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    Volume 5.

    Avengers #39

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    undeadpool

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    Edited By undeadpool

    The Good

    It is almost impossible for a work of fiction to survive without a strong emotional core holding it together. The book can be about most anything, but unless a severe lack of emotion or investment is the entire point, it simply does not work because interest can’t be maintained with very, very few exceptions. Even history books, for worlds both real and imaginary, try to insert some semblance of narrative, often at the cost of accuracy. All this ties back into Jonathan Hickman’s time jump in his Avengers storylines, all counting down to a catastrophic event month-by-month. The series started out emotionally dry and a huge part of that was because of a lack of context. I’m not sure that problem of context is going to be solved, but I am sure that Hickman has found a way to write around it, giving us one of the most resonant, touching issues of the entire run that also somehow contains Captain Marvel and War Machine (who gets by with a little help from some "friends") throwing down with Hulk and Captain Britain. Reed Richards’ message to his daughter is a terrific reminder that, despite his own emotional failings, he is ultimately a loving father and husband. Maybe it was the focus on Richards that stopped a lot of this resonance from coming through early on, but it’s certainly on full display here. We get thematic parallels between Reed discussing gamecraft both with what’s happening in the issue and how he feels toward Valeria, and it works extremely well.

    Mike Deodato handles the linework, and it’s great to see him return again and again to Hickman’s world. His characters are both incredibly stylized, but somehow retain an aura of realness that makes them relatable and easily identifiable. There are no visible corners cut and he makes the action look epic and pack an incredible amount of punch, while still being extremely easy to follow. Frank Martin’s colors are subtle and dark, almost with a bleak, washed-out undercurrent that fits exactly in with this strange new Marvel universe.

    The Bad

    I had to double-check and make sure this was, indeed, AVENGERS as it focuses almost solely on the NEW AVENGERS roster and while I absolutely love that book, it’s disappointing to see two titles that had done such a great job of differentiating themselves and being readable to fans of the entire story OR the individual teams break down and go full-on crossover. If you haven’t been keeping up with NEW AVENGERS, even with the recap at the beginning, this book might be difficult to follow. This book, and this issue especially, has had trouble finding its narrative focus.

    The Verdict

    The whole crossover thing (it will even be continued in the next issue of NEW AVENGERS) isn’t bad on its face, it’s just a bit disappointing that a series that had so perfectly sidestepped all the potholes that come with needing to read other books in order to follow the plot finally stepped in one. It’s still a very, very good issue, the writing and visuals are beautiful and heartfelt while still having an edge of both desperation and hard-hitting action. It’s a tough balancing act to achieve, but this issue manages it with aplomb.

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    Rainja

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    This was a great issue. 5/5 for me. My Favorite part was Hulk and Ms. Marvel. I actually thought she could handle him for a secound and it went as I expected. Hulk Smash. Plus the dialogue from Reed was good.

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    GrenadeFlow

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    Great issue. I can't wait for the next part

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    owie

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    #3 owie  Moderator

    Ah hell. I haven't been reading this but I am reading New Avengers. Since this has the New Avengers, am I going to be even more lost in the next New Avengers than I would normally be without reading Avengers? BTW I thought it was funny that in the page that lists all the characters in the last New Avengers, it listed a bunch of people under a team called New Avengers that didn't actually include any of the characters who are in the New Avengers book. Which I guess makes a weird sort of sense since the New Avengers book is actually about the Illuminati, so why not have some random other team that actually uses the New Avengers name in the normal Avengers book! (head spins)

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    EarthsMightiest

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    #4  Edited By EarthsMightiest

    Hulks one liner to Capt. Marvel after she throws everything at him was great (that grin on his face awesome) Then smash into orbit she goes!

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    ShadowSwordmaster

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    Hulks one liner to Capt. Marvel after she throws everything at him was great (that grin on his face awesome) Then smash into orbit she goes!

    That was a pretty good grin.

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    medulaoblaganda

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    i have not being keeping up with this comic at all. lol.

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    dondave

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    I was so happy Carol couldn't even faze Hulk.

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    dondave

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    #8  Edited By dondave

    I was so happy Carol couldn't even faze Hulk.

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    frozenedge2

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    Gotta love that ending. And how almost all of the Illuminati have grown beards together

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    The_Titan_Lord

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    NICE.

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    DatHomieSilverSurfer

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    this was so badass!

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    Sampsman

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    Hickman's gotta be my favorite writer over at Marvel right now. He's really weaving a compelling story and I put both his books at the top of my pile whenever a new one comes out. Always the first book I read (and that was especially hard to do this week with Uncanny X-Men annual, Amazing Spider-Man, Afterlife with Archie, and others all on my pull list). Really looking forward to how this all shakes out in preparation for Secret Wars 2015.

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    blackkitty

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    I haven't been following the Avengers in a VERY long time since they threw every book they had into the Avengers team. So... are the good guys still reduced to small size or did that get fixed yet?

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    ssulti

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    #17  Edited By ssulti
    Best moment in this issue
    Best moment in this issue

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    superior_prime_maybe

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    its getting a bit hard keeping up up with both these titles

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    TDK_1997

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    I think that this storyline is extremely interesting but at the same time really confusing. I know that Hickman has always tried to be the Grant Morrison of science fiction and superheroes but at times things just aren;t clicking for him. But this time it's completely different, things are looking well, actiony and intriguing. I am glad that he didn't continue with his incredibly boring exposition like in some of the previous issue and actually made a nice cliffhanger moment and a great action packed issue.

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