Dark Reign the List Avengers #1

Marvel Comics
Dark Reign the List Avengers #1
By Hervé St-Louis
September 21, 2009 - 21:28

Marvel Comics
Writer(s): Brian Michael Bendis
Penciller(s): Marko Djurdjevic
Inker(s): Mark Morales
Colourist(s): Marte Gracia
Letterer(s): Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist(s): Marko Djurdjevic
$3.99 US

Norman Osborn wants the head of former super hero Hawkeye who now goes by the name Ronin. Hawkeye has been very vocal in denouncing Osborn and has thus earned a spot on the limited list of contrarian heroes that Osborn, the director of H.A.M.M.E.R. thinks he must eliminate in order to have total control. Ronin does decide to attack Osborn and falls in a trap. Will Ronin make it alive?

I’m not sure that I understand the logic behind another Avengers’ series. There are two being written by Bendis. Couldn’t he fit his storyline inside the existing books he has? I think this is Marvel Comics’ way of making readers like me buy more books in a recession. In hindsight, I may prefer the dedicated limited series where every headlining action occurs instead of this way of just publishing more books. I didn’t even add that one to my list. My local retailer figured that since I get regular Avengers series, that I’d want this one too. Well the story is good, but again it’s hard to justify another book, especially when Marvel Comics is happy to charge the most for it.

Djurdjevic is a great artist, although he draws his characters’ open mouth wider than Rob Liefeld. He gets pacing and page composition and it’s hard to find anything bad with his work. It’s crispy comic book fair and it may help to justify this fourth or fifth – I lose track – Avengers’ series.
Rating: 9/10