REVIEW: ‘The New Avengers’ Issue 1

The New Avengers Issue 1 is published by Marvel Comics. Written by Sam Humphries, art by Ton Lima, colors by Rain Beredo, and letters by Joe Sabino.

Black Widow comes to Bucky Barnes to build a new team, one that’s much rougher than the other team of Avengers.

Sam Humphries is back on a team book and already brings the energy. Not much time is wasted as the team starts to gather. Still under the dark veil of Doctor Doom, Winter Soldier, and Black Widow are at the helm. There’s quite a long intro since it takes some convincing to get Bucky Barnes to revert from a solo revolutionary into a team leader once again. From there, the structure fractures, and the pace accelerates.

We’re thrown straight into action, gradually gaining more of the team as the issue progresses. It’s not the whole team yet, showing the calm, progress, and unsettling of this new group. The comic is energetic from the start. It’s explosively brutal and intense. All of these characters are hardcore and not exactly concerned when it comes to saving the lives of villains. The action is exhilarating and visceral. The villain matches the ferocity of the heroes with a disturbing and unnerving plan. It reveals an army of familiar yet freakish foes.

Humphries’ script is sensational within The New Avengers Issue 1. The relationship and chemistry between the characters are engrossing, especially that of Natasha and Bucky. They’re extremely flirtatious and able to drag each other into dangerous plans just by asking. They have been connected for so long, bantering playfully whether they are in bed or battle. The other two included in the first issue, Namor and Wolverine (Laura Kinney), are known for being loners.

There is a lot of grumpy sarcasm and a desire to end the situation on their own. The dialogue is delightfully funny in every word, even when things get dark. This keeps the comic moving and entertaining. Introducing the characters slowly gives the group the chance to gel. You get a flashback of Bucky with the characters before it jumps back to the present-day action. The characters and their personalities drive every part of the story. They may all have a vicious streak, but they care about innocents, and they all fire insults and digs at their new teammates.

The art is fantastic, embracing the sex and violence included in New Avengers Issue 1. There’s an intimate scene featuring Bucky and Natasha that shows off their respective physiques. There’s a cataclysmic explosion to start, indicating the extreme and noisy nature of the series. The bloodiness isn’t evident until Wolverine enters the book. The soldiers around them become hunks of meat to be dismembered. Blood splashes everywhere in the first reveal of Laura.

The characters have their most important features accentuated. They all fit together, but there is an individual attention to detail for each person. Bucky is big and muscular, Wolverine is feral with hair flying everywhere, and Namor has broad, regal shoulders and pointed ears that denote his heritage. The villains that are crafted are twisted, terrifying versions of existing characters. Each one has undergone a complete redesign, with an unnerving body horror element present in some of them. And each concept changes how the heroes are meant to fight them.

The colors are terrific. The costumes in The New Avengers Issue 1 have bold tones. Wolverine is coated in yellow, and Black Widow has her signature red hair. However, the shades are dark and restrained, avoiding an overly vibrant appearance. This reflects the gritty world in which they live. The lettering is easy to read, brilliantly using sound effects with precision in the fight scenes.

The New Avengers Issue 1 sets up a team that’s ready to be nasty. The name of the team hasn’t been discussed yet, as it’s more of a scrappy, black-ops squad. The characters are willing to kill. The lineup of the team is exciting and plucks from so many corners of the Marvel Universe. It combines so many love wolves and tries to build a pack from it. The inclusion of Bucky and the sense of humor within the dialogue may create a feeling that the book was designed to capitalize on the success of Thunderbolts*, but it’s that in name only because the characters are entirely different. It’s a lively, thrilling comic with an incredible art style.

The New Avengers Issue 1 is available where comics are sold.