Dark Avengers Issue 4

How could a super criminal - they actually call them that, you know, in Marvel land - end up helming one of the world's foremost domestic and foreign intelligence agencies? How, how, how?

Well, the how's aren't answered and probably never will be (suspension of disbelief, anyone?), but issue 4 starts showing a little bit more of that Bendis magic. Maybe, just maybe, the whole ridiculousness of this Dark Avengers run might have some excellent moments:

• We have Doom, eyes aglow, rebuilding his Kingdom brick by brick, and he is - umm - mad at Tony Stark and Nick Fury. Real mad.
• The Sentry finally shows some of that Hulk-like dangerousness. He's like a crocodile - he doesn't move very often, but when he does, you're missing an arm.
• Norman Osborn suddenly looking even more like Tony Stark - wide eyed and feeble, swept up by that elusive thing called public opinion.

Problem 1: What's really not that interesting about this whole thing is the escapades. How many damn teams have their own jets? What the Informant wants to see more of is the Norman Osborn personality quirks, the unhinged moments when he runs some nobody through with a sword.

Problem 2: Sort of getting tired of the magic. But this problem is just a sub-layer of Problem 1. It seems like just seeing Norman in a Hellicarrier, or at a desk in Avengers Tower, or in a cabinet meeting with the president, or anything not all action-packed would be preferable.

Where it works: The Sentry, believe it or not.

Buy it: Yes, until further notice.