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Credits

• Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
• Artist: Frank Cho

Quick Summary

The entire story, which revolves around Carol Danvers, a.k.a. Ms. Marvel and Warbird, is told via a blog of Carol. Called in to capture Klaw, who has escaped from prison, Carol makes short work of him. She arrives at Stark Tower just before the new team introduces itself to the public via a press conference, where she is warmly received. Captain America asks her back on the team, saying, “Once an Avenger, always an Avenger,” but Carol feels she needs to “earn her name” as a hero and declines for the time being.

J. Jonah Jameson agrees to treat the new team fairly in the press--especially Spider Man--in return for “exclusive coverage and access” to the team’s adventures. Jameson agrees. Wolverine declines to attend the press conference as a New Avengers member. Spider Woman is also feels some trepidation, but Captain America convinces her it’s the right thing for her to go public, despite the problems she’s having with HYDRA. After the press conference, the team learns that Jameson has sabotaged them by printing a negative editorial about it.

Spider Woman heads out to bar, where she meets one of her ‘secret’ contacts. Apparently, she is still betraying the Avengers.

Commentary

New Avengers 15 is another purely perfunctory issue. The art is poor for one of the company’s premier titles, and, for an issue in which a new team of Avengers introduces itself to the public, quite tepid. These ‘meet the press’ issues are an Avengers tradition going back more than three decades, and few if any have been as literally and figuratively colorless as this.

Carol’s blog is a good and timely idea, but it’s printed in what must be a size two font, making it very difficult to read. Bendis has shown a strong appreciation for Carol in the past, and this issue is also clearly a springboard for her new upcoming ongoing Ms. Marvel series.

However, Klaw, as seems overwhelmingly the case with once-classic villains in Marvel Universe titles today, is introduced and then defeated in a one-two-three manner. Like Mr. Hyde and the Wrecking Crew, the once great Klaw is presented as mindless cannon fodder. He’s become faded wallpaper, strictly to be kept in the background. These villains could be Marvel’s Jokers, Cat Womans, Riddlers, and Brainics; instead, they’ve presented as entirely empty threats and paper tigers. And Klaw, who once led a viable Masters of Evil, has a very long history with the team.

Longtime fans will be happy to hear Captain America say, “Once an Avenger, always an Avenger,” since this shows that Bendis is ostensibly leaving the door open for other historical team members to rejoin.

That fact that Spider Woman is still betraying the team should come as a surprise to no one. Jameson’s about-face is also drearily predictable.

The best part of the issue is the cover, which portrays a rather luscious Spider Woman hanging upside down.