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Marvel Press Novels
New Avengers: Breakout
Fantasy/romantic fiction/comics author Alisa Kwitney (A Flight of Angels, Moonburn) reveals the secret backstory of Avengers couple Hawkeye and the Black Widow. Under secret orders to assassinate the Widow, the rough-edged marksman finds himself caught up in a violent prison break that releases some of the world's most vicious and powerful criminals. Defying his superiors, Hawkeye joins forces with the sultry Russian spy - and with a mismatched group of personalities that include Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Luke Cage, Captain America and Iron Man. Unexpected betrayals and shocking revelations will lead the team from Manhattan's top security Raft prison to the untamed jungle of the Savage Land in dramatically different take on Brian Michael Bendis' blockbuster Avengers comics debut. Learn the sizzling backstory of your favorite big-screen heroes in this adaptation, inspired by the best of page and screen!
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
51 people are currently reading
685 people want to read
About the author
Alisa Kwitney
103 books190 followersI'm the author of YA, graphic novels and novels for adults who still feel young, at least most of the time. Recent works include GILT, a graphic novel about time-traveling women of a certain age; Cadaver & Queen, a YA Feminist Frankenstein meets Grey's Anatomy tale, and Mystik U from DC Comics, which features Zatanna and other magical characters in their first year at college. I also co-host a Sandman podcast, The Endless, with Lani Diane Rich.
My first novel, Till the Fat Lady Sings, is also about college and romance and eating disorders. (It was my thesis at Columbia University's MFA Program, where I felt like an outlier for liking comic books and romance as much as literature.) I was an editor at Vertigo, the mature/dark fantasy branch of DC Comics, before going freelance. (I've also written two hormonal werewolf books as Alisa Sheckley.)
I live near the Vanderbilt Estate in Hyde Park, NY, with two dogs and a frightening number of books.
aka Alisa Sheckley
My first novel, Till the Fat Lady Sings, is also about college and romance and eating disorders. (It was my thesis at Columbia University's MFA Program, where I felt like an outlier for liking comic books and romance as much as literature.) I was an editor at Vertigo, the mature/dark fantasy branch of DC Comics, before going freelance. (I've also written two hormonal werewolf books as Alisa Sheckley.)
I live near the Vanderbilt Estate in Hyde Park, NY, with two dogs and a frightening number of books.
aka Alisa Sheckley
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
January 16, 2013
I would like to preface this review by stating I have read comic books since the age of eight. I am especially a huge Avengers fan (Black Widow)in particular. I've read the majority of the Avengers comics (the very good, the good and the really bad *ahem* Heroes Reborn). Consequently, I came into this story with a higher than average knowledge of the Avengers and their backgrounds.
I also used up my one Christmas present wish on this book.
That being said, I was curious to see the changes Ms. Kwitney would make to the overall Avengers story. I was especially wary of the way she was to treat Natasha and her relationship with Hawkeye.
Overall, I was impressed with the book. Ms. Kwitney balanced the action scenes and the narrative scenes well. I did not find myself bored with the narrative scenes, nor did I think the action sequences were over drawn. She managed to flesh out the characters well and I especially loved the way she wrote my beloved Natasha, who is not an easy character to write. Although Ms. Kwitney took liberties with Black Widow's story (particularly with Natasha's defection), I found myself too wrapped up in the story to care too much about the changes. While I can understand why some hard-core purists would be upset with the changes, I took the changes in stride and let's face it: the changes make for an excellent story.
My only complaint (if it can be called a complaint) comes from the length of the book. I found myself taking my time, devouring the book slowly so it would last a bit longer. I would love to see Ms. Kwitney tackle a few more stories and I hope she is given the opportunity to do so. I would also love to read the mature version of certain scenes. ;)
I also used up my one Christmas present wish on this book.
That being said, I was curious to see the changes Ms. Kwitney would make to the overall Avengers story. I was especially wary of the way she was to treat Natasha and her relationship with Hawkeye.
Overall, I was impressed with the book. Ms. Kwitney balanced the action scenes and the narrative scenes well. I did not find myself bored with the narrative scenes, nor did I think the action sequences were over drawn. She managed to flesh out the characters well and I especially loved the way she wrote my beloved Natasha, who is not an easy character to write. Although Ms. Kwitney took liberties with Black Widow's story (particularly with Natasha's defection), I found myself too wrapped up in the story to care too much about the changes. While I can understand why some hard-core purists would be upset with the changes, I took the changes in stride and let's face it: the changes make for an excellent story.
My only complaint (if it can be called a complaint) comes from the length of the book. I found myself taking my time, devouring the book slowly so it would last a bit longer. I would love to see Ms. Kwitney tackle a few more stories and I hope she is given the opportunity to do so. I would also love to read the mature version of certain scenes. ;)
September 3, 2016
A novel based on the Marvel characters. In this one, there is a prison break from the prison known as the Raft. This place holds many dangerous villains. Several different heroes converge in an attempt to stop the breakout but some villains end up escaping. These heroes end up working together and in the process end up forming a new superhero team.
The one word I would use to describe this book would be "fun" as I had a great time reading this book. This book brought many smiles to my face because of the banter, the action, and the portrayals of the characters. The portrayals has to be the highlight as the author nailed this aspect. From Captain America's business like attitude to Tony's ego to Peter's quips I thought everything was perfect. I also liked the look into Spider-Woman and Luke Cage as I don't know much about them. We also get minor appearances from other Marvel characters that worked perfectly. The story isn't earth shattering and the world isn't in danger but I had no problem imagining this story existing in this universe.
The only flaw of this book is more fault of mine. I am not the most versed in this world so some of the villains were not known to me. It did not take away from the story but I imagine if I knew them, my experience reading this book would have been even more enjoyable. If you like the current Marvel movies and its characters, you would probably like this book.
The one word I would use to describe this book would be "fun" as I had a great time reading this book. This book brought many smiles to my face because of the banter, the action, and the portrayals of the characters. The portrayals has to be the highlight as the author nailed this aspect. From Captain America's business like attitude to Tony's ego to Peter's quips I thought everything was perfect. I also liked the look into Spider-Woman and Luke Cage as I don't know much about them. We also get minor appearances from other Marvel characters that worked perfectly. The story isn't earth shattering and the world isn't in danger but I had no problem imagining this story existing in this universe.
The only flaw of this book is more fault of mine. I am not the most versed in this world so some of the villains were not known to me. It did not take away from the story but I imagine if I knew them, my experience reading this book would have been even more enjoyable. If you like the current Marvel movies and its characters, you would probably like this book.
November 27, 2013
It's not often anymore that I finish a book in two days. But it does happen, and it happened with New Avenger's: Breakout.
One of Marvel's steps into the world of prose novels based off of comic book series, I had a rough idea what to expect after reading Civil War and Batman: No Man's Land. (Yes, yes, the later is DC, I know) 'Civil War' was enjoyable, and I had an interest in the New Avengers, though I will admit I am not an Avenger's fan.
Kwitney is a good writer, but what made this novel stand out was her being a female writer. It meant that there were some elements in the storyline that were handled differently than you would find with a male writer. It was refreshing and enjoyable, and added a certain element to things such as Hawkeye and Black Widow's relationship that worked, and worked well.
The overall plot was well paced, going from one point to another with without any major slowing point. The characters were each handled well, though I found that the female ones were done with more skill than the male ones. Cage, for example, during the plane scene felt over the top. I am aware that this was most likely from the comic (which I haven't read), but the way that Cage's personality/fears played out felt stiff and out of character.
Still, overall the characters were enjoyable and I thought they were represented well. Even Spiderman's wisecracks were on target and felt in character. (Not to mention Iron Man behaving as he does in the movies, which I thought was enjoyable)
Combat within the novel was handled with a certain flare, though I found it to be drawn out in such a high level of detail, the tension in it was lost. This worked at certain points, especially areas where it was one on one, such as Hawkeye vs Black Widow. However when it was larger combats, it caused the story to get bogged down and slow to a crawl.
In the end, Kwitney did a really good job with this story and has written a really enjoyable book. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys anything with super heroes. It is well worth the time to read and I will probably read it again in the future. Go and check it out.
One of Marvel's steps into the world of prose novels based off of comic book series, I had a rough idea what to expect after reading Civil War and Batman: No Man's Land. (Yes, yes, the later is DC, I know) 'Civil War' was enjoyable, and I had an interest in the New Avengers, though I will admit I am not an Avenger's fan.
Kwitney is a good writer, but what made this novel stand out was her being a female writer. It meant that there were some elements in the storyline that were handled differently than you would find with a male writer. It was refreshing and enjoyable, and added a certain element to things such as Hawkeye and Black Widow's relationship that worked, and worked well.
The overall plot was well paced, going from one point to another with without any major slowing point. The characters were each handled well, though I found that the female ones were done with more skill than the male ones. Cage, for example, during the plane scene felt over the top. I am aware that this was most likely from the comic (which I haven't read), but the way that Cage's personality/fears played out felt stiff and out of character.
Still, overall the characters were enjoyable and I thought they were represented well. Even Spiderman's wisecracks were on target and felt in character. (Not to mention Iron Man behaving as he does in the movies, which I thought was enjoyable)
Combat within the novel was handled with a certain flare, though I found it to be drawn out in such a high level of detail, the tension in it was lost. This worked at certain points, especially areas where it was one on one, such as Hawkeye vs Black Widow. However when it was larger combats, it caused the story to get bogged down and slow to a crawl.
In the end, Kwitney did a really good job with this story and has written a really enjoyable book. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys anything with super heroes. It is well worth the time to read and I will probably read it again in the future. Go and check it out.
April 10, 2024
This was fun!!!
May 28, 2024
it’s still excellent
May 6, 2022
New Avengers: Breakout, By Alisa Kiwtney is a novelization based on the “New Avengers” comic series by Brian Michael and David Finch.
Under secret orders to assassinate the Black Widow, the rough-edged marksman Clint Barton, Hawkeye finds himself caught up in a violent prison breakout that releases some of the world’s most vicious and powerful criminals. Defying his superiors, Hawkeye joins forces with the former Russian spy and with a mismatched group of personalities that include Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Luke Cage, Captain America and Iron Man. Unexpected betrayals and shocking revelations will lead the team from Manhattan’s top security Raft prison to the untamed jungle of the Savage Land in dramatically different take on Brian Michael Bendis’ New Avengers comics series.
The events of the prose novel generally follow the events of the comic book version, except when they don't.
On the character front, the key exceptions are the excising of Sentry, Daredevil and Wolverine from the mix. The Sentry is a fascinating character, but his presence would have caused an unnecessary distraction, so I can see why he was removed. His comic-book Breakout appearance was one step in a long character development which wouldn't have added much to this book.
Daredevil subsequently declined to join the New Avengers, so removing his appearance probably simplifies matters. Spider-Man pretty much covers his role anyhow. As for Wolverine, well he's just massively overexposed on every front. His absence is almost certainly an improvement!
But the main, and overwhelming change that the book makes compared to the standard continuity is the treatment of the Black Widow. In this book version, Natasha Romanoff is essentially unknown to the heroes and to S.H.I.E.L.D. Specifically, Clint "Hawkeye" Barton has never met her, until he sees her on the bridge of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Heli-carrier. And what is she doing there? Well, sort of spying, except that she's apparently spying in order to determine if she wants to leave the Russian camp and join S.H.I.E.L.D. Or else she's trying to prove that she's a capable spy, in order to improve her credentials. Or something similar. Honestly, it's all rather unclear exactly he Natasha imagined things proceeding.
How they do actually proceed is Natasha being captured by S.H.I.E.L.D.-agent Clint and his fellow-agent Spider-Woman, and then being summarily sentenced without benefit of any legal process to be imprisoned indefinitely in the Raft (the super-villain prison in the middle of New York). This is equally unusual, given that she actually possesses no super-powers. In the final analysis, that entire chain of events is a flawed MacGuffin whose only goal is to give Clint and Spider-Woman an excuse to escort Natasha down to the Raft just at the moment that Electro short-circuits the security systems and allows all the bad guys to escape
From there, the plot picks up the general path of the original version. Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America and Luke Cage join the fight on the Raft. Some of the villains are captured, but others escape. Among the escapees is Karl Lykos aka Sauron the mind-controlling pterodactyl. The six not-yet-team-mates (Hawkeye, Spider-Woman, Cap, Luke, Iron Man and Spider-Man) do a little investigation to determine that Lykos was indeed behind the breakout, and they follow him to his base in the Savage Land. You know, that tropical, dinosaur-populated micro-climate in the heart of Antarctica.
The nearly-New Avengers take Natasha with them, as a blossoming will-they-won't-they-is-she-just-seducing-him-or-does-she-really-care relationship pretty much takes over the entire story. The New Avengers battle ancient jungle beasts, tackle Brainchild, Lykos and their savage-land mutates, and discover a rogue S.H.I.E.L.D. base which has been taken over by Yelena Belova (the other Black Widow). Yelena and her breakaway S.H.I.E.L.D. members are using slave mutate labour to mine Vibranium for fun and profit.
The heroes are captured by the mutates, then escape, then are discovered and attacked by the rogue S.H.I.E.L.D. forces, but are the only ones left standing when the regular S.H.I.E.L.D. forces (lead by assistant director Maria Hill) detonate a nuclear micro-bomb in the middle of the battle. Impressed by Natasha's actions in the field, Captain America demands that Natasha be released to join his "New Avengers". Maria Hill is not inclined to grant his request, but Nick Fury turns up in time to save the day.
Well, that's the "plot". But really, it's not the guts of the story. While the action does keep moving along, it is equally a skeleton for the romantic and inter-personal dynamics that pervade the text.
The primary relationship is between Clint and Natasha. He's a worldly-wise former circus kid, she's a super-spy trained in the art of emotional manipulation. So when her skin tingles to his accidental touch, is she faking? Is he faking? Does she know that he is faking? Or is she faking his belief that he is faking in order to manipulate him on a deeper level?
And what about Jessica and Clint? Is the mis-matched good-agent/bad-agent banter between them actually dynamic erotic tension between two adults who are hiding their emotions? Is Jessica's mistrust of Natasha based on her belief that the Black Widow is manipulating Clint? Or is it actually a romantic resentment?
The other emotional sub-plot examines Peter's loner instinct. How can Luke Cage trust a partner who won't even reveal his true face? Can Captain America build a working team from this motley crew after the Disassembling of his original Avengers? Will these events bring these individuals together, or simply force them apart forever? Well, we know the answer to that one I guess.
These prose novels are faced with an impossible task. Set within overwhelming constraints, they are locked into characters which they can't develop to any significant extent.
Given that character development is the fundamental heart of writing, this leaves most prose novels scrambling to fill the void with action sequences - but are then equally hobbled by the fact that they can't kill off any well-known protagonists (or antagonists). So their ability to generate danger is equally constrained. It's a thankless job all around.
Writer Alisa Kiwtney attempts to work around this problem by changing the starting point, rather than the end point. She resets the Black Widow to "unknown" status, and then "develops" the character by bringing her back to the standard continuity status quo. The dynamic tension is then tied to the basic question "will Hawkeye and Black Widow screw each other or not — and if so, where and when?"
It's a rather roundabout way of squeezing a novel between the gaps of the framework in which she is forced to write. But it mostly works. The result is a super-hero-action-bodice-ripper-breakfast-club-buddy-cop mess which is charming enough just often enough to get you from page one to page last without too much effort.
All in all, I give this one three stars, which in the context of the unenviable challenges this Novelization presents, is actually a pretty good rating. Despite its problems I still found New Avengers: Breakout a fun superhero adventure that worth a read.
Under secret orders to assassinate the Black Widow, the rough-edged marksman Clint Barton, Hawkeye finds himself caught up in a violent prison breakout that releases some of the world’s most vicious and powerful criminals. Defying his superiors, Hawkeye joins forces with the former Russian spy and with a mismatched group of personalities that include Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Luke Cage, Captain America and Iron Man. Unexpected betrayals and shocking revelations will lead the team from Manhattan’s top security Raft prison to the untamed jungle of the Savage Land in dramatically different take on Brian Michael Bendis’ New Avengers comics series.
The events of the prose novel generally follow the events of the comic book version, except when they don't.
On the character front, the key exceptions are the excising of Sentry, Daredevil and Wolverine from the mix. The Sentry is a fascinating character, but his presence would have caused an unnecessary distraction, so I can see why he was removed. His comic-book Breakout appearance was one step in a long character development which wouldn't have added much to this book.
Daredevil subsequently declined to join the New Avengers, so removing his appearance probably simplifies matters. Spider-Man pretty much covers his role anyhow. As for Wolverine, well he's just massively overexposed on every front. His absence is almost certainly an improvement!
But the main, and overwhelming change that the book makes compared to the standard continuity is the treatment of the Black Widow. In this book version, Natasha Romanoff is essentially unknown to the heroes and to S.H.I.E.L.D. Specifically, Clint "Hawkeye" Barton has never met her, until he sees her on the bridge of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Heli-carrier. And what is she doing there? Well, sort of spying, except that she's apparently spying in order to determine if she wants to leave the Russian camp and join S.H.I.E.L.D. Or else she's trying to prove that she's a capable spy, in order to improve her credentials. Or something similar. Honestly, it's all rather unclear exactly he Natasha imagined things proceeding.
How they do actually proceed is Natasha being captured by S.H.I.E.L.D.-agent Clint and his fellow-agent Spider-Woman, and then being summarily sentenced without benefit of any legal process to be imprisoned indefinitely in the Raft (the super-villain prison in the middle of New York). This is equally unusual, given that she actually possesses no super-powers. In the final analysis, that entire chain of events is a flawed MacGuffin whose only goal is to give Clint and Spider-Woman an excuse to escort Natasha down to the Raft just at the moment that Electro short-circuits the security systems and allows all the bad guys to escape
From there, the plot picks up the general path of the original version. Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America and Luke Cage join the fight on the Raft. Some of the villains are captured, but others escape. Among the escapees is Karl Lykos aka Sauron the mind-controlling pterodactyl. The six not-yet-team-mates (Hawkeye, Spider-Woman, Cap, Luke, Iron Man and Spider-Man) do a little investigation to determine that Lykos was indeed behind the breakout, and they follow him to his base in the Savage Land. You know, that tropical, dinosaur-populated micro-climate in the heart of Antarctica.
The nearly-New Avengers take Natasha with them, as a blossoming will-they-won't-they-is-she-just-seducing-him-or-does-she-really-care relationship pretty much takes over the entire story. The New Avengers battle ancient jungle beasts, tackle Brainchild, Lykos and their savage-land mutates, and discover a rogue S.H.I.E.L.D. base which has been taken over by Yelena Belova (the other Black Widow). Yelena and her breakaway S.H.I.E.L.D. members are using slave mutate labour to mine Vibranium for fun and profit.
The heroes are captured by the mutates, then escape, then are discovered and attacked by the rogue S.H.I.E.L.D. forces, but are the only ones left standing when the regular S.H.I.E.L.D. forces (lead by assistant director Maria Hill) detonate a nuclear micro-bomb in the middle of the battle. Impressed by Natasha's actions in the field, Captain America demands that Natasha be released to join his "New Avengers". Maria Hill is not inclined to grant his request, but Nick Fury turns up in time to save the day.
Well, that's the "plot". But really, it's not the guts of the story. While the action does keep moving along, it is equally a skeleton for the romantic and inter-personal dynamics that pervade the text.
The primary relationship is between Clint and Natasha. He's a worldly-wise former circus kid, she's a super-spy trained in the art of emotional manipulation. So when her skin tingles to his accidental touch, is she faking? Is he faking? Does she know that he is faking? Or is she faking his belief that he is faking in order to manipulate him on a deeper level?
And what about Jessica and Clint? Is the mis-matched good-agent/bad-agent banter between them actually dynamic erotic tension between two adults who are hiding their emotions? Is Jessica's mistrust of Natasha based on her belief that the Black Widow is manipulating Clint? Or is it actually a romantic resentment?
The other emotional sub-plot examines Peter's loner instinct. How can Luke Cage trust a partner who won't even reveal his true face? Can Captain America build a working team from this motley crew after the Disassembling of his original Avengers? Will these events bring these individuals together, or simply force them apart forever? Well, we know the answer to that one I guess.
These prose novels are faced with an impossible task. Set within overwhelming constraints, they are locked into characters which they can't develop to any significant extent.
Given that character development is the fundamental heart of writing, this leaves most prose novels scrambling to fill the void with action sequences - but are then equally hobbled by the fact that they can't kill off any well-known protagonists (or antagonists). So their ability to generate danger is equally constrained. It's a thankless job all around.
Writer Alisa Kiwtney attempts to work around this problem by changing the starting point, rather than the end point. She resets the Black Widow to "unknown" status, and then "develops" the character by bringing her back to the standard continuity status quo. The dynamic tension is then tied to the basic question "will Hawkeye and Black Widow screw each other or not — and if so, where and when?"
It's a rather roundabout way of squeezing a novel between the gaps of the framework in which she is forced to write. But it mostly works. The result is a super-hero-action-bodice-ripper-breakfast-club-buddy-cop mess which is charming enough just often enough to get you from page one to page last without too much effort.
All in all, I give this one three stars, which in the context of the unenviable challenges this Novelization presents, is actually a pretty good rating. Despite its problems I still found New Avengers: Breakout a fun superhero adventure that worth a read.
July 12, 2020
Eu esperava BEM mais, viu.
Talvez o aspecto que mais me decepcionou foi
As cenas de ação são ótimas, mas os rumos que a trama toma são bem decepcionantes. Nem mesmo uma Natasha e um Clint bem escritos compensam pelos vilões mal-desenvolvidos, pelo gancho sem sal para a continuação e para um desperdício de potencial em fazer algo focado em apenas um cenário.
Talvez minha grande decepção desse ano.
Talvez o aspecto que mais me decepcionou foi
As cenas de ação são ótimas, mas os rumos que a trama toma são bem decepcionantes. Nem mesmo uma Natasha e um Clint bem escritos compensam pelos vilões mal-desenvolvidos, pelo gancho sem sal para a continuação e para um desperdício de potencial em fazer algo focado em apenas um cenário.
Talvez minha grande decepção desse ano.
June 21, 2015
Listened to the graphic audio presentation. Great adaptation!
May 26, 2017
It was okay. Not great, not horrible, just okay.
September 15, 2025
I felt like this needed some more editing, as I was sometimes unclear on character motivation, or on what was going on. But it was a lot of fun to read! 4 stars for enjoyment.
May 20, 2019
It was very action packed with plenty of humor to keep me turning pages. Here's to hoping this author has more books like this!!
August 18, 2014
Man, I really liked this. I can't tell how much of it is the quality of it, or how much of it is the exceeding of admittedly rather low expectations, but this little book kept me going. I remember reading one of the random issues of this story, a mid-way through one, & thinking it was kinda interesting, but never bothering to see where it went. But this book always had me kinda bummed out that the bus ride was over & I'd have to leave it be...
I mean, this book doesn't give to you the way Hemingway or Burroughs or Plato gives. But who the hell is expecting it to? It was a tough call whether I'd just give it five stars - there's nothing inherently wrong with it. I'll definitely be looking for more comic-to-book adaptations. I probably like them better than the comics, really. It would be really cool if they had, like, full-page, colour pictures, at least one a chapter or something. Just taken from the original comics, maybe their covers or something... but really, we all know how Captain America looks, & you could always keep the comics close by for reference.
The end of the book is two excerpts from other Marvel novelizations - including Civil War, which is a story I took great interest in when it began unfolding, but didn't really keep up with after the first few turns. So that's definitely my next goal - that & a Batman one.
If you're just looking for some fun, definitely give this book (& presumably others like it) a go. I guess it's kinda like Star Wars novel-y.
I mean, this book doesn't give to you the way Hemingway or Burroughs or Plato gives. But who the hell is expecting it to? It was a tough call whether I'd just give it five stars - there's nothing inherently wrong with it. I'll definitely be looking for more comic-to-book adaptations. I probably like them better than the comics, really. It would be really cool if they had, like, full-page, colour pictures, at least one a chapter or something. Just taken from the original comics, maybe their covers or something... but really, we all know how Captain America looks, & you could always keep the comics close by for reference.
The end of the book is two excerpts from other Marvel novelizations - including Civil War, which is a story I took great interest in when it began unfolding, but didn't really keep up with after the first few turns. So that's definitely my next goal - that & a Batman one.
If you're just looking for some fun, definitely give this book (& presumably others like it) a go. I guess it's kinda like Star Wars novel-y.
October 10, 2015
The plot was somewhat underwhelming, especially for a novel.The story probably would be better as a graphic novel/comic book. The romance was dull, and reminiscent of fanfiction, and hearing Hawkeye and Black Widow be weirdly neurotic about their feelings for each other was kind of ridiculous.
Plus, I didn't really appreciate Jessica Drew's nastiness towards Black Widow. I get why she felt that way. I could understand the whole pheromone thing working in reverse, but why was Jessica so nasty with the "skanks" and other offensive words? Fine, be suspicious, but the woman-bashing, especially from a female author, who should know better, seemed obnoxious.
Also, a lot of the dialogue felt fanfic-y (especially that awful "shark week" line).
Plus, I didn't really appreciate Jessica Drew's nastiness towards Black Widow. I get why she felt that way. I could understand the whole pheromone thing working in reverse, but why was Jessica so nasty with the "skanks" and other offensive words? Fine, be suspicious, but the woman-bashing, especially from a female author, who should know better, seemed obnoxious.
Also, a lot of the dialogue felt fanfic-y (especially that awful "shark week" line).
August 18, 2013
OK, the embarrassing truth is that I was really conflicted when I sat down to rate this novel, torn between my inner snob and my inner fangirl. This is the novelization of a graphic novel, not an original story, and it's just fluffy and fast-paced and fun - so wouldn't I look kind of silly if I gave it more than 4 stars? But oh wow, was it fun, at least for me. As a big fan of the recent Avengers films, I honestly just loved it - so in terms of pure enjoyment, it would be totally unfair to give it any less than 5 stars.
February 4, 2019
The comic book was better...
When I picked this up, I expected changes. The author who writes an adaptation of something like this always either adds to the story or in this case, changes the story that detracts from the original. Plot lines erased and new ones that doesn't make any sense. Read the trade paperback version. It's way better than this mess. The author should've done their homework with characters and the overall plot lines that were ment to be continued over a number of issues. Do not read this.
When I picked this up, I expected changes. The author who writes an adaptation of something like this always either adds to the story or in this case, changes the story that detracts from the original. Plot lines erased and new ones that doesn't make any sense. Read the trade paperback version. It's way better than this mess. The author should've done their homework with characters and the overall plot lines that were ment to be continued over a number of issues. Do not read this.
October 9, 2016
This was an absolutely ridiculous, hilarious, true to comic book style while being prose, light and easy read. It seriously was 80% ridiculousness, but I loved it. I'm always hesitant about comic book to prose transitions but I feel as though this was a delightful and true to characterization story, that could even squeeze into MCU if you tried and ignored some things. A perfect non-serious read.
February 10, 2017
There's probably a reason why graphic novels are written as graphic novels and not...novels.
Read
April 30, 2024clint and natasha supremacy 💞💞💞💞💞
July 8, 2016
This was a decent adaptation of New Avengers vol. 1, #1-6, by Michael Bendis. It kept the basic thrust of the storyline of the comics. I think the novel introduced more attitude than the comics did that lead up to the 'Civil War' storyline, but there was also more 'backstory', more expanded 'behind the scenes' stuff than was in the comics themselves. So the author seemed to write the adaptation based on stuff that had not been written yet, which was okay. There were some dramatic changes in the novelization that most assuredly did not follow the comics, but I still think these 'dramatic changes' did not adversely affect the flow of the book. It had decent character development in the book, considering it seemed like some of the characters were being 'introduced' for the first time and their 'origins' were being retconned a bit for the novelization.
What were the 'dramatic changes' in the novelization? The Sentry, Daredevil, Foggy Nelson, and Wolverine have been replaced by Hawkeye and the Black Widow. In fact, Logan does not make an appearance at all in the story. The interesting thing about Hawkeye is that Clint was already dead; he had been killed by the Scarlet Witch in Avengers vol. 1, #500 - 503. Although he would probably have joined up with the New Avengers when they formed, he never had that opportunity. In the novel, both he and Jessica are SHIELD agents; Clint tends to be on the edge of getting the boot from the organization. I do not think Tony and Steve had the same issues in the comics as they had in the novel, but that could just be my interpretation. Natasha [the Black Widow] played no part in the formation of the New Avengers; she would later play a part in the formation of the Might Avengers in the comics, but that is not until much later. Yet in this novel she is 'introduced' for the 'first time' as wanting to 'join' SHIELD and to leave her former masters.
Leaving out the Sentry, Daredevil, and Foggy Nelson did not truly detract from the story too much. Having said that, I did miss the Sentry not taking Carnage beyond the atmosphere before ripping him in half. One of the best parts of the comics! Wolverine was a welcome addition to the team in the comics, so I was relatively sorry not to see him included in the book. At the same time, I cannot say he played much of a part in the comics. Daredevil was instrumental in keeping most of the Raft prisoners from escaping, but still not integral to the overall storyline.
The author seems to imply Jessica's status as an enhanced human whose powers are slowly returning.
There were some 'minor changes' in the novelization . Obviously, there is more 'backstory' in the novelization that does not occur in the comics; I do not think the 'additional stuff' necessarily detracted from the story. In some cases, I think it helped enhance the story. I do not remember as much 'internal dialogue' in the comics as there was in the book, but I think the internal dialogue helped define the characters better.
Sure, some of the verbiage came across as being lifted from the comic book forum, but that was to be expected. It is based on six issues of a comic book series. However, I felt it still fit the book.
I was kind of surprised at the amount of language in the book, to be honest. It was not obnoxiously flagrant, but it still seemed like more than there needed to be. I know comics have been moving toward a 'more mature audience' over the years, but it was still surprising to me. I have read other novels in the past where the author did not feel a need to include foul language. I get that it probably stems from an attempt to be 'more real' but it is not always necessary. But that is my opinion.
Overall, I enjoyed this adaptation. It was a worthy effort. I can see myself reading it again, sometime.
What were the 'dramatic changes' in the novelization? The Sentry, Daredevil, Foggy Nelson, and Wolverine have been replaced by Hawkeye and the Black Widow. In fact, Logan does not make an appearance at all in the story. The interesting thing about Hawkeye is that Clint was already dead; he had been killed by the Scarlet Witch in Avengers vol. 1, #500 - 503. Although he would probably have joined up with the New Avengers when they formed, he never had that opportunity. In the novel, both he and Jessica are SHIELD agents; Clint tends to be on the edge of getting the boot from the organization. I do not think Tony and Steve had the same issues in the comics as they had in the novel, but that could just be my interpretation. Natasha [the Black Widow] played no part in the formation of the New Avengers; she would later play a part in the formation of the Might Avengers in the comics, but that is not until much later. Yet in this novel she is 'introduced' for the 'first time' as wanting to 'join' SHIELD and to leave her former masters.
Leaving out the Sentry, Daredevil, and Foggy Nelson did not truly detract from the story too much. Having said that, I did miss the Sentry not taking Carnage beyond the atmosphere before ripping him in half. One of the best parts of the comics! Wolverine was a welcome addition to the team in the comics, so I was relatively sorry not to see him included in the book. At the same time, I cannot say he played much of a part in the comics. Daredevil was instrumental in keeping most of the Raft prisoners from escaping, but still not integral to the overall storyline.
The author seems to imply Jessica's status as an enhanced human whose powers are slowly returning.
There were some 'minor changes' in the novelization . Obviously, there is more 'backstory' in the novelization that does not occur in the comics; I do not think the 'additional stuff' necessarily detracted from the story. In some cases, I think it helped enhance the story. I do not remember as much 'internal dialogue' in the comics as there was in the book, but I think the internal dialogue helped define the characters better.
Sure, some of the verbiage came across as being lifted from the comic book forum, but that was to be expected. It is based on six issues of a comic book series. However, I felt it still fit the book.
I was kind of surprised at the amount of language in the book, to be honest. It was not obnoxiously flagrant, but it still seemed like more than there needed to be. I know comics have been moving toward a 'more mature audience' over the years, but it was still surprising to me. I have read other novels in the past where the author did not feel a need to include foul language. I get that it probably stems from an attempt to be 'more real' but it is not always necessary. But that is my opinion.
Overall, I enjoyed this adaptation. It was a worthy effort. I can see myself reading it again, sometime.
May 25, 2024
Absolutely loved this book. Read it right after the first avengers movie came out and I was shipping Clint and Natasha hard (before we discovered they were just best friends and partners and he was already married in the movie verse) but in the comics they were a thing and I loved seeing how they met and he helped her become a member of shield. I also loved the chance to get to know characters I hadn’t previously read about in the comics such as Luke Cage and Jessica Drew who became favourites of mine. This was a fun, witty action packed adventure. And it actually made me like the character of Captain America. Who as a Canadian I typically just roll my eyes at. But she gave him good depth here and I even liked him. Which is saying something. Because if a pretty actor can’t make me warm to a character then you must be a damn good writer to make me care for a character I previously disliked.
August 12, 2023
Writing was a little bit elementary, more in-line with the Mile Morales novel than what seemed to be a higher-level of writing from the Loki one. Action wasn't very detail-oriented or graphic or lengthy and dialogue was a bit clunky and even hard to follow as it bounced from one character to another in over-populated scenes. While it was intriguing to have a dynamic with a massive number of villains to play with, the ones they focused on in more depth fell flat. The Avengers that were selected were all engaging and the references to their character histories were easy noticed and appreciated. Would tend to say that this was written for a younger demographic than one or both of the aforementioned novels and the ending seemed a bit of a dramatic move and somewhat of a cop-out to solving the crisis.
October 31, 2021
Gente, amei a adaptação de HQ pra romance, a escrita, a história, a tradução e tudo mais.
Assim, só o defeito que eu encontrei mesmo é essa sexualização em excesso da Natasha e até da Jessica (Drew).
Eles aparentemente se esqueceram de toda a história da Natasha e só escreveram sobre o "poder de sedução" dela e sobre como ela é irresistível para os homens. Man????
E sobre a Jess, era uma rivalidade excessiva com a Nat, mas isso eu até relevei no início, mas quando isso passou a ser só ciúme do Clint com a russa, saturou já.
Tirando esses dois (que na verdade é um) fato, eu simplesmente amei o livro.
Assim, só o defeito que eu encontrei mesmo é essa sexualização em excesso da Natasha e até da Jessica (Drew).
Eles aparentemente se esqueceram de toda a história da Natasha e só escreveram sobre o "poder de sedução" dela e sobre como ela é irresistível para os homens. Man????
E sobre a Jess, era uma rivalidade excessiva com a Nat, mas isso eu até relevei no início, mas quando isso passou a ser só ciúme do Clint com a russa, saturou já.
Tirando esses dois (que na verdade é um) fato, eu simplesmente amei o livro.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2017
Reasonable tale following some of the Avengers characters, as usual if you haven't followed the comics there's some baffling backstory elements you have no idea of but the general gist you can read along and enjoy.
The characters are presented well enough although Tony and Cap are definitely a bit two dimensional. The love story (triangle?) never really gets going, just a couple of bangs then seems to fizzle out until the very end where it hints at more happening.
Not the best prose novel comic conversion by a long shot but not terrible either.
The characters are presented well enough although Tony and Cap are definitely a bit two dimensional. The love story (triangle?) never really gets going, just a couple of bangs then seems to fizzle out until the very end where it hints at more happening.
Not the best prose novel comic conversion by a long shot but not terrible either.
November 2, 2018
I did enjoy this book of the Avengers or New Avengers as it featured more comic accurate versions of the Marvel characters from the film and Tv show versions. But it seemed to me that it seemed to focus on more about a story or romance between hawkeye and black widow and less on the actual breakout of the super villains from the raft as well as the other Avengers. Apart from that the action was great and fast flowing and there was some great character development, in it and some out of character moments but otherwise a great book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2023
I read this storyline in the comics many years ago but only remembered the first part of it. A major prison break has been planned and a number of heroes stumble into stopping it, then team up to find out what’s really going on—which appears to involve corruption at SHIELD. It’s a chance to give the Avengers a new line up with only Captain America bridging the gap between the new and old team. There’s a lot of action, as one would hope, but frankly, big teams are harder to pull off in these fully dramatized books than are single hero storylines.
May 1, 2021
Not to cheese superhero novel and I like the focus wasn't Cap or Iron man only, Black Widow, Hawkeye and Spider-woman take a good place in the book. Surprisingly, Spider-man looking more like a side-kick, so refreshing too see the spot on other heroes.
For the rest of the story, it's okay not mindblowing, but good enough to be recommended to superhero fan.
Ending could better... I wanted more action but still a good Marvel novel
December 3, 2019
Absolutely exceptional is every regard. It's truly is a "movie in your mind". This is actually a great prelude to the upcoming Black Widow movie due to be out May 2020. The characterization, narration, voice-acting, plot was marvelous. Loved it. Can't wait for the next New Avenger books to come out in audio.
June 28, 2019
I really wanted to like this story but it was just too slow paced for me. In addition there were several times I had to go back a couple pages to reread something because I felt lost because of something some said or when something happened. Action was good and characterization was good as well.
November 2, 2019
Eu diria que essa é a história mais "fora da curva" que eu li dessa coleção... Os personagens estão em um grupo muito aleatório e com umas personalidades um pouco bagunçadas, mas foi uma leitura divertida.
July 14, 2020
Critical Score: 4
Personal Score: 4
Total Score: 8
Personal Score: 4
Total Score: 8
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