Dark Reign: The List: Avengers #1 (One Shot)

You know, I really wasn't planning to buy any of The List comics.

This mini-series of stories within the Dark Reign circle just seemed like another way to milk more sales out of a storyline that's really fading fast (at least in terms of my interest in it).

For cryin' out loud, Norman Osborn is the bad guy in every single issue Marvel has on the stands. If that's not overkill, what is?

The Dark Avengers have become the equivalent of bop bags - knock 'em down, and don't worry, they'll pop right back into place by the next issue. We've seen Hawkeye/Bullseye shot and stabbed repeatedly, the same for Dark Wolverine, Venom is shot, dropped into a bottomless cave, and he pops right back. Ares, Sentry and Ms. Marvel/Moonstone are more or less invulnerable. The point being, it's hard to care much when nothing that happens to them is going to stick.

So why did I buy this comic? Simple - Brian Bendis wrote it, and he's pretty darn reliable about these things. This issue provides a good mix of his usual sharp dialogue and lots of action sequences.

The concept of the series is simple enough: Osborn is making a list of the things he needs to do while he's running the country. He talks about the need for a plan - but nothing else that happens in the comic comes about because of his planning.

The art is by Marko Djurdjevic and Mark Morales, and it's quite good - dark, moody and intense.

The art is the best reason to pick up this issue. The story's not bad, but like so many of the stories in this series, it just seems to be marking time and holding everything in place.

Looking ahead, it may be difficult to pass up the other seven issues in this series, because they feature some outstanding talent, including Alan Davis, John Romita, Jr. and Adam Kubert.

But there may be a light at the end of the tunnel - the last issue shows up in November, so maybe the Dark Reign will wrap up by the end of the year.

Here's hoping.

Grade: B