By Jonathan Hickman and Simone Bianchi
We’re just going to call this one a mulligan. Seriously, what happened? New Avengers is easily one of Marvel’s best. This issue is a chore to get through. The writing is sloppy and nonsensical, while the art is an eyesore. This is not a proper representation of Hickman or New Avengers.
So, Beast and Reed Richards figure some stuff out. That’s really all you can gather, since the writing is a mess. It’s chock-full of science mumbo jumbo, but that’s not what makes things confusing. What makes it so crappy is Hickman’s delivery. The entire issue reads like a script written by a very drunk Grant Morrison. As cool as that sounds, the execution is not pretty. To make matters worse, everybody is written out of character. Iron Man is a super genius. Why would he be so confused by a scientific vocabulary? Well, this Tony Stark is. Reed and Beast also come off as annoyingly oblivious to anything during their own explanations of the plot.
Wow. The art is terrible. Bianchi’s pencils are starting to get worse. He should be on a book that leans more on the psychedelic. That’s why his art worked with last issue’s story of Doctor Strange. Now, we’re more in a sterile sci-fi environment and it just doesn’t work. The facial work is pitiful, especially Beast. If you’re looking for a silver lining, Rags Morales is jumping on board, starting next issue.
This book is still awesome. Don’t let this issue fool you. Jonathan Hickman is a wonderful writer and Rags Morales is coming to save the art, so feel free to keep this on your pull. Soon enough, we’ll be back to our regularly scheduled awesomeness.
Oh, praise Batman for another artist. Every issue with this one has been dreadful.