The New Avengers, Vol. 10: Power

The New Avengers (2004)

by Brian Michael Bendis, Billy Tan (Illustrator)

The invasion is over! But who are the new Avengers? See here who the new Avengers are and what their place in the Dark Reign is!

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels Comics, Superheroes, Comic Book, Fiction

120 pages, Paperback

First published August 5, 2009

About the author

A comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim (including five Eisner Awards) and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics. For over eight years Bendis’s books have consistently sat in the top five best sellers on the nationwide comic and graphic novel sales charts.

Though he started as a writer and artist of independent noir fiction series, he shot to stardom as a writer of Marvel Comics' superhero books, particularly Ultimate Spider-Man.

Bendis first entered the comic world with the "Jinx" line of crime comics in 1995. This line has spawned the graphic novels Goldfish, Fire, Jinx, Torso (with Marc Andreyko), and Total Sell Out. Bendis is writing the film version of Jinx for Universal Pictures with Oscar-winner Charlize Theron attached to star and produce.

Bendis’s other projects include the Harvey, Eisner, and Eagle Award-nominated Powers (with Michael Avon Oeming) originally from Image Comics, now published by Marvel's new creator-owned imprint Icon Comics, and the Hollywood tell-all Fortune and Glory from Oni Press, both of which received an "A" from Entertainment Weekly.

Bendis is one of the premiere architects of Marvel's "Ultimate" line: comics specifically created for the new generation of comic readers. He has written every issue of Ultimate Spider-Man since its best-selling launch, and has also written for Ultimate Fantastic Four and Ultimate X-Men, as well as every issue of Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Ultimate Origin and Ultimate Six.

Brian is currently helming a renaissance for Marvel’s AVENGERS franchise by writing both New Avengers and Mighty Avengers along with the successful ‘event’ projects House Of M, Secret War, and this summer’s Secret Invasion.

He has also previously done work on Daredevil, Alias, and The Pulse.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fallout from Secret Invasion along with the setup for Dark Reign. First, we get the evil Illuminati with the Cabal where Osborne gathers his shady characters together to offer them up whatever they want as long as they don't get in his way.

Alex Maleev, what's up with your dad bod, Namor? I mean look at this schlub.

This is the guy Sue Richards was supposed to leave Reed for? He looks like Squiggy from Laverne & Shirley.


Then we find out what happened to Luke Cage and Jessica Jones baby at the end of Secret Invasion. Last up is the reveal of who the Dark Avengers are and what that might mean for the New Avengers. Another great volume from Bendis with some excellent Billy Tan art.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read this a few years back after I read Secret Invasion the first time because I wanted to know what happened with Luke and Jessica’s baby. Now that I’m actually reading through all of Bendis’ run in order, I came back to this. It still hold the 4 stars I gave it. Luke and the team hunt down baby Danielle. This was really good. Then, after seeing the fake avengers on TV, Clint and the actual avengers devise a plan to take them out. Of course that back fires and it’s back to square one. Another good entry from Bendis. I enjoyed all of this except for the fake Namor in the first issue of this book. Alex Maleev usually has solid artwork. I don’t know what happened when he drew Namor here because that wasn’t him. He looked like some old drunk dude cosplaying Namor. It was weird 😂

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was actually a pretty cool volume!

It deals with the fallout of the event and well Osborn in charge and him gathering his own criminal people and doing planning with them to try new things out and we see the beginning of Dark Reign and then we have Clint and all doing their own things when they see this, their first mission find out the missing baby of Jess and Luke and thats such a great story and defining moment for Luke and its awesome the way its written!

And finally the story with the real Spider-woman and how she is dealing with what happened and the face off of Avengers with Syndicate of Criminals led by Hood and the war was pretty good and I like how Bendis takes time to go over the monologues of each team member and give them something definitive to talk about and like explore their status quo and mentality.

Plus it sets up the eventual clash and leads to the next era and the art is pretty good here. Its a good volume and like sets so many things up which are exciting and will change the MU in a big way! Must read!

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Secret Invasion: Dark Reign. This is only an Avengers comic in that it's by Bendis & Maleev and it details the creation of the anti-Illuminati Cabal. The creation of the Cabal was one of the best things in the great Dark Reign storyline. There's a bit of boringness in this issue when Osbourne gobsplains his plans to everyone, but otherwise it's a strong comic [4+/5].

Power (#48-50). This Secret Invasion followup is a hodge-podge, but in the best possible way, because it naturally follows many of the threads from the crossover. What happened to the Jones-Cage baby? How do people react to the return of the real Spider-Woman? And most importantly, how do the Avengers react when new top-cop Stormin' Norman puts a bunch of psychopaths in their costumes? The result is a strong set of intertwining character-based stories [5/5].

[Judah Radd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, goodbye Secret Invasion, hello Dark Reign.

There always has to be a big, company wide arc happening, right?

It’s ok. This collection makes the best of it. We have some evil Illuminati shit at the beginning to set the stage with a guest appearance from my beloved Emma Frost. The rest of the book is Luke Cage and Jessica Jones getting their kid back and the New Avengers (who don’t seem to give a shit about Civil War anymore) battling Osborne and his villains.

It works. I found the characterizations and interactions entertaining and interesting. The art was solid. Bendis still had the magic for these issues. Definitely involved in this Dark Reign/Dark Avengers story, even though the concept is stupid.

[Javier X · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better than the last volumes, it has action and moves the plot forward, thank the Dark Avengers for it.

[Kyle Berk · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume really behind the dark reign when people handed the keys to the kingdom over to Norman Osborn. Dumb idea but it makes for an interesting story and this volume of New Avengers is solid

I’ve said how if you like Bendis this’ll work and if you don’t it won’t, that applies here as well. This is definitely a Bendis title.

My biggest problem is the lack of focus on Spider-Man. He doesn’t seem as smart as he is in his main title and Norman Osborn is HIS villain. So what gives.

But it’s a really enjoyable read with Luke Cage going after his kid and the setup for Dark Reign.

Though I’m giving it three stars because of Spider-Man and the whole strain on Luke and Jessica’s marriage is never addressed here, it just went away.

3 stars.

[˙⋆✮ Anny ✮⋆˙ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this a lot more again after the Secret Invasion volumes were a bit meh. I love Jessica, Luke and their baby, didn't expect them to play such a big role in this series. I love that the team has grown, that Bobbi and Clint are there, I love Bucky as Cap. The art was amazing. On to the next volume!

[Trevor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Post-Secret Invasion, SHIELD is done. Stark is done. His job has been given to Norman Osborn. And all super heroes are still required to register, but now they register with Osborn.

And so the New Avengers continue to be an underground group of outlaws, now consisting of Luke Cage, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Ronin, the new Captain America, Ms. Marvel, Mockingbird, and Spider-Woman.

This is a fun shake-up and really enjoyable to read.

[Buse Arslan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Someone Who Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

My only complaint is Maleev's artwork in Secret Invasion Dark Reign.

[Brian Poole · Rating 3 out of 5]

New Avengers entered the “Dark Reign” era with a special featuring Alex Maleev art that found Norman Osborn, in a position of power after killing the Skrull Queen at the climax of Secret Invasion, gathering his “Dark Illuminati” for an uneasy conference. The New Avengers soldiered on with a few line-up changes. Spider-Woman and Ms. Marvel were onboard, as was the back-from-the-dead Mockingbird. Echo went missing after Secret Invasion and if you were curious as to what happened to her, well, don’t look for those answers in New Avengers. The team came to reside in the Brooklyn brownstone once owned by Steve Rogers, then occupied by Steve’s Captain America replacement, Bucky Barnes, who became a regular.

The Fantastic Four joined the Avengers in the search for Luke and Jessica’s baby. In desperation, Luke turned to Osborn and his new “Dark” Avengers. Osborn retrieved Danielle, but Luke then went back on their deal. The public debut of Osborn’s Dark Avengers didn’t sit well with the team, especially Hawkeye (still calling himself Ronin). The team had a major showdown with The Hood and his villain army that the heroes barely escaped. In the end, Ronin went on live television, unmasked and called out Osborn.

This was an effective transition into what was then the latest of Marvel’s almost annual “branded banner concepts” that guided Marvel Universe stories for months at a time. The “Dark Illuminati” concept had merit, but the special was heavy on talk and light on action. The search for baby Danielle was more compelling, as was seeing the still distrustful heroes attempt to unite as a counter weight against Osborn’s new power base. The rematch with The Hood’s crew was well-staged, but Hawkeye’s recklessness still seemed like something from a much earlier iteration of the character. Billy Tan handled the regular art chores and his clean, dynamic style was a good fit for the action. Several notable talents contributed single pages to the big fight sequence in the 50th issue as an entertaining bonus for fans. In all, this was a decent short arc, but something that only makes sense to read in sequence with what’s preceded it.

A version of this review originally appeared on www.thunderalleybcp.com

[Brad · Rating 3 out of 5]

The books lays the groundwork for the ongoing Dark Reign story, and the New Avengers' role as an agitant in it. first issue picks up where Secret Invasion leaves off, with Norman Osborn splitting up the Marvel U.S. with assorted villains. Emma Frost of the X-Men is in his cabal, because no one seems willing to let her be good for good. The next three issues have the New Avengers trying (and failing) to figure out how to respond to Osbourne's national takeover of superherodom. The whole thing caps off with a big fight for issue #50 that, in true Marvel fashion, features a lot of guest artists. It was kinda neat to see signature artists like David Aja and Leinil Yu draw a page of their characters, but the fight doesn't really resolve everything. This Dark Reign story goes on for a while, and this is only the first small cog.

[PulpMonkey (Chompa) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did a reread of all the New Avengers recently. This is a standout in comics for me on so many levels. It has the best roster, best heart, best dialogue, best writing and phenomenal art. Bendis really nailed this story line and this entire run.
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The Secret Invasion is over. The New Avengers are outlaws and Norman Osborne is in charge of a renamed SHIELD?

The New Avengers are at their best when they are on the run and outlaws (like during Civil War).

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh the pretty art in 50...

Coming out of Secret Invasion, the team is bigger than it was, adding Ms. Marvel, who was a Mighty Avenger, but realized that Tony had led astray and remembered her friends. Also adding Mockingbird, fresh from Skrull prison for years, and alongside Clint Ronin/Hawkeye/Goliath Barton, her soul mate ex hubby. Oh and there's this Guy wearing a Cap suit, goes by the name Bucky.

[Fizzgig76 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reprints New Avengers (1) #48-50 and Secret Invasion: Dark Reign #1 (February 2009-April 2009). The Skrull Invasion is over, but the Avengers find their troubles could just be beginning. Seen as a hero during the Skrull Invasion, Norman Osborn has been given the keys to the castle and now the nation’s security is under his command. As Luke Cage and Jessica Jones deal with their missing child, the Avengers find that Osborn has plans for the Avengers…and new alliances could prove deadly.

Written by Brian Michael Bendis, New Avengers Volume 10: Power is a Marvel Comics superhero collection. Following the events of Secret Invasion and New Avengers Volume 9: Secret Invasion—Book 2, the series features art by Alex Maleev and Billy Tan. The issues in the volume were also collected as part of New Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis: The Complete Collection—Volume 4, Secret Invasion by Brian Michael Bendis Omnibus, and Luke Cage: Avenger among others.

Civil War and everything after Civil War were a downer for me, but Secret Invasion was the culmination of a bad period of Avengers. The characterizations, the confusing writing, and the art all didn’t work for me. New Avengers Volume 10: Power gets passed the horrible Secret Invasion line but follows it up with the disorganized and sloppy Dark Reign…which feels even worse after political events in recent years.

DC had Lex Luthor becoming President and Marvel had Norman Osborn taking charge of S.H.I.E.L.D. (and retooling it into the even stupider H.A.M.M.E.R…which was an anagram for nothing). It was a “day of villains” type storyline that went on for far too long and already pushed my fading lack of interest in all-stories Avengers to the edge. This collection starts with the basics of Dark Reign in the Secret Invasion: Dark Reign one-shot and does a poor job even establishing it here.

The second story feels almost like a non-story bait-and-switch. In a dramatic moment after Secret Invasion, Luke Cage and Jessica Jones learn that they might have lost their child to the Skrulls…then they just get her back. It is painless and relatively quick. It felt like set-up for a bunch of new stories, but it just fizzles…it even fizzles more considering that Cage feels no obligation to Osborn, and as a result, Osborn has nothing to hold over him.

The only positive thing about this collection is the rebranding of the Thunderbolts as the Avengers. The newly minted Avengers were copies of the original New Avengers teams (with the intriguing add on of Marvel Boy) and they eventually spun-off into Dark Avengers. Dark Avengers had its moments but like most of Bendis’s superhero team storylines, it too was hacked to pieces by Event Series and choppy writing.

New Avengers 10: Power is a short collection of a series that maybe peaked after its first storyline in New Avengers 1: Breakout. Here, it has reached the 50th issue and I can honestly say that most of the issues leading up to New Avengers #50 are rather forgettable…but arguably even damaging to my view of the franchise in general. I love The Avengers, and I try to give them a chance, but New Avengers ended up testing my patience. New Avengers 10: Power was followed by New Avengers 11: Search for the Sorcerer Supreme.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 10.
In the aftermath of the Secret Invasion, Norman Osborn creates a supervillain Illuminati and then announces a new team of Avengers to the world, made up of villains masquerading as their heroic counterparts. Still fugitives from the government, the New Avengers are determined to stand against Osborn and his Dark Reign.

I'm very glad for this series to finally be clear of the Secret Invasion guff, which dragged it down considerably and meant that the journeys some of the characters had taken (Spider-Woman in particular) meant nothing because it was actually them. Here however, we get a nice return to form.

In fact, where I enjoyed seeing the renegade Avengers standing up to Tony Stark's pro-Registration team before, that it dialled up to 11 here because now there isn't the moral grey area there was before. I'm all for exploring complex moral situations, but the Civil War stuff was becoming as stale as the Secret Invasion stuff. Here, instead, we get a team of rogue underdogs who are taking the fight to a government-sanctioned group that is very clearly evil.
(With everything going on with ICE in America at the moment, I can't imagine why that narrative would appeal to me...).

I also liked seeing the team have to readjust its dynamic to encompass things like a new Captain America (Bucky), the real Spider-Woman and the long-lost Mockingbird. And that's not even including the effect seeing their identities stolen by villains has on the team.

* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *

[Kris Shaw · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just like fans of the Detroit Lions, I cannot give up on the Avengers, even when they are "losing" because of Brian Michael Bendis' lazy writing. I mean, come on, the whole Secret Invasion: Dark Reign one shot is nothing but a conversation between people with the same lame jokes and wiseass comments that Bendis applies to every single character that he writes. I also despise his condescending attitude towards superheroes. If this jackass is too cool to write superheroes then he should go back to writing "real" comics. I honestly believe that Bendis is a double agent who takes a paycheck from DC and is being paid to destroy the Marvel Universe. He's pretty goddamn close right now, with the uber-retarded Norman Osborn running the show thing.

[Terry Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It takes a stunningly bold writer like Bendis to plot out a three-issue arc with such highlights moments and these.

And anchor them with heroes sitting in a loft, watching a press conference.

He excels at crafting stories that make you care simply because the characters talk to one another. Action matters and events drive the story. But what propels interest is the fact that they react to events and don't just quip.

Now this isn't perfect; the characters still tend to feel too jocular at times, but the value of his storytelling is still there. And more than anything else, we care because he does.

Great storytelling propellant for an event that needs some large scale moments.

[Sr. Lado Brillante · Rating 2 out of 5]

Después de dos arcos con una nueva alineación Bendis vuelve a cambiarla, lo más sobresaliente es la integración del nuevo Captain America, Bucky, que en ese momento sera casi exclusividad de Brubaker y cuya dinamica con el equipo nunca termina de lograrse. De nuevo vemos a The Hood, haciendo lo que sabe hacer. Que es muy poco.
Sumar a Billy Tan tampoco hace mucho por el comic y todo termina en el arco más flojo de los New Avengers.

[Ryan McNie · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Some really strong moments in this entry particularly those featuring Luke Cage. It's nice to have Captain America back as well all be it in a different guise. The formation of the Cabal was interesting. All in all this felt like a mop up of the cliffhanger left at the end of Secret Invasion and a catch up to how things are for those that have not read Dark Avengers. Not bad but nothing mind blowing.

[Ryk Stanton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable! I had to pick the title up again because I needed to know what happened to Luke and Jessica‘s baby, and the storytelling what’s good enough to keep me going after that. Norman Osborne in charge of shield? The New Avengers is full of villains? Interesting direction. I wonder where it will go.

[Brandon Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid. Picks up immediately after Secret Invasion. Sets up the new team and it sets up the Dark Avengers. It’s a big cast, an Be dis does a decent job of making the cast sound distinct. Billy Tan does some of his better work here. Alex Maleev does some of his worst in the Secret Invasion: Dark Reign issue.

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically the "hidden" Avengers, trying to figure out how to take Norman Osborne down while staying out of prison. Not a huge fan of this line up, they don't really feel like Avengers to me, but it's not a bad series.

[Jimbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Reign is here. Power struggles are happening all around.

The New Avengers and the Dark Avengers battle it out. Hawkeye fights to make the people of America understand the situation of a criminal is running the show and all his stooges are criminals as well.

[Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

So happy to be back with my team after the crud of Secret Invasion

Bucky (What's his adult name?) Barnes tries to be social in the most sus way possible, meets a baby for the first time ever, the New Avengers discover Wolverine's had sex before and Steve haunts the narrative like nobody else
The dialogue in this is flowing, the blue of Cap's suit is so satisfying, fam vibes

"He would have been over the moon proud of what happened yesterday. You won the war. You won."

"Well, that's just obnoxious."

"And I know you fought these bust-'em-ups the way you fought them, Steve... But I have my own way of doing things,"

[Gomezmr · Rating 4 out of 5]

the book is realyy fantastic.

[Derek Moreland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its shorter than I'd like, but better than I remember? And the Billy Tan art is actually pretty good! A nice chaser after the big SECRET INVASION bru-ha-hah.

[Adam Sorensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cool comedown from Secret Invasion, the way it lets the characters briefly exhale before diving right into the Dark Reign saga. Shockingly relevant to current events too :S

[ila · Rating 4 out of 5]

the actual sigh of relief i breathed irl when Jess and Luke got their daughter back alive and healthy...PHEW!! and the avengers simply adoring her and playing with her was just so wholesome :’)

i can't believe i am saying this but Clint is so cool here. i mean, i've read some of his stuff but man he has never positively impressed me as he's doing in this story arc. the incredible speeches he gives on issues 49 and 50? good stuff, good stuff

speaking of issue 50, i loved how they kept switching between everyone's different thoughts during the fight and how the art style kept changing according to the character, that was so dope and creative (and it must have taken a lot of work)