Review: Avengers Assemble #8

 

It was fun.

Yes, even though I am such a fan of Annihilation Marvel Cosmic I am known as “Captain Cosmic” in the CBN offices, I thought writer Brian Michael Bendis’ romp with the Avengers and the returned members of the Guardians of the Galaxy was fun and had a bit of that swashbuckling adventure feel ala the heyday of Corsair and his Spacejammers.

In Avengers Assemble #8, we see again the revolting Cancerverse and yes, it does indeed have an effect on Peter Quill – although what that feeling is, where Richard Rider is and how Quill returned to our universe has yet to be explained. But at least I am relieved, by that dark look on Star-Lord’s face, that Bendis WILL explain this in some form or fashion.

I am reminded of the excitement of the initial issues of the New Avengers (Vol. 1) before the book became so formula and predictable, before the talking heads when we were still looking for the ID of Electro’s boss and there wasn’t a Skrull in ever closet.

No, even the inclusion of some star-beings who have never been Elders of the Universe in Bendis’ grouping did not bother me. (Maybe the In-Betweener and the Stranger joined when we were not looking? We have seen none of them in a long time.) And the Elders were NOT destroyed, and played a big role this issue in the Assemblers’ vanquishing of the mad Titan Thanos.

I liked the Bendis-Bagley wrap on the Cosmic Cube deal and really wished Bagley was continuing on as artist of the new Guardians mag coming in February. I have grown accustomed to his versions of the characters, with even Groot finally having his big moment in #8.

So I will see some of you in Guardians of the Galaxy in February 2013, if perhaps only for a short time.

And I hope it will be fun.