MIGHTY AVENGERS versus
SECRET AVENGERS
The Trust: Part Five (Marvel)
Where: New Avengers #36 When: January 2008
Why: Brian Bendis How: Leinil Yu

The Story So Far...
Once, the gods and heroes could be trusted to protect humanity in it's time of need, but when the least of their kind entered into a battle that cost the lives of hundreds, a new control was demanded by a traumatized public.

For men like Tony Stark, the prospect of thorough screening and training became a price he was all too willing to pay to repent for the willful negligence of he and his fellows. Trusted powers whose morals had come to harbor cosmically volatile forces within their quarters. A philosophy that puts him at odds with both those who have reasons to hide, and those with a strong belief in the privacy and trust earned by the super-powered guardians.

Divided, Earth's mightiest heroes continue in two factions. Stark's Avengers hunt their secretive counterparts, distracted from the evils the underground heroes continue to pursue with clarity. It is the Secret Avengers who learn of The Hood's play for Kingpin of Villains, and the emergence of a Skrull incursion. Neither, however, could have hoped to anticipate a Latverian satellite position above the Earth. A weapon containing a symbiote bomb that escapes it's master's control and sends an infestation of madness to New York City as an unprepared Secret Avengers is possessed and thrown into battle with their counterparts.

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Wonder Man 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Iron Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: The Sentry 6 (Mach-Speeds)
Stamina: Iron Man 6 (Generator)
Agility: Spider-man 5 (Cat-like)
Fighting Ability: Ares 7 (Warrior)
Energy Power: The Sentry 7 (Cosmic)


- The Mighty Avengers are: Iron Man, Ms. Marvel, Wonder Man, Sentry, Black Widow, Ares, accompanied by Luke Cage and Wolverine.

Plotting against his half-brother, the Norse god of mischief, Loki, uses illusions to manipulate the rages of the green goliath known as the Hulk!
The scheme is intended to draw Thor into a combative trap, but Loki's plans come unravelled when a distress call from Rick Jones is picked up not only by Thor, but also the Wasp, Ant-Man, and Iron Man! Despite initial misunderstandings, the unlikely team forms an alliance and easily defeats the god of mischief - thus, the Avengers are born!

Though their adventures would see the roster subject to change, the growing number of associated heroes would only lend credence to the claim that they are Earth's mightiest heroes! United, the many iterations of the Avengers would face foes of minor, or cosmic natures, always willing to put their lives on the line for the greater good, a philosophy embodied by charter members like iconic early recruit, Captain America.

After the superhero Civil War, the team was segregated between those heroes supportive of the Superhuman Registration Act, and those opposed. The Avengers continue officially as a government agency led by the registration's leading advocate, Tony Stark, who was also appointed Director of SHIELD.

- The Secret Avengers are: Dr. Strange, Iron Fist, Ronin, Echo, Spider-man, and Wasp.

Confronted with a government intending to pit him against the reluctant and unwilling in a mandatory Superhero Registration; Captain America throws his training and leadership against SHIELD and the US Government to instead lead a resistance against the movement. These Secret Avengers emerge to protect those who have pledged their lives to protecting the innocent, intent on preserving their right to anonymity.
Among the most prominent of the ready and willing to join the Captain's cause are; Hercules, Goliath, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Falcon, Cloak, Dagger, and Cable.

Captain America's surrender to Tony Stark during the superhero Civil War, and subsequent assassination, galvanizes the efforts of an underground team allowed leniency by the powers-that-be. Thus, the Secret Avengers continue on in the memory of their leader, dedicated to the same justice they always sought.

Additional: The Secret Avengers are possessed by alien symbiote creatures similar to those warn by Mac Gargan and Cletus Kasady. The creatures have dramatically reduced their reasoning, while enhancing their strength.

Math: Mighty Avengers Ranking: Spider-man (#2)

What Went Down...
Watching their government sponsored counterparts descend to the streets below, the Secret Avengers witness panic in the streets as the results of a symbiote bomb wreak havoc with innocent bystanders. Before they can intervene, the Secret Avengers themselves become possessed by alien creatures, save Luke Cage, whose impenetrable skin may be the reason for his safety.

Set upon by his fellows; Cage struggles as symbiote-possessed Ronin, Spider-man, and Echo launch and acrobatic assault against him. Even his best friend, Iron Fist, throws a taloned swipe that would kill an ordinary man! Overwhelmed by the pummelling of all but Wolverine, Cage briefly loses consciousness.

When Power Man comes to, he is greeted by Wonder Man and Ms. Marvel of the "Mighty" Avengers. With the streets of Manhattan filled with the symbiote possessed, all grudges are dropped as Cage joins the fight that has also claimed Wasp, in giant-form, from the Mighty team.

Contending with Giant-Woman and a cluster of anonymous symbiotes tossed by the towering creature; Iron Man attempts to make an escape, seeking to resolve the threat from it's source. He leaves behind two teams, at odds, but on the common grounds of doing all they can to protect the innocent.

The Sentry waves a street lamp at clambering creatures, while Luke Cage relies on his own unbreakable fists to fight back against the hordes. He's joined by Wolverine who remains unclaimed by the symbiote clinging to his body, racked with pain as his mutant healing factor keeps the creature at bay, allowing him to turn those skills against the other aliens.

The sixty-foot Giant-Wasp symbiote crashes to the ground, walloped with the super-strength of the Sentry. Ares, Wonder Man and Ms. Marvel do the same, using their impressive powers to tackle multiple creatures at once! Wolverine's efforts prove equally as effective as he topples the creatures with mortal fists.

Fighting despite the endless numerical advantage of the swarm, the heroes are rewarded. Just as sudden as the infestation had begun, the symbiotes disappear in an instant, the handy work of Iron Man, Director of SHIELD!

The Hammer...
As far as conclusions go it's a scrappy one, but I give you your year-end winners: Iron Man, Luke Cage, Wolverine, and the Mighty Avengers!

This is ordinarily where we reflect upon the issue with a conversation topic, but for a simple example of superhero smackdown, there are an awful lot of implications from this one issue. The convergence of ideas come from before and after, this issue being part of the transitional period from Civil War, to Secret Invasion.

In a year defined by the "Invasion" with little compromise, this issue of New Avengers reminds us of many things sorely absent from Marvel's 2008.
In fact, they're all fairly simple principles that reflect quite negatively on Brian Bendis' second attempt at a Marvel-wide crossover. Working against him was a promotion that suggested something far more involving, something resembling the Skrull invasion never quite seen to it's logical conclusion. Instead, Secret Invasion amounted to something resembling Infinity War, built out of specials dealing with super-powered Skrulls in the various subsets of Marvel characters.

Like the many writers who picked up themes and concepts from the central plot, Bendis himself expanded the event through threads in the two Avengers titles.
Here, we were again reminded that within Brian Bendis is the capacity to deliver a satisfying superhero story. It would be unfair to drudge up the old theory that Bendis can't handle groups of characters, but it seems entirely convincing that directing the larger picture is not his particular forté. [See also; House of M] It is merely an unfortunate coincidence that these bungles both include large casts.

A tendency to humanize characters - sometimes to the point of losing their character (and differentiation) all together - invariably makes the New Avengers the stronger of the two titles. Alas; each positive seems to come equipped with it's own undermining 'Void' alter-ego, such as New's thematic consistency of often failing to actually deliver the titular grouping.

These problems, of course, do not exist in today's feature issue.
In stark contrast to the dragging inanity of Secret Invasion, the much-hyped symbiote bomb delivers almost too little. Resolved over the course of a couple of issues with fist-pounding simplicity, it is everything the major crossovers of recent years have not been, (from either company). In some ways, I almost wish the Skrulls and Symbiotes could've switched places. A couple of simple battles to resolve the invading super-Skrulls would have been far more palatable, particularly if the dramatic potential of symbiote-infested heroes could've been fulfilled in the traditional crossover model. The model that exacerbated the very worst about Secret Invasion.

Looking back on year through the first issues print-dated 2008, we recognise an event that was much more fun to anticipate than deal with. So, what of 2009?

Marvel appears to be going back to the well again, this time repackaging Acts of Vengeance with a smoother, more organic transition than some recent concepts. Dark Reign is described as a new 'status quo', rather than an event.
While the terminology immediately makes it difficult to feel anything but cynical, it does have the benefit of drawing directly from events outside of the best forgotten Skrull invasion. Norman Osborn's path as a character has made the disappointment of his late nineties resurrection all the easier to swallow, drawing heavily on the 'wolf in sheeps clothing' motiff of the Thunderbolts.

Bendis' "Dark Illuminati" might finally give breathing space to The Hood, whose play for Kingpin of Villains fell disappointingly to the constant interruptions of the Skrull crossover, and other indulgent distractions. With DC's investment across the street with Grant Morrison and a similarly themed direction for Libra, it's been all the harder to take The Hood seriously in his bid to rise from urban thuggery, to mastermind status.

2009 will be a real acid test for Marvel's simmering concepts and ability to bounce back from such an awful lynchpin. As far as the Infinite Wars is concerned, despite noteworthy triumphs, Marvel conceded 2008 to a DC that started slow. Is that about to change? We'll be keen to see!

The Fight: 4 The Issue: 5

Want to start the new year with the best of 2008? Looking for after-Christmas bargains? Check out "The Trust" in collected format! By using Amazon purchase links on the Infinite Wars you help support our tireless efforts! The Gift Shoppe also contains collected versions featuring most reviewed titles from the three years of Secret Archiving! Stay tuned for more belated review on the year that was, continuing with yet another exciting secret war, deviating from the events that drove 2008!

THE HOOD versus TIGRA
The Trust: Part Four (Marvel comics)
Where: New Avengers #35 When: December 2007
Why: Brian Michael Bendis How: Leinil Yu

The story so far...
Parker Robbins, aka; The Hood; has begun a quest to become the kingpin of supercriminals, and with Earth's mightiest heroes divided after the civil war, and harboring suspicions of a Skrull incursion; his success rate is high.

After suffering a brutal defeat at the hands of the Avenger, Tigra; underworld stalwart and longtime Punisher adversary, Jigsaw, finds an invitation waiting for him, after an adrenaline fuelled getaway. Tired of his many defeats, the hideously scarred hitman ventures out to become part of the Hood's organization.

As a show of power to the heroes, and a gesture of good faith to the pledging Jigsaw; the Hood turns his many powers to seeking out Greer Grant, better known as registered Initiative agent; Tigra. Privvy to a great many secrets, the aspiring kingpin of supercrime has no trouble locating the feline fatale, and sets out to exact retribution.

Previous Form:
Tigra (#253): Joined the Pro-Registration Avengers on their domination of the Anti-Registrants.
The Hood: Making his debut in the Infinite Wars.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Tigra 2 (Average)
Intelligence: The Hood 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Tigra 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 3 (Strong Willed)
Agility: Tigra 5 (Cat-like)
Fighting Ability: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy Powers: The Hood 4 (Explosives)


- A career thief; Parker Robbins would fullfil an underlying lifetime ambition to become a supervillain when, whilst robbing a warehouse said to contain unspecified treasures, is revealed to house the demon Nistanti.

After taking the demon's mystically charged boots and cloak, Robbins would soon discover he was in possession of powers that could elevate him to a status comparable of his villainous inspiration, Electro.

As The Hood, Robbins is capable of defying gravity by effectively walking on air, can turn invisible for as long as he can hold his breath, is capable of generating energy bolts, and continues to carry his weapon of choice, two hand pistols.

Perhaps inspired by Wilson Fisk; the Kingpin of crime his father had worked with; Robbins has begun a path to form a unified network of super powered criminals. With the aim of becoming the Kingpin of Supervillains, the Hood relies on guile and cunning, as much as the unique application of his mystic powers.

- Originally beginning her career with the costumed enhancements designed by Dr. Joanne Tumulo; Greer Grant embarked on a crime fighting journey as simply the Cat. Her adventures would bring her into confrontations with the terrorist organisation, HYDRA, and after being mortally wounded in such a battle, Grant would soon discover Tumulo's secret origins despite her death.

Rescued by the ancient reclusive race of Cat-People, the dying Greer Grant was granted a second chance at life, and the super human abilities of the legendary mystic champion, the Tigra! Possessing speed, strength, reflexes, and senses far keener than mere mortals, Grant becomes a brand new hero, and eventually becomes a stalwart of Earth's mightiest heroes - the Avengers!

The Math: The Hood The Pick: Tigra

What went down...
Doing her best to negotiate the opportunity to remain active in New York; Greer Grant strolls home after a long day on the beat as a registered superhero.
A transfer to Arkansas is about to become the least of her problems, as she transforms from woman, to Tigra, sensing the presence of an unwelcome guest in her humble abode.

The Hood emerges from invisibility, and immediately splatters the unsuspecting heroine's blood with the butt of his gun. The pistol whip maneuver knocks Tigra off her feet, leaving her open to a following shove that puts her face through her boutique mirror.

A second pistol whip on the way down further stuns the registered Avenger, but the fight isn't yet taken out of the mythic hero. From the floor she slashes wildly with her feline claws at the ready, but the Hood is wile enough to call upon his powers of intangibility just in the nick of time.

With unforgiving precision Parker Robbins fires a single bullet that hurtles into Tigra's knee. The Hood snatches Tigra by the hair and dials a number on a cellphone while reciting the address and details of her beloved mother.

Having heard the concerned voice of a mother, the Hood snaps the phone shut, and delivers his manifesto to Tigra. In no uncertain terms he demands Tigra's unquestioning obediance in exchange for her mother's safety, to be observed however, and whenever he demands, with the inclusion of leaving his villainous recruits immune.

Through a haze of pain and blood, Tigra pleads for the Hood to stop.
The aspiring Kingpin repeatedly asks the heroine if she "Got it?", beating her every time she fails to answer with anything less than a certainty.

Each horrifying blow is captured on videotape by the sneering Jigsaw; highlights to be paraded at the gathering of villains as proof of The Hood's intentions to take the fight to the heroes.

The hammer...
Suffice to say The Hood is on the road to becoming every bit the supervillain kingpin he hopes to be. Of course, with unconditional backing from the writers controlling your destiny, that's hardly surprising. Ohhhh, lifting the curtain to spoil the magic!

The Infinite Wars are governed by a good many things, and while there are many a classic fight that's gone unnoted thus far, there are certain battles we feel an obligation to cover. This one is among them.

I decided an early Christmas present was in order, to catch up on some of my New Avengers reading. These issues probably weren't at the top of my wishlist, but I decided the cost was worthwhile, given the sheer prevelance of this very battle. It was during House of M hype that someone infamously said events would 'rip the internet in half', and while Hawkeye's interdimensional return to life was met with mostly an indecypherable groan, it was the brutalizing of Tigra that made the internet stand up and start talking.

It should be well documented that Bendis' work traditionally attracts a fairly critical eye in these kinds of reviews. As one of the most talked about and analysed writers in mainstream comics, it's particularly easy to be enthusiastic about taking a look at a piece of his work in the positive, or negative, particularly given the polarizing nature of his output.

Blatantly bucking against a popular fanboy terror of speaking out of turn; I'm generally not too worried about being wrong. I think, as a man of intelligence and season, I can make reasonably good assessments of things based on information available, and do so with a willingness to admit error.

A few months ago I gladly indulged in the hype surrounding this event, even despite being vividly familiarized with the broad specifics of the issue. Ultimately it was a harmless gag [Poor, poor Tigra] referring, without much success, I assume, to the undeniable influence Frank Miller has had on Brian Bendis' writing.

Bendis is far from my favourite person in the world, with different ideals and standards than my own. That said, as a writer, he often meets on a similar ground as myself, and it's here that I inadvertently defend his work, as somewhat expected [Daredevil #75].

Much of the so-called "feminist" criticism of this issue came from the brutality by which Tigra was disarmed, the degree by which she was seen to retaliate, and the sinister undertones that even potentially implied pseudo rape.

While I'm not inclined to deliberately attempt to undermine those opinions, I do find myself somewhat steered by the same law of logic that prevents me from mercilessly heckling Bendis at every available opportunity. I feel obligated, particularly to the uninformed readers who seek the high-priced value of accuracy in the Infinite Wars, to review good as good, bad as a bad, red as red.

Again recalling Bendis' fairly obvious connection to history established by writers like Miller; we track back through New Avengers back issues, where one of the most famous depictions of murder with a phallic metaphorical undertone, was recreated not once, but twice, without much recourse.

Granted, the circumstances were less overtly sinister, and the exchange between two female characters, but while this potentially undermines the consistency of outraged muckrakers, I hope to purvey a different point. A point about the consistency and context of this world that has presented the videotaped beating of a superhero.

Ultimately, I don't think Bendis' writing makes any effort to factor the character's sex into the scenario. While it would be fair to draw sexualized conclusions from the scene, the barebones of the action are that of an ambush attack on a hero of a fairly low grade power. As you'll observe in the tape, we rate Tigra in a class beneath The Hood, whose powers are far more versatile than Tigra's basic human upgrades.

This could potentially have been an assault on any number of male characters, with Frank Castle mentioned immediately after the scene. Granted, the same statement of intent could've been made with such a character, he traditionally isn't inclined to be subject to manipulation, which is the secondary intent of this scene. Tigra, a character seen to have shifting alliances in many stories recently, now finds herself forced into a corner to obey the villains.

To again refer to well known references in Bendis' creative repetoire, The Shield comes to mind. A cop series differentiated by it's uncompromising depiction of the urban warzone, and the harsh interactions of humans within it.

So, is the material offensive? Ultimately, at best I could indulge an argument of content in a mainstream superhero comic, but to anyone looking, the book does clearly bare the Marvel rating of A for Adult*. Whether or not it's fair to direct one of your A-list superhero team books to a mature audience is debatable, particularly in a world where Marvel have been smart enough to produce a growing line of kid-friendly Adventures books, the Avengers included.

*EDIT (Dec 8, 2007): Matt rightly points out that I really should've checked up on the Marvel ratings. A is an unspecified category recommending readers be age nine and up. I wouldn't be up in arms, but I would agree that this kind of violence might be a bit better managed to readers thirteen and up.

I personally enjoy and feel the gritty reality of the world these heroes live in is crucial to the legitimacy of the genre. If superheroes are going to maintain their majority stock in the medium, they have to be seen to be earning it, and as most fans well know, the sok, pow, shazam of days past is embarassingly referred to as 'the sound of comics trying to grow up.'

No, this kind of material isn't the mark of maturity or good writing.
It's simply a facet with very specific real world references that good writing can latch on to, and represent for a quota I think is essential if anyone is to take these worlds of super criminals seriously. Bendis juxtaposes this brilliantly with his dismal superhero outings in the first twenty-or-so issues of the New Avengers titles, pressed up against this latest array of on-going, fluid, grounded takes on the Avengers characters and the perils they face.

He may be an absolute tit, but I think it's an unfair, and preconvinced agenda that comes to a comic like this, and completely overlooks it's context and reality. Maybe, like my own (initially), some opinions are based only on the information available from second-hand sources. Sources that perhaps don't expand the context, or highlight images like the shadowed portion of the assault, or the gathering of supervillains who revel in the modern, YouTube happy slap style screening of the incident.

We've discussed it before [Superman/Batman #15], but I think it bares repeating: Like action movie stars, the best characters are the ones who are affected by the perils that surround them. Likewise, to shy away from the great evils that exist out there, is to discount the acknowledgment and bredth of the heroes who face them. Without crime to overcome, the hero is meaningless.

And that, no doubt, is not the last you'll hear of the Tigra affair.
Be encouraged to lodge any opinions you might have, and stay tuned for, what I hope, will be some interesting furthering of the discussion. We'll have to wait and see how that one pans out.

Meanwhile, as if this massive entry wasn't a big enough deal as it was, it's also the epic night of fights! Let The Hood's message ring out to the superheroes and Bahlactus alike, for the new Kingpin of Super-Crime means business!
Do you mean business? Once you've finished browsing the annals of the Infinite Wars, why not check yourself in to a world of pain perspective, as per Friday Night Fights!

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 5.5

Leinil Yu continues to be an aboslute treat on this book, delivering kinetic, sketchy inks. Dave McCaig joins Dave Stewart for a colour palette by scanner struggles to come to terms with, but consider that a compliment more than a complaint! It's too early to find this work in trade, but you might like to check out the previous arc while you wait! Sweet Christmas!

THE AVENGERS versus THE HAND
Revolution Part One (Marvel comics)
Where: New Avengers #27 When: April 2007
Why: Brian Michael Bendis How: Leinil Yu

The story so far...
In the wake of Wolverine's tenure as a Hydra puppet, Elektra has taken control of The Hand, but it hasn't been the gift to peace some may have expected it to be.

During the superhero Civil War the hero called Echo has been investigating in Japan under the created guise of Ronin. Her operations in the Japanese underworld have attracted the attentions of Elektra and her new Hand clan.

An SOS distress she sends out to her jailed friend Matt Murdock proves to arrive too late, and Echo is killed, only to be resurrected by The Hand to be an instrument of Elektra. That is, unless her friends make the save!
Better late than never...

Previous Form:
Secret Avengers [#16]: Were swiftly defeated by the pro-reg Avengers.
Spider-man (#1): Successfully teamed with the Avengers, Zombies, Human Torch, Ghost Rider, Namor & Iron Man.
Wolverine (#3): Successfully teamed with the Avengers, Zombies & the X-Men.
Luke Cage (#143): Yet to feature in any significant capacity.
Elektra (#10): Victories over Bullseye, Catwoman & Echo.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Luke Cage 5 (Super Strength)
Intelligence: Spider-man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Iron Fist 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Luke Cage 5 (Marathon Man)
Agility: Spider-man 5 (Cat-like)
Fighting Ability: Iron Fist 6 (Warrior)
Energy Powers: Dr. Strange 6 (Mass Destruction)


Statistically speaking, the tape clearly lines up to favoure the Secret Avengers, but what it fails to consider is the overwhelming presence of The Hand, which supplies an unending supply of disposable ninja. Thus, we should consider that on the terms of team numbers, Elektra far outnumbers the seven Avengers.

Not that these Avengers are a team of piss-ants. On the contrary, there's an interesting blend of characters close to the street, with firepower to back them up when things get rough. The line-up of seven features; Luke Cage, Spider-man, Iron Fist, Dr. Strange, Spider-Woman, Wolverine, and Ronin; aka Hawkeye.

Yes, Hawkeye is the second Ronin, as revealed in the recent New Avengers #30, but more on that in The Hammer. For the time being, let us consider that Hawkeye has gone into combat without his bag of trick arrows. Good or bad?
Well, at least he isn't going to explode any time soon ["Not like this!" - Misgivings Mike], but on the same time, now he's without his trademark weapons!

For those who came in late -- Hawkeye was trained in the early days by the Swordsman, so presumably he's going to be proficient with the Ronin blade he's packing, but one would have to question his willingness to use it.

Willingness to do what's necessary probably isn't going to be much of an issue with Elektra or her Hand ninja, which are all trained in the deadly anatsatsuken assassin arts! Elektra in particular poses a threat to the safety of the team, but they're not without their counter threats.

Wolverine is the best there is at what he does, and that's eviscerating, slicing, dicing and juicing, wherever possible. If push comes to shove, he's the guy who'll do what's necessary to make sure the good guys come out with the least casualties. Meanwhile, on the less lethal but not less deadly side is Iron Fist, who can pound-for-pound match most of the Marvel universe's best fighters!

Throw in the mystic prowess of Earth's Sorceror Supreme, the web-slinging spectacular Spider-man, and the impenetrable hero no longer for hire, Luke Cage, and you've got yourself a pretty formidable unit!

The Math: The Avengers (Total) Elektra (Average)
The Pick: The Secret Avengers

What went down...
After three days of conditioning at the bottom of a hole, Echo might be beginning to slip, but the sound of fighting no doubt inspires her to hold on just a moment longer. Good thing she can't hear what the fighters are saying...

The Avengers find themselves set upon fairly swiftly by the hordes of the Hand ninja. Given their personless nature, there's no holds barred against these animated humanoid collections of goop and mystic meat. Wolverine takes great advantage, slicing through what resembles a neck while Spidey quips about some of their more recent adventures.

As Wolverine lets the inner animal out, Hawkeye remarks, perhaps ironically, on the exchange of discussion during the fight.

Cage pounds his way through some ninja, while Iron Fist remarks upon his distaste for banter during combat. "You're doing banter now, Fist." "No, I'm not." "I didn't say it was good banter."

Though their exchange is corny, their skills remain as sharp as ever. Iron Fist warns Spider-man through a dodge, following through with a fully charged fist of iron that rips straight through the faux-flesh of Hand ninja, reducing them to mist.

Hawkeye, the new kid on the team, enquires about Dr. Strange's techniques, which until this point have involved silently going about his business. The good Doctor reveals his prestige, a series of simple transient spells that reduce the ninja to sleeping, or crying for their mommies.

Elektra enters the fray, furiously bringing her sai down to Cage's chest with an incredibly sloppy, and uncharacteristically undisciplined axe handle motion.

Cage's "unbreakable" skin protects him from damage, allowing him the opportunity to grapple with Elektra, pulling her in for a face-to-face. Introductions are brief; "Rrr... I got a message from Matt Murdock." "Yeah?" "He told me, if I see you, to give you this..."

Pictured right is DD's message.

And, before you say what you're thinking, yes. It does still hurt a great deal. Or at least, so I'm told. Come on, it makes sense. Now, stop snickering...

Spidey stops to quip, but Wolverine pulls back the reins, ordering the wall-crawler toward the initiation pit, as apparently predetermined during team strategizing.

Spider-man webs the stunned Elektra up, and slips down the hole, landing with springy ease. He pulls his mask back to his nose, allowing the deaf Echo to read his lips. He explains that Murdock sent he and his Avengers to rescue her, but the tortured Echo is understandably reluctant to trust the rescue. Fortunately for her, she's too weak to put up a struggle, and Spidey slings his way back to the surface to rejoin his Avengers.

Still battling their way through the endless stream of red cloth and ninja, Cage is all too happy to call a strategic retreat. Wolverine gives the cue, signalling to Dr. Strange to make for a magical exit. While the Doctor conjures his spell, Iron Fist gives them some room, pounding the stoney ground of The Hand's lair, creating a seizmic shake under foot.

Elektra cuts herself free of Spidey's web with a sword, but by then it's too late. The Secret Avengers have made their escape -- for now.

The hammer...
While there wasn't really any physical conclusion to this encounter, there was a very specific mission objective achieved, and a physical dominance worth noting, considering the nature of The Hand. Thus, we crown The Avengers winners!

I'm drastically behind schedule, so it may not yet have occurred to you that this post is occurring on a Sunday! I think I may have mentioned that I wanted to revisit the issue once we knew who Ronin was, so when else would be a more fitting time to do a Sunday Super Special?!

We of course all now know that the new Ronin is in fact the post-House of M resurrected version of Clint Barton - Hawkeye. I think it's safe to say of all the picks, he was the most logical, given the telegraphing nature of New Avengers #26, which featured his return and search for Wanda Maximoff (after a quick visit with Dr. Strange).

We also know that Hawkeye came to be the new Ronin under the flippant conditions that without a costume, he would not be allowed to accompany the Avengers, who were otherwise interested in his aid. Hmmm... For a guy who made his name on gnarly, gritty, street level dialogue, Bendis just can't help but serve up hunks of ham, can he? This issue, particularly with that little hindsight, is positively dripping in ham and honey glazing.

Still, another benefit of hindsight is the progression of the story to better feature this new collective of Avengers. For the first time in the title's history it finally feels like there's a cohesive and grounded direction that actually involves the team! Hey, the team appearing in their book? I'd buy that for a dollar!

I'd be lying if I said I didn't think Hawkeye-Ronin was a debacle of the most hilarious degree. I think the circumstances are what really make it unfortunate, given the previous Ronin fiasco, and the justifiable media it generated.
Though the circumstances by which Barton becomes Ronin are laughable, the delivery would likely have been much more acceptable if it were allowed to be more forthcoming, and free of the marketing angle.

New Avengers, as highlighted during this fight, is a pretty light story that isn't going to excessive lengths to take it's self seriously.
It's a ninja-battling romp thrugh Japan that has the Secret Avengers out of all the red-tape clutter that's bogged the Marvel Universe down, that is freeing them up logically for this refreshing change of pace. It's a sound concept.
The costume-changing action figure antics fit right in with the banter exchange, and butt-kicking that goes with it. The frustration really just comes down the caged scrutiny and responsive secrecy that went along with it. It wasn't worth it.

Still, Ronin-II is out of the way now, and hopefully we can look forward to Captain AmeRonin sometime in season 07/08. Yuk-yuk. Jokes aside, New Avengers has finally found it's footing as a satisfying read, and it looks like this story still promises a lot to come. Groovy!

It's getting late again, and I'm still trying to catch up on updates, so stick around for the next Monday Marvel Ultimate Alliance update. We're skipping Tigershark and Kraken to get straight to the Dragon Man! Be here!

EDIT (June 17): You are no doubt aware by now that revelations from New Avengers #31 reveal that this was not Elektra at all, but rather a well trained Skrull facsimile! Rankings have now been changed accordingly.

The Fight: 5 The Issue: 5.5

ELEKTRA versus RONIN
Revolution Part One (Marvel comics)
Where: New Avengers #27 When: April 2007
Why: Brian Michael Bendis How: Leinil Yu

The story so far...
The heroes of the Marvel Universe have been wrapped up in the Civil War, but whilst acting on behalf of the New Avengers in Japan, Ronin, aka Echo, finds herself unsure of where she stands and who she can trust in the battle.

As she infiltrates the Japanese underworld under the guise of an innocent woman, she stalks them as a symbol in the form of Ronin, someone they would never suspect could be breaking them up from right under their noses.

Wise to her game, Elektra and her clan, The Hand, intervene and although Echo sends out for help from her friends, she finds herself forced to confront the deadly assassin and her undying hoardes.

Previous Form:
Elektra (#14): Elektra has victories over Bullseye and Catwoman.
Echo: Echo has not yet been featured on the site.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Elektra 3 (Trained Athlete)
Intelligence: Elektra 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Elektra 3 (Trained Athlete)
Stamina: Elektra 4 (Trained Athlete)
Agility: Elektra 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Draw 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Powers: Draw 2 (Projectile Weapons)

Well, no sooner than I mention how one-sided some of our fights have been, than we get a situation like this, where you get two characters that are so-similar it's almost uncomfortable.

I'd have to be upfront and say I'm not really a huge fan of David Mack's contribution to the Marvel Universe. That's not to say I dislike Echo, I just haven't really invested the time in the character, and would say her handling beyond the introductory storyarc has probably been less than stellar.

I don't know what I would say about the Ronin suit. It might have some limited armor, but it's hard to tell if that's really anything substantial. It doesn't appear to slow her down, so I guess that levels things out.

Essentially she's maybe falls somewhere in the center of an attributes triangle that has Daredevil, Elektra and Bullseye on the three points. Certainly some of the more glaring parallels are with Elektra, but she shares traits with the two males of this corner of the universe, too. The nature of her imitative abilities -- which come from being deaf -- draw an obvious comparison to Matt Murdock's dis-able-abilities. Her abilities for execution of techniques brings Bullseye to mind.

While she seems to encompass the best of the three worlds, the character certainly hasn't earned her place in the Marvel Universe, and Elektra's far greater palette of experience gives her a massive edge.

It's up for argument to say who is the more skilled warrior. I would lean toward Elektra, but that may perhaps be because of those above listed reasons.
I feel Echo still has a ways to go before she earns initiation.

The Math: Elektra (Meta Class)
The Pick: Elektra and The Hand

What went down...
Having battered and stalked the denizens of the Japanese underworld, Ronin attracts the attentions of the assassin Elektra, and her band of Hand ninja. It was only a matter of time before this situation presented itsself.

Ronin leaps into action against the Hand, disarming some of them of their swords, ony to use the weapons on the freakish ninja creature themselves.
Ronin pops necks and slices through red robes, as the ninja burst into clouds of disgusting smoke all around her.

Elektra studies her adversary as the Ronin cuts through her hoardes.

For every ninja that goes down, there seems to be another, but Ronin remains steadfast in battle. Jumping kick, nunchaku, sweep, roundhouse kick, open palm to the skull -- Spak! Spak! Spak! -- the Hand go down.

That leaves only Elektra, and although she's ready, Ronin does not wait for her to initiate the attack.

They crash through a window out into the streets surrounding and spill into the alley below. Ronin seems to come off second, but still manages to deflect sai attacks with defensive nunchaku swipes.

Elektra blocks a kick, and slips around the jab. Another fist, and a boot find Elektra's palm and wrist, blocked and blocked again.

Ronin leaps a lunging fist, and Elektra uses the moment to retrieve her sai blades and that's the last tactical error Ronin has the opportunity to make.

Disregarding of any armor or additional protection the Ronin suit might provide, the pierce of the sai buries deep and true, finding flesh before straining against more bulk and material.

Elektra holds and then lowers her defeated opponent down, almost gently.
She pulls back at the cowl to reveal the red swelling eyes of Echo. Elektra knows her foe, and perhaps it's that, or perhaps it's the strength of her courage in battle that leads Elektra to do something inadvertently noble.

As the leader of the Hand Elektra is privvy to many things, and that includes mastery over life and death.
She orders Echo's resurrection. She will become one of her warriors, and will never lose like this again. She will live. For now.

The hammer...
For formality's sake alone, let us declare Elektra the winner!

Personally the farce that was the first Ronin saga, when it eventually arrived some months after various cover appearances (and a redesign), just dragged the character Echo further into the mire of what's to be disappointed with in comics.

Likewise, I skipped over her arc in Daredevil which interrupted part of Bendis and Maleev's run on the book. It's fair to say a mini-series probably wouldn't have sold as well as this, but it served a rare opportunity to cull a regular purchase from my list. Which again, isn't a slight to the character or Mack, but more the unfortunate handling of all these things, and having a limited budget as a comics reader.

Again we arrive at an unfortunate situation where the character is actually treated quite well, and finally it feels like there's a justification for the Ronin character to exist -- but again, there's a catch that is a little displeasing.
I think we've discussed before the disappointing nature of Brian Bendis' work on New Avengers, which has been compounded by Civil War, which left Bendis very little room to redeem his less than stellar take on the team.

Again we find ourselves in a situation where Bendis is actually displaying what makes him an enjoyable reader, but the Ronin story joins a slew of others that push the Avengers team very much to the back table.
To the credit of the issue, the latter third is dedicated to the new New Avengers -- the team that exists post-Civil War -- but it's still disappointing to see one of the better New Avengers issues featuring a tight focus on one individual character.

Wha Huh?! overlooked the existing What The...?! franchise, and it feels as though this book overlooks the pre-established [defunct] Avengers Spotlight series. A book where it would probably have felt much more at home.
Well, maybe that's downplaying the team cameo that does find it's way into the book, but never the less... Mixed feelings when it comes to rating this as an issue.

Fun to continue to diversify the characters featured in 2007, though, and also nice to get some more girls on the site. By the sheer nature of comics, and specifically fighting comics, I think we're always going to be bound slightly tighter to the male characters. Mind you, I think DC has become the greater minority on the site than females. Sorry, guys!

This was a prescheduled fight, and much to my chagrin the rampaging Ragnell was off her game, and alerted her readers to International Women's Day a few days late. So, consider this a conveniently timed belated contribution.
With the current format I like the idea of playing to some of these themes, and via Ragnell and the Written World, it was one I was aware of and awaiting.

[If YOU know of an interesting theme or topical day coming up, drop a comment and let me know! - Calendarious Mike]

With so many comics floating around, themes like these are a nice excuse to force something onto the page. I don't want to overload Fridays with Marvel contributions (in light of Mondays and Wednesdays), but there was a recent duke that fits the criteria, so maybe in a few weeks.

I guess it's kind of a topical time to be featuring women in comics, with the release of the testosterone charged military masterpiece in 300 the movie.
Certainly on both sides of the big two fences there have been efforts to introduce more female characters. Contributions like Echo, and the new White Tiger, Batwoman and Question all respectively add another little twist.

Perhaps the only unfortunate thing, and again this is something we've discussed before, is the derivative nature of their characters. Even Echo, the most individual of the four listed, shares many similarities with characters already existing, including Elektra.

In a world where we haven't seen it time and time again, the poignancy of being christened on Elektra's sai might have been there, but this just feels like another chapter in Echo's following in the footsteps of Elektra, which maybe even cheapens the first character to a degree.

One can't help but flash back to interviews where creators, like Bendis, have expressed their reluctance to involve themselves with "Frank's character", but then go ahead and do something like this. Maybe that's even the motivation.
Maybe Echo is an opportunity to have cake and eat it too, I don't know, but it's a little disappointing, none the less.
Time will tell if it becomes a ham-fisted character device, or is just the fairly logical happenings of a superheroine in the universe.

One last thing I have to praise is Lienel Francis Yu!
I don't know if it's the coolest thing in the world to admit, but I really liked his pencil work on Wolverine around the mid and late nineties, and I think this issue just completely stepped it up. In a way he's almost like a more overtly pencilled Alex Maleev, and the colour palette here kind of nurtures this feeling.

So, despite my chagrin of it being New Avengers, full credit to the colour palette and the overall presentation of the issue. Certainly it evokes some of the qualities of Alex Maleev that works so well with Bendis' writing, but Yu brings a vibrance and kinetic action that Maleev might not be able to. Just a shame it was so short!

EDIT (June 17): You are no doubt aware by now that revelations from New Avengers #31 reveal that this was not Elektra at all, but rather a well trained Skrull facsimile! Rankings have now been changed accordingly.

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 5.5