Broken Frontier

Paranoia runs rampant as members of the Avengers wonder who they will trust after discovering a Skrull masquerading as Elektra.

Well, I must say this issue really got me thinking about every single member of this group upon the startling revelations last issue. I know it is almost two years in the making, but it finally looks like we can explain a mystery that dates back all the way to issue one. I can’t be happier about that, and now it’s time to sit back and let Mr. Bendis work his magic X-Files style.

The proceedings here begin with an interesting series of exchanges on the Rand Corporate jet, as our heroes begin to question the events revealed to them last issue. Of course the banter gets heated once the group begins to doubt the legitimacy of who is really a hero and who is actually a Skrull in disguise. To make matters worse, the jet loses power and hurtles towards the ground, and in the ensuing melee one member’s actions may prove to be a big betrayal when this is all said and done.

I was pleasantly surprised with the dialogue written by Bendis in this issue. Normally his scripts tend to be laden with excessive quips and witticisms, and often his writing can be become a tad self-indulgent. But I liked the fact that he pulled back a bit and actually wrote chunks of dialogue that was poignant while he pushed and prodded a plot that is very intriguing. The idea that anyone can be a Skrull is limitless, and I am assuming the mileage he will get out of this should propel the book for the next several months and perhaps even longer than that.

Of course it’s good to have a quality artist like Leinil Yu working on this series and he brings a unique style to this series. Nearly every panel is solid throughout and the pages showcasing the plane going down were laid out in a dynamic enough fashion for my tastes. It’s taken me a few issues to adjust to his style and so far I am enjoying the quality he brings to this title every issue.

The New Avengers for me as a title has been hit and miss since it’s inception a little over two years ago. I was never fond of the idea of how these Avengers reformed after the incident at the Raft, but now that this Skrull plot is unfolding I can see it making a bit more sense. So far this new arc has got me intrigued and we will see how far Bendis can take this idea, given how relevant it is post 9/11. So are we going to be returning to the McCarthy era paranoia of the 50’s, now that the Skrulls are walking among us? I guess only time will tell and I suggest keeping abreast of the situation by reading New Avengers for the scoop. Man, these New Avengers are cool again.