Avengers Assembled?

Earlier this week, Marvel released a new teaser image with the headline “The Heroic Age,” and with it, a promo image with what might be the new Avengers roster when the Book is re-launched in May with a new issue number 1. (which will no doubt be renumbered when they reach the theoretical 600 mark). Before I go into specifics let me give a break down of who’s who:

The big three are back, although it looks like Buck Barnes is in the place of Steve Rogers;  maybe, that looks like Bucky’s suit, but those deep soulful blue eyes that show you what the world could, I mean, the eyes seem to lead over to Roger’s territory. Thor is finally back in the Avenger, instead of being isolated in his own title by that arrogant fuck JMS who just had Thor BROOD for 16 issues instead of doing something cool, like throw his hammer at shit. Next we got Iron Man in his new duds, which I originally thought looked rad, but the more I see them they give me this weird sense of Déjà vu.

But more important than Cap, Thor and Iron Man is Hawkeye, and not someone in the suit, but Clint Barton himself. Anyone who doubts the importance of Clint Barton needs to check themselves, as they will be wrecked. Hawkeye is the Heart of the Avengers, without him, the book just loses its magic. Another staple is back with the Black Widow, who like your mom is the only woman in the room with eight other dudes. (ZING!) What is both awesome and terrible is the fact that Beast is on board, and not lame Cat-Beast, Monkey Beast! What makes this sucky is there is no Wonderman, what a fucking tease they should be ashamed. Along with that, Spider-Man is there, no doubt a Quesada mandate to make money. From here, shit gets weird, first you have the Thing, which makes me think this is just a teaser for a variety of books, because the dude just doesn’t work as part of the Avengers. Next is some Gorilla, with a goddamn mini-gun, hopefully named Ol’ Painless, strapped to his back; I her he’s from Agents of Atlas, which I’ve never read, but I’mm gonna; because anything with a gun-toting Gorilla is fucking tits.

If this was my team I’d add Wonderman, The Vision, and either Ms. Marvel or She-Hulk and
remove Spider-Man and The Thing; maybe toss in Quicksilver just because, and then you’d have an awesome Avengers team.

What’s great about this book is that Marvel says that this will be a return to the classic swashbuckling adventures that made Marvel what they are today, no more gritty angst, which is good in some books, but not the High-Powered team book. What’s even better is that there’s no Wolverine nor Bendis’ pet characters : Luke Cage, Spider-Woman or the Sentry, all fine characters, but they shouldn’t be Avengers. the bad news is, Brian Michael
Bendis is still writing The Avengers.

Don’t get me wrong, Brian Michael Bendis is an amazing writer, his Daredevil run is quite possibly better than Frank Miller’s and Alias was great. However, Bendis should stick with those, street-level crime books. Marvel should place Bendis on titles that work with his talents, both the Avengers and Bendis do not work at their best when paired together. Bendis should get to put all of his favorites on a Heroes for Hire book and go nuts; hell, if Fraction ever leaves Iron Man, that’d be perfect for him too, and Marvel, since his writing is so similar to the tone of the film franchise. If any body should be writing the new Avengers
book, it should be Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction, hands down the two best and most versatile writers that the comics medium has to offer; both can do a great action adventure book and really know how to play to a character’s strengths and weaknesses. If you haven’t already, pick up the Immortal Iron Fist Omnibus, Thor: Blood Oath and shit, anything those guys write, if anyone can make a great Heroic Age, it’s them.