Avengers #11: Bored Meeting

A bit of a slow issue that is also surprisingly eventful. Unfortunately most of these events take place just off camera. The Squadron Supreme has had a successful test run against Namor’s Defenders of the Deep in Alaska and we get one measly panel, Coulson interrogates what he believes to be a mole and we never find out who– the answers are just out of reach across the board. Should this turn be tantalizing or infuriating?

Although i didn’t dislike this issue, with the exception of T’challa and Ursa Major’s further falling out, nothing really sticks with me in what has otherwise been a decent story. One thought is with Marvel doing five-issue trades this will be the first issue in a new trade paperback and as such needs to be recap and setup heavy. It is an unfortunate side effect of the era we live in.

I didn’t find the meet and greet of various global heroes with T’challa too exciting as it just seemed like a vehicle to facilitate further conflict with the Russian Winter Guard, who they fought last issue. Most of the characters were just caricatures of themselves or foils for jokes that I wasn’t super amused by.

What I did find funny was Thor and Jen Walters’ date in the Savage Land, Jen is having a crap time and starts to wonder if it’s her Thor likes, or She Hulk. Thor assures her that he’s into the woman beneath the monster, but it’s the monster he ends up kissing.

The art by Ed Mcguiness et al (there’s like a half dozen people credited for inks, “finishes” and did Cory Smith write or draw this issue? Nice credits page, Marvel) is much better than in the first arc I feel, I didn’t like the cartoony quality Mcguiness had earlier in the series much although it seems toned down a bit here. Not to mention Ursa Major looked amazing!