New Avengers Vol. 5: Civil War

Book Description

The Civil War is on, and no book will be more affected than New Avengers. You think Marvel would never mess with its top-selling book? Wrong! The Avengers are about to go to war over their beliefs, and the shake-up will shock you. Each stand-alone story in this volume is illustrated by a genuine comics superstar! Collects New Avengers #21-25.

Customer Reviews:

Bendis Disbands the Avengers...for the 2nd Time.......2007-10-03

They fight, they talk, they fight each other, and then talk some more--it's those wacky New Avengers circa Marvel's 2006 Civil War! As many other readers have noted, these solo takes on the infighting New Avengers are mostly filler, save for the pulse-pounding issue #25 featuring Iron Man helpless against a disgruntled employee. Since Captain America appeared in Civil War and his own book, however, did we really need to see him in solo action in New Avengers? Issue #25, as well as an appearance by the Inhumans (you'll never guess who the Sentry tries to hit it with!), make this an enjoyable if a bit unecessary read.

New Avengers continues to be great.......2007-09-14

Great stuff. Not for the uninitiated, but fans of New Avengers and Civil War should love this. The best of the Civil War tie-in books. Highlights are the Leinil Yu Cage issue and the Chaykin Captain America issue.

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-04

It is fascists vs flag wavers, and the bunch mostly caught in the middle are the Avengers, because the X-Men are invisible in this storyline.

In this volume there are stories of what happens when various Avenger types run into the shield technological police. Capekillers, there is a name to win friends and influence people. You'd want to have spare money or be really keen on the whole thing to want to get this.

If for no other reason, it has Issue #22........2007-08-19

I sort of agree with some of what has been said about this collection. The legendary Howard Chaykin illustrated the first issue (#21) that focuses on Captain America... and his art on this issue just seems EXTREMELY rushed. It's pretty bad, which is really sad for fans of Chaykin. But the story is really good with Cap escaping from SHIELD "Capekillers", enlisting the help of The Falcon and trying to enlist the help of Hank Pym, who unfortunately is already siding with the Pro-Registration side.

#23 focuses on Jessica Drew and her internal conflicts over her allegiance to SHIELD, her loyalty to the Avengers and her obligations to HYDRA. It's a very good and very emotional issue.

#24 deals with The Sentry, which in my humble opinion, is possibly the most useless superhero that ever existed. He has "the power of a thousand exploding suns" but he's a paranoid schizophrenic and an agoraphobe. I certainly don't mind a character who's a little unusual, but he's just such a blah character. One moment, he's saving the world and ripping Carnage in half and throwing things into the Sun... the next, he's laying in his bed in a fetal position sobbing.

And in #24, he's just kinda chillin' in space very close to the Blue Area of the Moon, where the Inhumans live... and they're kinda peeved at humans right now because Quicksilver stole the Terrigen Mists in order to regain his own mutant power that he lost in the House of M... never mind. Anyway, he has some dinner with the Royal Family of Attilan, kisses Crystal for some reason and gets taken back to Earth by Tony Stark to join the pro-reg team.

In #25, Iron Man is essentially taken hostage (in his armor) and going to be killed by a VERY disgruntled former employee of Starktech who is quite perturbed that his tech is being used against other heroes in this Civil War. It turns into a race against time for SHIELD Director Maria Hill to stop the would-be killer. When the issue is said and done, Tony Stark is offered by Hill to be the new Director of SHIELD. It's a hit-and-miss issue with great art by Mr. Cheung.

But it's issue #22 that is the stand-out here with the unlikliest of protagonists: Luke Cage. At midnight, the Superhuman Registration Act goes into law and Iron Man and Ms. Marvel are at the Cage home to convince Cage and his super-powered wife, Jessica Jones that registration is the way to go. But Cage makes THE case for the anti-reg's. He just wants to live and do what he can to help the people of his world... if that happens to involve using his powers, so be it. But he also knows that failing to register will make him, his wife and newborn baby a target by the government. So he sends Jessica and his child across the border into Canada so that he can make his stand against those that would oppress him and those like him. And he makes one hell of a stand against the Capekillers that come to arrest him (albeit with the help of the 'Secret Avengers' like Cap and Daredevil). It was judged by Wizard Magazine to be the single best issue of 2006 and it's pretty well-deserving of that title. With terrific art by new series regular Leinil Yu and a hard-hitting emotionally-driven story, this collection is worth it just for this.

One of the things that is pretty consistent about this collection is the writing by Bendis. People get on him for being too talky or too preachy or too long-winded, but to be perfectly honest, I think that a comic that can make you think AND be entertaining is better than the ones that are gluttoned with splash pages and big action and zero characterization. Bendis is pretty much one of the modern masters of mixing great storytelling and characterization with great action pieces.

Nice impact storyline. Many cliches have been avoided........2007-05-09

Although I am not a Marvel fan (I prefer DC a lot more), I must say that this story has been carried out pretty nicely, with few cliches and stupid moments, and with a lot of moments full of impacts for some of Marvel's better known heroes.

The drawing by McNiven is very nice, and way different to other of his contemporary fellow artists. He's is a style very recognizable.

I like that there are very very few places in the story where you have to make some assumptions (or know a lot about Marvel U story). That was nice.

I am not going to comment about story plots, per se, so as not to ruin you reading, but I can recommend this book if you like stories where powerful, potentially critical moments are depicted, specially for well know characters, with repercussions that MAY (.....or may not)last for a long time on them.

Enjoy!

Average customer rating:

The newest X-men alternative history
Graphic SF Reader
"Marvel Event of the Decade?"
A great story that justifies all the hype
I Dug It!

House of M (X-Men, New Avengers)
Brian Michael Bendis
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0785117210

Book Description

The Marvel event of the decade is here! The Avengers and the X-Men are faced with a common foe that becomes their greatest threat: Wanda Maximoff! The Scarlet Witch is out of control, and the fate of the entire world is in her hands. Will Magneto help his daughter or use her powers to his own benefit? Starring the Astonishing X-Men and the New Avengers! You know how sometimes you hear the phrase: and nothing will ever be the same again? Well, this time believe it, buster! Nothing will ever be the same again! Collects House of M #1-8, and Pulse House of M Special Edition Newspaper.

Customer Reviews:

The newest X-men alternative history.......2007-10-02

In the beggining I bought this book for curiosity because I read de review and I didn't like the story, but when I read this book I changed my mind totally because it was written with a dramatic point of view, I mean, the history is about what happen when the skarlet wich loose her mind and Pietro (quicksilver) manipulate her and she changed the world, now the mutantkind command the entire world, and she gives to all her friends the ability to have the life they always wanted, for example Spiderman is married to Gwen Stacy his uncle ben is alive, Cyclops and the White Queen are married and live together, Magneto is the ruler of the world is his catle in genosha (House Of M) but the only problerm is that Wolverine always wanted to remember everything, and of course he remembers what happened eith the Skarlet Wich, and he recruit all the avengers and the x-men (with the help of a mutant child) and the fight begins, and the final is amazing. This book is relly good, and I now want to read DECIMATION X-MEN: THE DAY AFTER, because I want to know much more. And I almost forget the drawing of Oliver Coipel is excellent.

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03

Coming out of the events of Avengers Disassembled, the Scarlet Witch has clearly gone completely round the bend. Her bend is a bit of a Mobius strip type doozy, as she recreates the whole world in a manner that her warped mind sees fit.

Everything is now different, and only a few realise it, or begin to realise. Those that do have to work out what to do about it. Save her, or annihilate her.

Generally pretty average.

"Marvel Event of the Decade?".......2007-07-11

This book was hyped as the "Marvel event of the decade" in 2005. Since then, we've been hit with the Civil War, World War Hulk, X-Men: Endangered Species, and (soon) the Skrull War. That's some stiff competition for the best Marvel book of the decade, but "House of M" still stacks up pretty well.

The infamous "no more mutants" decree by Wanda Maximoff led to plenty of great spin-offs after the event, such as "198" and "Son of M". (The cross-overs that occurred during the "House of M" event, however, aren't necessary to the main storyline here and are mostly just of the "What If...?" variety.)

If you haven't read Marvel comics for a while, this is the book to start with.

A great story that justifies all the hype.......2007-05-28

HOUSE OF M is easily one of the most hyped and talked about comic series in recent years. This is the series that took the Marvel universe and turned it upside down and inside out. Following this almost everything you thought you knew about the world of Marvel had to be reevaluated and the fallout still affects a whole range of comic heroes. Even for comics relatively outside all these events, like my favs The Runaways, they take place with the events in this story as background (for instance, Molly Hayes, the group's lone mutant, is one of the world's few remaining mutants).

I won't rehearse the events in the story because so many have already done so. I'll merely state that the story is better than a mere recap can do justice to. I find sometimes in the Marvel world that many stories are conceived better than they are executed. But this is one time when the story exceeds any expectations. One of the things that constantly recurred in BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER was the idea that breaking the rules of magic had consequences. That principle is definitely present here. The Scarlet Witch twice reimagines all reality, each time with massive consequences for everyone, hero and nonhero alike. One is impressed by the pathos that drives her two fantasies: first, a mutant utopia in which mutants and heroes reign as lords of the world, second, a world in which she has managed to eliminated all but a couple of hundred mutants. Marvel has sometimes been a somewhat conservative organization, creating a host of characters, but nearly all a variation on a theme. Characters have died and there have been some shocks and surprises, but rarely have they truly shaken things up. But here they did something truly gutsy: the changed all the rules. HOUSE OF M fed directly into the CIVIL WAR stories, which I find pretty exhilarating. Not all agree. Many comics fans are conservative creatures, who would not agree that change is good. Personally, I love for creative artists to take risks.

The hero of the story, to the degree that there is one, is Wolverine, the one Marvel hero you figured would be impervious to manipulation. He says in the story that he had been memory wiped so many times that he had grown immune to it, but you figure that such a prickly soul would have gotten past it anyway. If the Marvel universe has an ultimate survivor, Wolverine would be that.

The cover, interestingly, does not really feature the central characters in the story. A number of characters who play little or no role are featured, like McCoy, Colossus, and Captain America, while some who play major roles, like Cloak, Dr. Strange, and Xavier are not depicted at all. Not really complaint; more of an observation.

If you like comics or graphic novels at all, this is one you should own. It's as good as its reputation would suggest.

I Dug It!.......2007-04-29

Brian Michael Bendis is hands down the best and most prolific writers in comics today. I'll read anything he does (although I may not be able to buy all of them). Another great Marvel Universe bending story from Bendis. I follow the writer in comics more than the title. With following a writer like Bendis you'll enjoy more comics more often. This is a great book and it's got great art.

Organic Housekeeping: In Which the Non-Toxic Avenger Shows You How to Improve Your Health and That of Your Family, While You Save Time, Money, and, Perhaps, Your Sanity

Average customer rating:

This Book Is Awesome
Fun to read, Great reference
Down to Earth with REAL, EVERYDAY advice
Well scrubbed book
Excellent Book

Organic Housekeeping: In Which the Non-Toxic Avenger Shows You How to Improve Your Health and That of Your Family, While You Save Time, Money, and, Perhaps, Your Sanity
Ellen Sandbeck
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Cleaning, Caretaking & Relocating | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0743256204

Book Description

Longing for a kinder, gentler world? As the old saying goes, everything begins at home, and odds are, if you live in the all-American household, the air inside is more toxic than the air outside, even if you live in the most polluted of cities. You regularly handle the filthiest object in your home -- the kitchen sponge -- and put the same chemicals on your face that are used in brake fluid and antifreeze.

The cleaning agents and personal care products commonly marketed to and used in American homes contain not only some very dangerous, toxic chemicals, but they also create an "overly clean," chemically bombed-out house that compromises immune systems. And with more than fifty million Americans suffering from allergies and other autoimmune diseases -- not to mention the developing and fragile immune systems of children and seniors -- large numbers of people are actually being made sicker and sicker by their homes.

Learn to live a clean, healthy, more economical way with Ellen Sandbeck, the nontoxic avenger. In this must-have book for the twenty-first- century home, this passionate, witty advocate of all things organic will teach you how to maintain every part of the home -- from living room to septic tank, kitchen floor to bathroom sink -- using safe, simple cleansers and quick preventative measures as well as the most effective organic products on the market to get the job done.

Learn time-saving, preventative housekeeping, such as taking thirty seconds to clean the shower while you shower. Take care of bathroom stains with baking soda and vinegar rather than commercial, toxic bathroom "bombs" peddled to you with such force by manufacturers. Need whiter whites? There is no bleaching power on earth stronger than the sun. Snow clean your fine rugs. Choose fruits and vegetables from the relatively pesticide residue-free list. Clean felt-tipped pen stains with vodka. Make furniture shine with olive oil and lemon. Your house will also smell as great as it looks.

Customer Reviews:

This Book Is Awesome.......2007-08-22

I saw this book at a bookstore and rushed home to Amazon to get it. :) It is a great reference for housekeeping. I couldn't believe all the things you can do with random household products. Like baking soda... Awesome!

Fun to read, Great reference.......2007-08-03

In many ways, this is a good Organic Living 101 book. I received this book as a Christmas gift and wasn't sure what to think at first. I was pleasantly surprised. This book has not only been enjoyable to read but has become a valuable reference as well. Lately, whenever I've had a question regarding safe cleaning or home maintenance, I find the answer here - from concerns about ants to cleaning carpets to cleaning the shower. I've also found great advice and ideas for getting organized around the house. I appreciate the author's goal to spend LESS time cleaning - not more!

Down to Earth with REAL, EVERYDAY advice.......2007-07-07

This is the 1st time I have taken the time to write a review about any book. That should say something at least. This book has become my bible as I have bought and begun to renovate my first-ever home. While my mom is nagging about bleaching out the basement and hiring a pest control service, I am able to come back to Organic Housekeeping for advice that is in line with my morals. This book is NOT preachy. Instead, it offers practical advice for straight-to-the-point how to do ____ without poisioning your family (pets included!). Thank goodness for this book! I recommend it to everyone who has an interest in being green. :)

Well scrubbed book.......2007-05-13

This book includes a lot of common sense/tried and true methods for cleaning (and yes they do work) along with many new ideas I had not heard of before that are simple to carry out. I like that fact that the material is not toxic and will not set off my asthma like some of the store-bought items do.

Excellent Book.......2007-04-03

This book is full of excellent advice. I have been concerned about the products that I use for cleaning for a while and this book gave me a great one-stop resource to start doing something about it. The introduction on how to handle the mountain of stuff we tend to accumulate was a welcome bonus (buying a copy for my ex-wife just for that!).

Average customer rating:

Reviews on this page may be for another book

Avengers Assemble, Vol. 2
Kurt Busiek , Jerry Ordway , John Francis Moore , George Perez , Stewart Immonen , and Leonardo Manco
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0785117733

Book Description

The European country of Slorenia is dead. Every man, woman, and child eliminated with the cold precision of a machine. And out of the flaming remnants of this tiny Baltic state comes a message from its murderer: Mankind's days are numbered because Ultron has returned! He - or it - is one of the Avengers' oldest, most implacable foes, menacing humanity countless times. But never before has Ultron been this dangerous, this deadly. Now, he stands on the brink of committing global genocide, and rebuilding Earth in his own robotic images. Our only hope is a desperate U.N. strike on Slorenia, led by the Avengers themselves. But will it be in time? Will the strength and courage of Earth's Mightiest Heroes be enough in the face of such overwhelming evil? For the sake of the world, it will have to be! Plus: When you're an Avenger, you're one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes - the first line of defense against the dangers no conventional foe could halt, the threats no ordinary man could withstand. Threats including Dominex, Lord Templar, Pagan, and the Thunderbolts! Collects Avengers #12-22, #0 and Annual 1999.

Customer Reviews:

Reviews on this page may be for another book.......2005-04-04

It appears that Amazon.com has mistakenly listed Avengers Assemble Vol. 1 (http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0785115730) and Avengers Assemble Vol. 2 (http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0785117733) as the same product.

Avengers Assemble Vol. 1 reprints #1-11 and Annual 1998.

Avengers Assemble Vol. 2 reprints #12-22, #0, and Annual 1999.

Both books are primarily written by Kurt Busiek and primarily drawn by George Perez. The four-star review is directed toward the first volume, since I have not read the second. Based on other Avengers TPBs by this team, I would imagine it to be about the same quality: Quite good, but nothing exceptional.

The following should give you some idea of how this fits in to the Avengers timeline for any trade paperbacks you may already own for this time period:

Reprinted in Vol. 1:
Avengers: The Morgan Conquest (#1-4)
Avengers: Supreme Justice (#5-7) (also includes Iron Man #7, Captain America #8, and Quicksilver #10, which are not reprinted here)
Avengers: Clear and Present Danger (first half) (#8-11)

Occurs simultaneously with Vol. 1:
Avengers Legends Vol. 1: Avengers Forever (Avengers Forever #1-12) (starts between Avengers #9-10)

Reprinted in Vol. 2:
Avengers: Clear and Present Danger (second half) (#12-15)
Avengers: Ultron Unlimited (#19-22, 0)

After Vol. 2:
Avengers: Living Legends (#23-30)
Avengers/Thunderbolts Vol. #1: The Nefaria Protocols (#31-34 and Thunderbolts #42-44)
Avengers #35-40 (not reprinted(?))
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (#41-55)
Avengers Vol. 1: World Trust (by Geoff Johns) (#57-62)
(Other "numbered" trade paperbacks continue from here)
Avengers Disassembled (by Brian Michael Bendis)

(Nearly all other Avengers TPBs take place long before any of these books.)

As noted above, Kurt Busiek's Avengers issues are quite good, but a bit unspectacular. The notes contained at the end of Assemble Vol. 1 detailing his original plans for the book are fascinating, and the George Perez rough pencil pages and Kurt Busiek script pages (for "Avengers #1 or whatever it'll be" as Busiek's notes call it) are intriguing as well. If you already own the three trades or the 12 issues reprinted here, it probably won't be worh bying again, but it would be worth browsing through at your local brick-and-mortar bookstore (or library, if you're lucky enough to have them carry it).

Again, I cannot comment in any detail on Vol. 2, not having read it, but having read all of Busiek's other Avengers trades, it seems safe to say that it would receive four out of five stars as well.

For readers new to Busiek, I would recommend the Astro City trades, Marvels, or JLA/Avengers over these books to see what all of the fuss is about. Most of Busiek's works (including Avengers Assemble, but not including Astro City) draw from the rich history of the Marvel universe, and are best appreciated by someone familiar with it, although other readers should still find these works fairly enjoyable.

Average customer rating:

Graphic SF Reader
The New Avengers vs...Ninjas!
Revelations and resolutions; kind of
Not as good as the first two.
calling all spider-woman fans

New Avengers Vol. 3: Secrets and Lies
Brian Michael Bendis , David Finch , and Frank Cho
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0785119396

Book Description

The debut of the mysterious New Avenger everyone has been talking about all year! Who is Ronin and why has Captain America recruited him into the fold? Bet it has something to do with Hydra helping the Silver Samurai get out of the country after he broke out of prison. And what is Ronin's true identity? Here's a hint: He's not Daredevil! Plus: Spider-Woman's dark secrets revealed! Captain America catches her double-dealing the Avengers and corners her! How did Spider-Woman get her powers back and to whom does she answer? It's all here! Collects New Avengers #11-15 and Giant-Size Spider-Woman #1.

Customer Reviews:

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03

Here we have the quite silly Ronin subplot, a mysterious masked hero that none of them know about except for the boss. The Silver Samuria, ninjas, and other posturing silliness. The best part about this is the Spider-Woman spy saga. She cannot currently tell if she is a triple, quadruple, quintuple or whatever other sort of agent.

The New Avengers vs...Ninjas!.......2007-08-28

Pretty cool ninja fight in the first couple of issues, with some hints about the upcoming Skrull invasion of the Marvel Universe (look really close...). Who's working for who? Does it even matter once the shurikens start flying? The ninja action continues in New Avengers Vol. 6: Revolution! This is the Avengers like you've never seen them before, and that's going to turn some fans off of the series.

Revelations and resolutions; kind of.......2007-03-20

The third collected volume of Brian Michael Bendis' New Avengers is nowhere near as good or enjoyable as the first two volumes. In saying that, what we get here in Secrets & Lies isn't bad at all, it's just not as compelling as one would hope. Secrets & Lies starts off in familiar territory with the New Avengers taking on Hydra who is trying to free the Silver Samurai, and leads up to Captain America recruiting a mysterious new member named Ronin. As the TPB continues, Spider-Woman's secrets get revealed, as Cap learns the truth behind the return of her super powers, as well as just who she is working for. The entire synopsis that you just read is actually more interesting than the actual events taking place here in Secrets & Lies, because Bendis just doesn't seem to be that into the story himself. Ronin isn't that interesting of a character in my opinion, and the book focuses on too many single members (particularly Cap) than the group as a whole. David Finch's artwork is his usual great stuff, as is the work by Frank Cho which is featured here as well. All in all, Secrets & Lies isn't at all bad, but Bendis has done much better with the series, and this is his low point so far.

Not as good as the first two........2007-02-17

I liked the New Avengers and am a big fan of just about all of them, but I would recommend to stop buying after Book Two. The first one was the the best of the three of them, (then again aren't they always?) but after that the whole plot started to take a downward spiral. The whole plot with the Sentry was ok, but could have made more sense, but I just didn't get the direction this one took. Spider Woman, who I would like to picture as more of a 'tough cookie' character, was made into a dishonest Barbie girl and Wolverine as well was butchered. (Think slob.) Not much attention is given to the characters other than Captain America (as usual)and Spider Woman(great, when she finally gets publicity, it's negative...)

To sum it up, in my opinion, not the worth the money. Read it at a local book or comic store.

calling all spider-woman fans.......2007-01-08

bendis is always a reliable writer, and he does a good job with these stories that w/ another writer would've just been filler. the first three issues (#11-13) bring the team to japan where hydra and the hand are trying to use the silver samurai to join forces, but the ending is too abrupt and clearly leaves the situation open to future story arcs. we do have the plus of some great fight scenes, attention given to spider-woman, and the reappearance of a character that fans of the daredevil series will enjoy seeing back in action. the 8-page story from giant-size spider-woman #1 and issues #14 and 15 are more interesting, w/ the full story about how spider-woman got her powers back and who she's working for, the public debut of the new avengers, as well as some insight into where ms. marvel's headed. david finch's art is as good as ever, and frank cho's is worthwhile as well. not one for the ages, but a good read and it'll have you looking forward to vol. 4.

Average customer rating:

Graphic SF Reader
The art really sells this one.
Love it
It's The Price
Very good but, not great.!

JLA/Avengers: The Collector's Edition
Kurt Busiek , and George Perez
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1401202071

Customer Reviews:

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03

The Justice League and the Avengers in one of those inter company crossover things that everybody had wanted to see for a long time, it seems. Lots of chasing around the cosmos for very bits and pieces to ultimately stop a big bad guy from doing very bad things. There is also a question of power levels at work, here.

The art really sells this one........2007-06-07

A lifetime in the making, this was the dream project for George Perez - one of comics' giants. JLA/Avengers is bound to disappoint someone - Kurt Busiek is not my favorite writer and Perez is popular but still a polarizing artist. If the dialogue is often overwrought, it hits the nail on the head when the timelines start to shift and we start to see the different eras intersect like only a fanboy could dream of. Perez is known for giant spreads and this large format hardcover really lets that work shine. Not all of the pencils for the characters work (the She-Hulk's facial features in particular wash out noticeably) but taken as a whole, this is a must-have for die-hard fans of either/both teams. (It would however, be nice if Marvel & DC would put out an AFFORDABLE softcover trade now that they've made their money. It's cheaper to buy up the original miniseries than to get this edition!)

Love it.......2007-04-06

One of the first stories to get me buying comics properly, I was kin da casual before this story, this is so rich! And now to have it in deluxe edition, nice!! Now I have around 350 comics and graphic novels!!

It's The Price.......2006-12-24

This is a reason I have refused to return to comic collecting on any large basis. I have the softcover magazines of this (JLA/AVENGERS) series, but $75.00 for a hardcover? Someone at both companies has got to be freakin' kidding. Even if I were single, had plenty of disposable income, I wouldn't pay this much for a hardcover like this. Are Marvel and DC trying to PREVENT fans from buying collections? The recent ETERNALS hardcover from Marvel is also priced like this -- I can hear my wife now .. "You spent WHAT?" Hey, I loved the book, but not at $75.00!!

Very good but, not great.!.......2006-11-05

Wow! This was years in the making and I expected the heavens to move and mountains to crumble, and all I got was a pretty good category 2 hurricane. The art was top notch and the writing was very good but, I expected more from the plot. The characters for the most part were dead on but, the fight between Thor and Superman was bogus! Let me correct that. The fight was good but the outcome sucked! All in all a very good read and a beautiful book to own. Well worth the money.

Average customer rating:

Graphic SF Reader
Long buildup and rushed climax.
A Must Read
Bridging the House of M and Civil War
Great Action, Fun Read

New Avengers Vol. 4: The Collective
Brian Michael Bendis
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0785119868

Book Description

House of M changed the planet and now a new, major threat has emerged. Nothing can stop it!!! Nothing! The New Avengers are about to be put to the test in a way they never have before. Debuting the bombastic pencils of fan-favorite Mike Deodato. Guest-starring Ms. Marvel! Collects New Avengers #16-20.

Customer Reviews:

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03

Padded crudola.

Or, how to make 7 pages only take 10 seconds to read, or however fast you could turn the pages, anyway.

Many splash plages, blowing the crud out of Apha Flight as a throway to reintroduce a really stupid team, etc., etc. Absolutely enough to make you want to give this series the arse after similar episodes of padding previously.

Don't bother.

Long buildup and rushed climax........2007-07-06

Felt like this could have been an epic story arc if the story was paced more evenly. There is a long buildup of a few issues of "the Collective" heading somewhere and the heroes following. Then once they all get to where they are going, a whole bunch of pretty huge events happen within the last half of the last issue (sorry about the vague descriptions - trying to avoid spoilers). The epic battle and plot twists at the end could have (and probably should have) filled a couple issues in themselves. The last issue has a rushed feeling, like Bendis was trying to cram events in, and finish the story under the page limit.

Bendis' story has some cool ideas, but the execution could have been better. Storytelling is not quite as good as the previous New Avengers arcs. McNiven's artwork is always great, but I have never liked Deadato's pencils. They look to sloppy and sketchy, and lacking detail. And the setting and events of the climax in this arc really deserve a great artist.

A Must Read.......2007-05-12

If you are a superheroes fan and like The Avengers, then this comic is a must read. They have started a new team to continue the crime fighting of new super villians.

Bridging the House of M and Civil War.......2007-04-04

The Collective, the fourth collected volume in Brian Michael Bendis' run on New Avengers, bridges the fallout to come from the conclusion of House of M, with the catastrophic events to come in Civil War. Strange and bad things are happening across the globe, and the New Avengers are dispatched to try to fix everything. As far as the story goes, that's about it. It's sad to say that the longer the run goes for, the worse that this book has gotten. Bendis is an incredibly talented writer who has crafted masterful runs on Alias and Daredevil, but with the New Avengers, he's been quick to nearly drop the ball on many occasions. Not to mention that once again, the Sentry, who is basically the Marvel version of Superman and the most interesting character on the New Avengers roster, is basically ignored here. Bendis set up so much promise with the second collected volume which focused on the Sentry, and here it just flounders. Mike Deodato's excellent artwork saves the Collective from being a complete turkey though, and although every volume has been released in hardcover form, if there was ever a story that didn't deserve it, this may not be at the top of the lost, but it's pretty close though. There are a few hinting elements at what's to come in Civil War, so for completists this may be worth a look, but you won't regret passing it up all together.

Great Action, Fun Read.......2007-02-03

Brian Michael Bendis continues to spin out entertaining reads with his take on the Avengers. While characterization is a problem when using cornerstone characters, it is certainly fun to see all of our favorites working as a team.

I've been a Bendis fan for a while and I enjoy his interpretation of the Avengers, especially the banter. While it doesn't go overboard into the realm of flat-out comedy, there are times when I can't help but laugh at some of the snide remarks. My only complaint is the transition of artwork with the inclusion of Mike Deodato. He's a fine artist, don't get me wrong, but I'd gotten so accustomed to the previous beautiful renderings of this series that the drastic change in style with Deodato was a bit of a jolt.

The Collective is a logical follow-up to the House of M series as well as hints at Civil War, and it completely amuses, but again, this arc is not the stuff of character-driven plots. If you'd like to see Bendis at his finest with those sorts of stories, I recommend his masterful run on Daredevil.

I'm really enjoying The New Avengers and recommend the entire series thus far.

Average customer rating:

Pretty darn good!
Graphic SF Reader
Worthy Follow-up to Jenkins's "The Sentry" Mini-Series
who is the sentry
Great Creative Team

New Avengers Vol. 2: Sentry
Brian Michael Bendis , Steve McNiven , and Mark Morales
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0785116729

Book Description

The Avengers try to help the most powerful super-hero in the world figure out who he is and where he came from! But will this knowledge destroy the man they are trying to help? Collecting New Avengers #7-10 and New Avengers Most Wanted Files.

Customer Reviews:

Pretty darn good!.......2007-10-01

The New Avengers have their hands full. There are 44 escaped super-villains that need putting back in prison, and with their reduced resources it will be a real chore. But to make matters even more confusing, it seems that the central pivot of events is a mysterious super named the Sentry. Just who is the Sentry, and where did he come from?

Overall, I found this to be a pretty darn good book. I've been pretty disappointed with the recent Avengers graphic novels, but with this one, the Marvels seem to be hitting their stride. The storyline is quite interesting, and the illustration work is excellent - including the vintage-appearing flashbacks to earlier comics. I enjoyed this graphic novel and don't hesitate to recommend it!

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03

Coming out of the mini-series a while back, the Avengers have to work out what to do with the most powerful hero going, who is serious schizoid, and his own and everybody else's worst enemy.

So, of course they sign him up, after he helps keep them alive in the Breakout.

This does not mean he will not destroy the planet afterwards, but that is a risk they have to take, unfortunately.

Worthy Follow-up to Jenkins's "The Sentry" Mini-Series.......2007-08-27

This "New Avengers" trade paperback adds some interesting twists to the Sentry mythos and firmly entrenches the Sentry into the Marvel Universe. If you were a fan of Paul Jenkins's original Marvel Knights mini-series (The Sentry), then this book is necessary reading. It's less about the New Avengers than the Sentry, so if you're looking to see Wolverine or Iron Man in action, this one might not do it for you.

who is the sentry.......2007-06-19

a character, marvel has, absolutely, no idea of what to do with apparently! The sentry is this man with a "Superman style" of crime-fighting which maybe the reason he's not used often. Copyright laws, I'm sure. The Sentry is an interesting story yes but if it was a movie I would recommend you rent it.

Great Creative Team.......2007-06-14

This is the same Creative team behind Civil War. The art, as everyone points out is excellent, that's just what Steve McNiven does, he's phenomenal. The story is good, it involves a lot of characters outside of the New Avengers, most notably the X-Men's Emma Frost. The scenes with the Wrecker is essentially comic relief meant to break the more serious tension of the main story.

So why didn't I give it 5 stars? 2 reasons. The first is because it's short. Only 4 issues, and then they stick 'The Avengers Most Wanted' Case files in the back, which is a list of the 44 villains who escaped from the Raft in the first arc. If this went anywhere, it should have gone with the first volume of New Avengers, or better yet been packaged in as an add-on for a hard back that encompuses both volumes. It has no place here, and is really only here to justify the $15 Marvel is charging for it. It would be one thing if the pictures in the case files were new images by Finch and McNiven and co, but they're just recylced images from previous books, somewhat informative for new readers, but so many of these characters are F list, nobody should be reading about them in the first place. (The Brothers Grimm? The Slug? Mandrill? Armadillo?) Please.

The other thing I didn't like about it, and this is minor, is the cover. The image Amazon lists is not the cover for the paperback version, it's some random group shot by McNiven that really doesn't look that great. I would have much prefered the cover of New Avengers #10 to have graced this collection.

Average customer rating:

Graphic SF Reader
Great art, weak story
The definition of a superhero epic
A MILESTONE IN AVENGERS HISTORY
The best story line about one of the best teams in comics!!

Avengers: The Kree-Skrull War
Roy Thomas , and Neal Adams
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0785107452

Customer Reviews:

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03

The Avengers are caught in the middle of two warlike alien races that have been going at it a long time, the Kree, and the shapeshifting Skrulls. Captain Marvel is from the Kree race, so it was almost inevitable that he would become involved. This drags the Avengers in with him, as they realise the conflict could endanger their own planet, as well as others.

Great art, weak story.......2007-05-24

As a kid, I always recognized Neal Adams as "that good drawer." I was immediately drawn to the realism and dramatic flair of his artwork. He really shines in the story in which Ant-Man explores the Vision's inner workings, a la Fantastic Voyage. As good as he is, though, he's only slightly better than John Buscema. JB's work remains very underrated.

Roy Thomas' storytelling...well, it's hard to be kind. It's not just that it sounds dated (the dialog is atrocious), but it doesn't seem that he had a coherent story in mind. It just meanders along.

Get it if you're a fan of the Avengers and Adams and Buscema. Don't expect much from the story, though.

The definition of a superhero epic.......2007-05-11

Before every superhero was at each other's throat, and before the Avengers were disassembled, reassembled, and misassembled; legendary creators Roy Thomas and Neal Adams crafted one of the undoubtedly best stories in the Avengers mythos, and it is the very definition of a superhero epic. The Kree-Skrull War, which the fallout of still echos in Marvel comics to this very day, finds Earth in the crossfire of the interstellar war between the alien races of the Kree and the shape changing Skrulls. Defending the planet, and slowly finding public opinion going against them, are Earth's mightiest heroes, the Avengers. Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, the Vision, the Scarlet Witch, and more alongside Captain Mahr-Vel and Rick Jones among others are all here, and they all leave their mark. Though the dialogue may be dated by today's standards, the Kree-Skrull War is still fun to read today and is one of the best superhero stories ever written. Neal Adams' iconic artwork remains some of the best to ever grace these characters, and it's easy to see why he is still refered to today as being the best artist in the long running history of the Avengers comics. All in all, the Kree-Skrull War is possibly the most essential Avengers story, well, ever; and it deserves to be discovered by generation after generation.

A MILESTONE IN AVENGERS HISTORY.......2005-01-28

In the early 1970's there was perhaps no finer comicbook writer than Roy Thomas and no finer artist than Neal Adams. When the pair teamed up on a run of Avengers from #89 to #97, they created one of the most legendary stories in Avenger's history that continues to be powerful more than 30 years later.

At the start of the story we learn about the alien races of the Kree and Skrulls. The Kree are a paternalistic, arrogant race of highly advanced beings who jump-started the early men who would become the Inhumans and now consider Earth to be a threat to their dominance. The Skrulls are a race of shape-shifters who receive far less respect than the Kree, although they`re really no more evil. The two races hate one another, and each is now under the leadership of an usurper who urges war.

Earth finds itself in the wrong place caught in the middle between the two warring races. And the Avengers are taken to the Andromeda galaxy where they aid their ally, the Kree-born Captain Marvel. This ends up being a story well ahead of it's time. By the time the late 1980's and 90's came around these kind of multi-issue, cosmic reaching storylines were all the norm with thigs like Secret Wars, Infinty Gauntlet, and countless others, but this story took place back in 1971 and 1972. The run would display some classic Neal Adams Covers including #96 with the Vision pummelling an alien nearly to death.

While a bit dated today, particularly in regard to the overly dramatic speech of the characters, it nevertheless was a complex storyline that foreshadowed many storylines 20 years down the road and remains a classic.

The best story line about one of the best teams in comics!! .......2004-08-21

If the great cover of this book doesn't grab you, then the story will!

Roy Thomas, one of Marvel's best writers ever & arguably most famed for his superlative Conan series, produces the best story in the Avengers' long run, as they battle far from Earth in the Kree-Skrull war.

The Kree, first seen as would be invaders of Earth in Marvel's Captain Marvel (not Shazam's good Captain - lately - from DC)book are facing off against their bitter enemies the Skrull, from all the way back in # 2 of the Fantastic Four. I bought the latter when it first came out (yeah, OK, I'm really old!) and also bought the original run of Captain Marvel. Even at that age I recall being interested in the FF book, being intrigued to buy a book featuring such odd looking heros after getting into comics through DC's clean cut stars. Even at that age I recall wondering what had happened to the 4th Skrull after seeing the other 3 of their expeditionary force in the last panel of the FF's book. (I don't want to go on as I might give away some of the Avenger's story here).

Well, Roy uses this small slip on Stan Lee's/Jack Kirby's part as a way to springboard this story into sending the Avenger's across the galaxy to intervene in a war that threaten's our planet too, as well as clear their name as it is besmirched by a politician bent on office through dragging their reputation through the mud.

I can't recommend this book enough. Others may feel the more recent Avengers Forever mini series is the best Avengers story arc ever. My money's on this one!!! Buy it, you won't be disapointed!

Average customer rating:

Classic Marvel
A Good Premise
Not worth it
Good story idea, poor delivery
so so

Secret War (New Avengers)
Brian Michael Bendis , and Gabrielle Dell'Otto
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0785113312

Book Description

Starring Wolverine, Spider-Man, Daredevil, Captain America, Black Widow, Luke Cage and more! Brian Michael Bendis, the most popular and acclaimed writer in comics, reveals the darkest chapter in Marvel Universe history! When Nick Fury finds a disturbing connection between many of Marvel's deadliest villains, he puts together a ragtag team of the MU's most misunderstood heroes for a secret mission to do what the U.S. government could never allow, eventually leading to a super-powered blowout between a who's who of NYC heroes and mutants! Collects Secret War #1-5; From the Files of Nick Fury.

Customer Reviews:

Classic Marvel.......2007-08-05

This felt like an old school Marvel comic with a modern edge. I liked it a great deal.

A Good Premise.......2007-04-13

What could have been a great story, superheroes going undercover in a foreign land, ends up being poorly executed. The painted art is often dark and difficult to follow. The story is muddled by a non-linear narrative which doesn't flow through past to present, and requires a new character to come in and explain the whole plot to the characters and the readers. Not the worst thing I've ever read, but I couldn't recommend it, either. Go get David Mazzechelli's and Paul Aster's City of Glass, instead.

Not worth it.......2007-03-19

This book reprints the SECRET WAR 5 issue mini-series and the SECRET WAR: FROM THE FILES OF NICK FURY one shot. The story by Bendis is disappointing, particularly how the ending transpires. The (painted) art is by Gabriele Dell'Otto, which at the time the mini-series was being published was being hyped by Marvel as the next Alex Ross (that prediction didn't come to pass). While the art wasn't bad, it did not possess the take-your-breath-away impact the Alex Ross' work does. It also was an odd pairing with Bendis, whose work is more light-hearted in tone (Spidey has some one-liners in this book) while the painted art conveys a dark and moody tone.

What really is the downfall of this book is that HALF of this book is made up of chat logs, dossiers, etc. Again, HALF OF THE BOOK (I counted the pages - the story was 128 pages). While they do add to the story, this takes away from the enjoyment experience of the book immensely. A few pages I would understand, but when you cannot proceed to the next chapter of the story due to the voluminous pages of text material (which one cannot ignore if one hasn't read the book before), then it becomes a chore to go through the book.

At this price point, even with the online discounts, it simply is not worth it. Save your money.

Good story idea, poor delivery.......2007-03-09

This graphic novel had the story idea potential to be on par with V for Vendetta, but in the end the plot line was over about halfway through. The rest of the book was marginally interesting, but mostly useless information about the characters. The drawings were excellent though.

so so.......2007-02-25

It spent a lot of time looking for things in this book. The artwork makes it a little hard to identify characters. And the story jump around a little too much. And its resolved with another unknown super character. Still I bought it and kind of like it. Maybe its because I like the way they presented Fury.

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