Friday, May 10, 2013

The Avengers #11

After 10 issues of big, cosmic events, this issue of The Avengers takes us down to Earth for some ground-level action.

Six members of the team go undercover to investigate some kind of weapon sale - but that's just the excuse for a series of (mostly) fun encounters between the good guys and the bad guys.

I'm a longtime fan of Shang-Chi, the Master of the Martial Arts (and son of Fu Manchu), and it's great to see him in the spotlight in this issue. His part of the story is written in a delightful, stylized fashion by Jonathan Hickman - a real treat.

Also included is the Black Widow (with an especially dark - but accurate - take on the super spy), Spider-Woman, Captain Marvel, Cannonball and Sunspot.

The other star in this issue is artist Mike Deodato, who seems to be having a blast here. From the ninja-packed action scenes to a showdown over a gambling table to a fun encounter between newbie heroes and nerdy villains, the visuals are lush and powerful.

I also love the cover art, a nice whimsical version of the heroes by Dustin Weaver and Justin Ponsor - it would make an excellent poster.

So, yet another outstanding issue in one of Marvel's best titles. Highly recommended!

Grade: A

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