"Breakout" New Avengers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (2005)
(2005/05/01)

Reader Rating: Below Average; Thunderbolt Interest: Low

Summary: Electro is hired to engineer a breakout at the super-villain holding facility known as the Raft. Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Luke Cage and Daredevil show up to tackle the bad guys, with help from the mysterious Sentry. Cap takes this as a sign, and most of the heroes (Daredevil declines) agree to join a new team of Avengers.

The trail for the breakout's mastermind leads to the Savage Land, where the New Avengers battle Sauron and a renegade band of SHIELD agents led by the new Black Widow. They meet up with Wolverine, who also agrees to join the team.

Significant appearances from Carnage, The Crusader, Cutthroat, Foolkiller, Mr. Hyde, Hydro-Man and the Purple Man.

Continuity: The Avengers are back in action, and that's bound to have an affect on the Thunderbolts. Zemo pops Killgrave out of prison shortly after this misadventure.

Comments: A dark, slow slog. Author Brian Michael Bendis writes some snappy patter, but he also offers panel after panel of awkward exposition, and in all of those words he can't be bothered to establish backstory for, or even identify, several key characters. Artist David Finch manages to make these heroic and handsome characters butt-ugly, and I guess that's appropriate for the unpleasant goings-on.

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This page was revised on September 25, 2005