logan, its like Luke is the only person the MU that understands that Logan is the best there is at what he does!

" I like the part where Cap tells Luke he can make his own team......."anyone but Thor and Ironman,"

The only thing that bugged me incredibly is that Clint is Ronin when all the Avengers cast and others are socialising but after Tony produces the contract, a Hawkeye can be seen between Thor and Steve! Who on earth is that?!

" The only thing that bugged me incredibly is that Clint is Ronin when all the Avengers cast and others are socialising but after Tony produces the contract, a Hawkeye can be seen between Thor and Steve! Who on earth is that?! "

" The only thing that bugged me incredibly is that Clint is Ronin when all the Avengers cast and others are socialising but after Tony produces the contract, a Hawkeye can be seen between Thor and Steve! Who on earth is that?! "

" @Vance Astro said:

" @Nobody said:

I don't think Clint should lead this team, because of his involvement with the other Avengers. I'm fine with Carol leading the team though. Why not remove Luke Cage and Jessica and add She-Hulk or Jack of Hearts(he's back, right?), or bring back Echo. "

She-Hulk is in Heralds...and I didn't know Jack of Hearts was back.I think Echo is being saved for Shadowland.Monica is in Heralds too but they could always take in some of those Initiative guys that they graduated.Remember Cloud 9,Butterball,Annex,all those guys? Hey they made Nova come back to earth..why not Mantis? Or someone like that.There are plenty of options. "

Is Hearlds an actual team? I heard Jack came back during Hercules or something. I haven't read it, I just heard that. But there are so many characters they could use that would be better for this team. "

" @Nobody said:

" @Vance Astro said:

" @Nobody said:

I don't think Clint should lead this team, because of his involvement with the other Avengers. I'm fine with Carol leading the team though. Why not remove Luke Cage and Jessica and add She-Hulk or Jack of Hearts(he's back, right?), or bring back Echo. "

She-Hulk is in Heralds...and I didn't know Jack of Hearts was back.I think Echo is being saved for Shadowland.Monica is in Heralds too but they could always take in some of those Initiative guys that they graduated.Remember Cloud 9,Butterball,Annex,all those guys? Hey they made Nova come back to earth..why not Mantis? Or someone like that.There are plenty of options. "

Is Hearlds an actual team? I heard Jack came back during Hercules or something. I haven't read it, I just heard that. But there are so many characters they could use that would be better for this team. "

They've fought together already so I would assume so. "

Why is the word MODERATION so foreign to Marvel's vocabulary? They only seem to know how to overload us with characters and teams. QUALITY NOT QUANTITY.

I cant stand watching Babs talk about Marvel comics. She's obviously biased.  
Sorry,, I can't continue watching reviews here. Thanks, its been real.

"I'm sorry, but am I the only person offended by the fact that Marvel is trying to coerce fans into buying another AVENGERS BOOK with the same characters that appear in the other Avengers titles?   Perhaps I did not make myself clear because I was so irritated over the quality of the writing in this issue.  I should not have gone into the review whilst so annoyed at the content I had just read so allow me to clarify my position.  In my opinion (because that is what a REVIEW is, an OPINION) Victoria Hand is treated with a tremendous amount of disrespect in this issue. The way Steve Rogers handles Victoria's new position as a mediator between himself and Luke Cage's new team is disgusting. He has so little respect for her, that he fails to properly and respectfully introduce her and explain her innocence to her new teammates. Instead, he throws her (irresponsibly) into the line of fire handing her only a note, as if that would clear her conscience in the eyes of her new teammates. Steve is not only disrespecting Victoria, but also underestimating Luke's intellect. Afterall, notes can easily be forged, can they not? "

"So wouldn't they be the new new avengers? "

To say that Babs is biased or that she and G-Man nit pick is completely unfair to them. I'll admit to having conflicting opinions once in a while, but how in God's name can you defend a comic book that is yet another example of a company squeezing you for more money. I'll be the first to shout MAKE MINE MARVEL, but this assembly line nonsense is ridiculous. They are not taking issue with the small details in and of themselves, they are merely trying to show a handful of examples as to why if these heroes occupy the same universe, their should be at least a semblance of continuity and a connection between the books. Can't wait for the next ten Avengers cash grabs, maybe AVENGERS SUPER SQUADRON, SUPER AVENGERS, MAGNIFICENT AVENGERS, PUBLIC AVENGERS, MIGHTY MORPHIN AVENGERS, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA AVENGERS, etc.

I'm all for these@Krakoa said:

"MIGHTY MORPHIN AVENGERS, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA AVENGERS"

" I cant stand watching Babs talk about Marvel comics. She's obviously biased.  Sorry,, I can't continue watching reviews here. Thanks, its been real. "

I see a lot of complaints about releasing so many Avengers books. Seems to me it's the same number they've had for years. Mighty Avengers went back to just being The Avengers. Dark Avengers was swapped for Secret Avengers. Avengers Academy takes the place of the Initiative. Hawkeye & Mockingbird are taking up Ms. Marvel's spot on the shelf. New Avengers is still New Avengers. The only difference I see, is that Marvel is actually hyping the Avengers line, for once, instead of spending all their advertising on the dozen or so X-books that continue to glut the market. I'm sure the upcoming films have a lot to do with Marvel showing some love to the Avengers. My biggest problem with the new books is that I feel like I'm missing several pages of story. New Avengers has been the only one to actually spend a little time with the characters & their actions in setting up the team.  The Secret Avengers were already hip deep in an assignment on the very first page of the book. Forgive me for actually wanting to see Steve actively recruit the team.... or spend some time getting S.H.I.E.L.D. back up & running. I'd like to see the thought processes involved in choosing to be... or not be... a part of something. At what point did Tony Stark decide to re-open the Mansion? Seemed like he was pretty adamant about that never happening after House of M. The Beast's return to  the Avengers should have been a bigger moment. Instead, he's just already there... in a new costume... working on the new threat. Maybe everything I'm looking for will be covered in the Avengers Prime mini-series. That's a year down the road, though, for the conclusion of that series. A lot will have happened in the other titles by then. It feels like Bendis is rushing to put everything into place for whatever the next big event is going to be. I'd prefer taking a little time out to get to know the Avengers again.

All I'm saying is.. if you're going to give your OPINION on VIDEO. At least make it constructive. That's all I'm saying yo. Stop the hostilities B. I come in peace. I swear.

Oh Benis. You always give us something negative to banter about.

Ms Marvel is a great character. It is a shame she was completely skipped over. Thing is decent, but I still think Luke Cage is a better strong guy for the team. I agree he does not belong in the leadership role, despite his longtime partnership with Iron Fist. . . but that was more of a dynamic duo.

" Ms Marvel is a great character. It is a shame she was completely skipped over. Thing is decent, but I still think Luke Cage is a better strong guy for the team. I agree he does not belong in the leadership role, despite his longtime partnership with Iron Fist. . . but that was more of a dynamic duo. "

Why oh why is Ms Marvel on this team? If she's supposed to be the premier female hero of the Marvel U shouldn't she be on the "alpha" team with the Avengers Big 3? Jessica Drew is a better fit for this team since she's still a newbie. 
 
If this issue is any indication of the final roster then this is too much. Spidey and Wolverine was pushing it , but 4 multiple team members is just ridiculous. Hopefully Hawkeye and Mockingbird will show up sparingly or not at all.  
 
For me, Victoria hand was one of the most interesting parts of the issue but I can see how this scene could have been handled better. Steve could have talked to Luke man to man and tell him how it is........or maybe knowing that he would say no, he decided to surprise him instead.....but honestly who says no to Steve Rogers?
 
And in regards to Steve using a note....well he's a WWII guy, I can see him doing things the old fashioned way. 

Pym has the money, also since the government sided with Captain America to take over Osborn's role Captain America has some government money.  Osborn's assets were seized, hammer dissolved thus there is cash to play with. And if Grim is involved the Baxter Building and the FF never lost their wealth.

" Why is the word MODERATION so foreign to Marvel's vocabulary? They only seem to know how to overload us with characters and teams. QUALITY NOT QUANTITY. "

So... what is the point of anything lower than a 2.5 if it's ALL FAILING GRADES?  Basing a 5 point rating system on grading percentages just doesn't make ANY sense.  2.5 = fail.  2?  Fail.  1.5? Fail.  So 2.5 through zero are all varying degrees of fail? I still don't get it, but ok...
 
And yes, a note from Steve Rogers, supposedly enough of a 'master strategist' to be the top cop in the world, is just horrible, horrible writing.  Some of you are saying 'c'mon, he's old fashioned.'  Well, Rogers better get with the program, considering how high-tech Shield SHOULD be in today's world. Also, to not personally sit down with Cage and Hand and make introductions and explanations for the necessity of her role on the team is just insulting to both of them, not to mention not very old-fashioned at all.  All of which results in a gun being pointed at the baby.  Absurd.  Perhaps Bendis is TOO comfortable with his favorite Avengers team? 
 
The way that both Steve and Tony treated Cage just seems be-littling to me. 'Here, we'll give you the mansion for a dollar. Oh, you don't have a dollar? ::snicker:: BTW, you have to have a babysitter.' They must be laughing themselves silly off panel...

I think you guys were to generous. This issue was horrible. I though it was a 1 out of 5. This issue, just like the New Avengers V1 post-Civil War, was a Luke Cage title as the other characters were just guest stars.  I just don't get the point of having New Avengers around other than Bendis not being happy not being the one writing Luke Cage and he needs to write the character even though Luke is starring in Thunderbolts. Also we have the Thing in the Fantastic Four, Hawkeye, Spider-Man, and Wolverine in Avengers why would they be on this team when they are already in the big teams as well as doing their own thing. This title just should not exist. Avengers, Secret Avengers, and Avengers Academy all have a purpose for existing but New Avengers is just around to be around.

Luke also really looked bad by putting down the whole thing of Steve being in charge. It completely goes against everything Bendis himself wrote in New Avengers as Luke was all ready for Steve to take over during Siege but now he isn't cool with it? It was stupid. 
 
I used to like Luke before Civil War but since that event he has just been a jerk and Bendis has not shown why Luke deserves to lead an Avengers team other than him being his man crush. Ms. Marvel, Hawkeye or the Thing would make more sense as leaders.
 
The only good thing about this issue was Doctor Strange's appearance as well as Immonen's great artwork.

" @Nobody: so what is the point of anything lower than a 2.5 if it's all the same? it makes a 5 point rating system redundant... "

" I'm sorry, but am I the only person offended by the fact that Marvel is trying to coerce fans into buying another AVENGERS BOOK with the same characters that appear in the other Avengers titles?"

issue is that bad? thats unfortunate considering the Avengers are one of my favorite teams

I think this is why I haven't been picking up any Marvel books lately, there are like a million Wolverine, Avengers, and Deadpool books (to be fair, DC probably has about half a dozen Batman books on the market right now) and it's just getting a little absurd. I mean I like Wolvie and the Avengers, but enough is enough. 
 
I was also glad to see Babs' drop her rating, I'm not sure why, but it annoys me when these two say they didn't like a comic and then give it a 3 or 3.5. If you don't like something, why would you say it's average? Especially since Babs said at the beginning of this not to buy or read this book. Anyway, that's my rant. I did enjoy the last New Avengers series while I read it, but I have no interest in this book, so I think I'll just pass.
 

Babs is intense and opinionated, WOW.  I agree about the middle being just silly.

" issue is that bad? thats unfortunate considering the Avengers are one of my favorite teams "

" @shawn87 said:

" issue is that bad? thats unfortunate considering the Avengers are one of my favorite teams "

Don't worry, you have 4 other books to choose from :) "

I'm proud of you Babs, being negative as a critic is not a bad thing. Not every comic ever printed is a 4 or 5, take Ultimatum for example.

I'm usually a DC guy. but when i want to pick up a marvel, there are just too many Avengers titles.  I dont know what to pick up/ whats important, just too many too choose from. i don't want to spend my money on something id hate! i wont pick this issues because Babs and i have similar tastes, so i usually trust her ratings(and Gman as well). They both didnt like this comic, and since i usually agree with them i'm going to pass on this issue. I dont want to spend 4 dollars on a issue with poor writing.
 
thanks Gman and Babs for a good review!
 
seriously slow down Bendis! Give your readers a chance to breath!

Think Bendis is trying to be Johns, and failing at it.   
 
I had this book in my stack only for the Dr. Strange and Voodoo, but ended up putting it back.  I think only like 5 copies sold at the shop I go to and if I really want it I can wait for the owner to put them on discount.   
 
And to all those who are getting onto Babs, it's not like reviewing is a science.  Sure yes, we expect a reviewer to be cool and collected but you know her opinion after she gives the rating, so really is there any need to calmly explain her position? 

I think Marvel has reached maximum Avengers capacity.  When storylines get so pointless and contrived, I think it's time to re-think the way they're approaching this whole Heroic Age thing. 
Good review, guys.  Honest review.  All I ever ask is for your opinions.  Keep up the good work.

I don't know why people are getting on Babs about her voicing an opinion. She did back up why she didn't enjoy the issue. She's a paying customer so she's got the right to say "yay" or "nay."  If you don't like it then don't watch. Does she have biases? Yeah, most people do have preferences. I do think she (and most reviewers) tries hard to not let personal biases influence reviews which impact book sales  - mainly because she doesn't say "I didn't like it" without giving reasons.
 
However, I do think there should be some sort of fairness here. I love DC, but if you're gonna call out Marvel for 4 Avengers books then call out DC for their "Brightest Day" branding or their 8 or 9 monthly Batman books.  Marvel and DC both use the same tactics to try and sell books. It's kind of what one of their goals is: selling as many books as possible. 
 
As for the review, the big thing I want to address is Doctor Voodoo. It wasn't a mini-series that he had, but a monthly series that got cancelled ridiculously too early because they didn't invest in Voodoo. I don't mind that he's not an all-powerful guy. He recently got the Sourcerer Supreme upgrade, so he should be a work in progress. Of course, you need to actually show that progress which requires a book. The real problem is that his book, which would've shown his journey, didn't sell well. Why is that? Cause people didn't care about him. Why? Cause Marvel didn't get behind the book and try to push Voodoo - like say have him featured in "New Avengers" beyond that arc to introduce him more to a wider audience.
 
I thought this book ("New Avengers" #1) was better than "Avengers" #1, but mainly because there was no sign of JRJR. It's obvious what needs to be addressed ASAP: What makes this team different and what is the point of this book. Unlike "Avengers Academy," this book didn't offer that within the first issue which was one of its shortcomings. Mighty Avengers had that same problem post-Secret Invasion, but, after a few muddling issues, it was revealed that Loki was pulling the strings which gave the book relevance and pushed it to a pretty solid monthly read. It's been one issue so there's no need to rush to judgement. That's how you end up with books getting cancelled before they get going (like Doctor freakin' Voodoo which was fantastic!!!!)....not that NA will get cancelled or anything, but still.