New Avengers #35

Writer: Brian Bendis
Artist: Leinil Yu

Marvel Comics

Disclaimer: the ultra-cool bad-ass alien Venom Symbiote Wolverine figure from the cover does NOT appear in the actual issue. Please kindly wait four months until Mighty Avengers catches up on the shedule.

What does happen in this issue?

The Hood finally makes his bid for the control of the NY crime underground, getting all the super-baddies together and unveiling his grand plan. Bendis has thought things through here, presenting something as preposterous as Hood becoming the new Kingpin as actually realistic. Leinil Yu impresses with his camera-action and sense of space, moving around the table following the Hood as he speaks to the gathered super-villains.

My complaints source from the shortcuts he takes to achieve it, namely using Tigra as the Hood's punching bag to up his bad-@$$ness ratings. Sure, he could beat this former Avenger, but would she really be so helpless that she wouldn't land a single claw on him; then, would a trained and tested Avenger really whimper weakly like that, and practically beg for her life?

Pathetic.

Just when I was this close to saying a good word about the disastrous New Avengers line. Better luck next month.

5/10