Brian Michael Bendis changed everything when he launched The New Avengers #1 with David Finch in 2005. Bendis broke long-standing rules, including adding Wolverine and Spider-Man to the roster, creating a team that truly was the all-star assembly of the Marvel Universe. Twenty years later, Marvel has revived the New Avengers line with Sam Humphries and Ton Lima. The new comic doesn’t match the same uniqueness that defined Bendis’s book, instead incorporating harder-edge characters. There’s nothing wrong with that on paper, especially since Humphries’ book is meant to follow the trick marketing for the live-action Thunderbolts* movie.
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When Humphries’ and Lima’s New Avengers book was announced, it was initially given the title of Thunderbolts. Marvel then revealed the book’s real title not long after the launch of Thunderbolts* movie, where it was unveiled to be a New Avengers film instead. The edgier roster makes a bit more sense in a Thunderbolts comic, even though the line-up had oddball choices like Hulk, Clea, and Namor. The title also comes off the heels of Thunderbolts: Doomstrike, yet The New Avengers book doesn’t feature the same main creative team. That leads Humphries’s new book in an odd place, as it’s neither a traditional New Avengers book nor a new Thunderbolts title.
The New Avengers Are Back!
The first issue sets up Bucky and Natasha hooking up and deciding to form a new team. Humphries takes no time re-establishing the Winter Soldier and Black Widow romance, which has existed in the background as a common fling. Humphries leans heavily on the characters’ attraction to each other, with one joke in the comic being Bucky wanting to make out during the middle of a conflict. This kind of humor doesn’t really work for either character, as they are typically stoic. They’re humorous flirtation doesn’t fully land, but it does set up Humphries’ New Avengers as being more light-hearted and campy.
The silly nature of the comic becomes apparent when it’s revealed that the Jackel is the primary antagonist, and he’s one of the most camp villains in Marvel’s arsenal. Furthermore, it’s revealed that the Jackal made defective clones of the Illuminati, including a clone-hybrid of Cyclops and Professor Xavier, plus a buffed-up Black Bolt. It’s a silly and undeniably fun premise for a comic, but it feels like the wrong characters are in it. Jackal and the Illuminati clones make more sense for colorful heroes like Spider-Man, rather than the Winter Soldier and Black Widow.
Laura Kinney joins in on the fun, continuing the character’s trend of being far more aggressive and stoic in team books than she is in her solo adventures. Laura’s inclusion continues the team-up she had with Bucky in her book, replacing Logan as the team’s designated Wolverine. She is an enjoyable addition to the cast, even though she has yet to do anything significant. Namor also makes a big splash in the first issue, and Humphries has a good handle on the character, wonderfully representing his arrogance and heroism. Unfortunately, the full team isn’t formed by the rest of the comic. Clea Strange gets a cameo, whereas Hulk and Carnage don’t even appear. It can be disappointing not to have the full roster at onset, but at least Humphries is not rushing to include the full cast.
Ton Lima delivers strong lineart, which is enhanced by Rain Beredo’s amazing coloring. Beredo adds great texture and lighting to the artwork. Lima and Beredo make the action clear and precise, with a standout panel being a to-scale image where the team stands in front of a large cloning machine. Lima does an excellent job of conveying the machine’s size, incorporating many intricate details.
Humphries’ and Lima’s New Avengers #1 is a competent yet imperfect first issue. The darker characters don’t fully mesh with the over-the-top story Humphries is constructing, but the action and coloring are great. It’s too early to tell if the series will reach the same heights as Bendis’ definitive run on the title. Nonetheless, the new comic may still have time to shine when more of the roster make their grand appearance. Maybe when the full team is formed, we can finally see what kind of chemistry they will have, potentially enhancing the story.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
What did you think of Sam Humphries’ and Ton Lima’s The New Avengers #1? Let us know in the comments!
