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Credits

• Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
• Pencils: David Finch

Quick Summary

The team confronts the Silver Samurai and members of the Hand in Japan. When the Hand launches an attack, the Silver Samurai assists the Avengers against them. Afterwards, the Silver Samurai suggests that he will not turn the organization “into something to fear” as a point of honor. Captain America implies that it was a rogue arm of SHIELD that kidnapped and imprisoned the Silver Samurai in the Raft, not the United States government, but the Samurai seems unconvinced, and threatens to take the story to the press. Spider Woman, as a SHIELD agent, claims the Viper as a prisoner as the Avengers leave.

In transit, Iron Man suggests taking the New Avengers team public to Captain America, while in the rear of the quinjet, the others attempt to guess Ronin’s identity. Meanwhile, the tightly-bound Viper silently indicates to Spider Woman that the time has come to free her, and Spider Woman trips an emergency door. The Viper falls from the plane, as does Captain America. Spider Woman attempts to save him, but Iron Man saves them both. Some of the team appear to have observed Spider Woman’s treachery.

In New York City, Iron Man offers to fund Ronin’s continued surveillance of the Hand, and also offers the Avenger’s help or even “another team” if necessary. Ronin is revealed to be a woman named Echo, an associate of Daredevil’s. Away from the others, Captain America asks Spider Woman who she “is working for.”

Commentary

New Avengers # 13 feels dull, sluggish, and predictable. The larger problem with the title under the current creative team may be that it simply isn’t any fun, nor is it genuinely thrilling, dramatic, or moving when it attempts to be. The lowbrow attempts at humor, many of which are scatological in nature, aren’t funny, they’re just stupid. Like an unintelligent grade-schooler, Bendis’ idea of ‘funny’ seems to be having an adult say “I almost pooped my pants” or something found equally naughty on the playground.

The opening section in Japan is top-heavy with pages of needlessly convoluted dialogue. As in several other Bendis Avengers related arcs, several key characters do all the talking while the others stand around silently. Whatever Bendis has planned concerning the trouble within SHIELD and their “stockpiling of criminals,” he certainly seems to have a difficult time expressing it clearly.

For the most part, the immediate as well as the running threads in New Avengers have created very little if any genuine suspense so far, which is also true here. Why the team is so concerned about the rise of the Hand in Japan after admitting that most of the escaped Raft criminals are still running free in their home town of New York City remains unaddressed.

This 3-part arc, which introduces Ronin to the team, would have been whittled down to one issue under Roy Thomas or Roger Stern. Ronin, who appears to be male, is revealed, sans mask, to be Echo, a female character from the pages of Daredevil. Whether Echo/Ronin is now or will become an Avenger is unclear; it seems likely that few readers will greet Echo as a welcome addition to an already dull team. No reason is provided for why she is dressed as a man or has assumed another identity.

Finch’s art remains objectively excellent on a panel-by-panel basis, but is too solemn and grave; colored even darker than usual in this issue, it drains away what little life the issue has.