So it's an up month for New Avengers, then. "Dark Reign" is wearing on us all, surely, but here Norman Osborn and his Dark Avengers actually end up feeling like real villains with tangible effects on the characters. Bendis and Immonen manage to work up a fair amount of goodwill from me this issue. Read Full Review

Despite the issue's flaws (for example, I'm still not clear on how the villains' power-dampener device is meant to work, since the characters' powers seem to switch off-and-on almost at random throughout the issue), this is an entertaining read from a creative team that seems to be genuinely having fun with their creation of a straightforward superhero romp. Whilst it's still not an outstanding comic book, and still isn't quite delivering on the promise of its A-list cast, this is the best issue of New Avengers to have come along in quite some time. Read Full Review

"New Avengers" is fun, but this is a title that really feels like it's being written for a collected edition (where the slow forward movement will seem less obvious) than as an issue-by-issue basis. Still, a new release of Immonen pencils every month is an awfully nice thing to get. With a little more speed and punch, "New Avengers" could go from good to great. Read Full Review

Some reliably solid character moments are unfortunately lost in the mire of a ridiculous plot that Bendis could have easily fixed if he'd wanted to. This issue was good, but not great, and certainly nothing you need to spend $4 on. Read Full Review

There's a cute moment where Spider-Man slaps Norman Osborn around, all the while saying that he wishes he were a better man so he wouldn't enjoy it so much, butin the final analysis, there's just not enough storyto float the book. Read Full Review