Comics / Comic Reviews / Marvel Comics

The New Avengers Illuminati #3 of 5

By Hervé St-Louis
June 11, 2007 - 01:22

The New Avengers Illuminati #3 of 5

Iron Man is absent this issue, but it doesn’t stop the rest of the cabal of super heroes to seek the Beyonder and attempt to have him surrender to Black Bolt. Apparently the Beyonder, the nearly godlike being that nearly destroyed the Marvel Universe 20 years ago in the Secret War crossover, is back and still playing with reality. Can the Illuminati do anything to stop this madness with one of their own missing?

This is another satisfying issue featuring the secret dealings of some of Marvel’s most powerful men. Although DC Comics’ Identity Crisis explored the concept of a League within the League, here the Illuminati takes a proactive approach to solving problems, and nearly each issue, thus far, has come close to failure. But this does not stop these men for trying to change the world secretly. As some of the most intelligent and powerful men on the planet, they should know better. This is evident when Namor remarks that neither Tony Stark nor Reed Richards have destroyed the Skrull technology they stole. Instead they are making personal gains selling this technology to the military.

I wish more of the personal motivations of the cabal were explored so we know why each is here trying to help humanity. With Tony Stark missing this issue, there were no clear leaders. Yet they self manage themselves pretty well.

Although a confrontation with the Beyonder is guaranteed to fail by default, I like the arrogance of the characters in defying the semi-god. One really wonders who is playing whom?

Although all of Cheung’s characters have the same face, the storytelling remains dynamic. I credit Morales for making this book look as sharp and beautiful as Civil War. Without him, Cheung’s work would be a poor between cross Scott McDaniel and David Lapham

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12