We’re a Family: A Look at New Avengers #15

Title: The New Avengers #15

Author: Brian Bendis

Artist: Mike Deodato Jr.

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Rating: T

Release date: August 10, 2011

Verdict: 9/10

Brian Bendis is Marvel’s go to guy. Marvel has cultivated other like Mark Millar, Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction, and I would consider all of those chaps as go-to-guy’s, but Bendis is the big kid on the playground. This is why Bendis usually is the one writing the big crossovers (ex. Secret War, House of M, Secret Invasion, & Siege); but when he’s not (ex. Civil War, Fear Itself), he’s usually doing books that are almost as good as the main crossover series. A perfect example of this is his current storyarcs going through the Avengers series.

Currently, each issue is done in an interview style wherein the characters from the team are being talked to by an “off screen” interviewer and the character being featured goes into what it was like during this whole event. This style makes it seem like all these “interviews” are being held post-Fear Itself, so the whole time I’m looking for the characters who aren’t contributing to the interviews. All I ask myself is, “Who is still alive?”. This is a great way for Bendis to explore the core of what is going on and the feelings of those who are participating in everything.

It’s a great way to gain insight into these people as well. Bendis has always excelled at looking at the true character of these heroes. It’s not about them being muscle-bound gods who smash things and save the day, but never have any faults. It’s about their fears; their hopes; them falling in love; them not trusting everyone or anyone sometimes. It’s about the people, and not the events so much, and when Bendis gets to explore that side of things, like he did in Civil War, it’s Brian Michael Bendis at his most interesting.

This issue, New Avengers #15, does just this; and it features one of the quirkiest Avengers in the roster; the amazing Squirrel Girl. I know…it sounds ridiculous, but as Squirrel Girl, formerly of the Great Lakes Avengers, is the in-house caregiver for the daughter of Luke Cage and Jessica Jones, and she resides in Avengers mansion, her perspective is actually quite interesting. Technically she’s just the nanny and not an actual Avenger, but as everyone on the “New Avengers”, aka Luke Cage’s team, is kind of a family, she doesn’t get left out. This issue showed where she was and what she was doing when the “Bliztkrieg, USA” started in Fear Itself, and it showed the beginngings of what was going to happen to the mansion during the whole ordeal.

After reading this issue, I came away with it with nothing but respect for Squirrel Girl. Sure she has goofy powers and an odd costume, but what really matters about her isn’t that crap. It’s what makes her tick and the kind of person she truly is that makes this comic a great read.

So what did you guys think of this issue? A waste of time with a ridiculous character, or a nice character piece that expanded on the theme of family that pervades Bendis’ Avengers books? I think it’s more the latter, but sound off in our comments section and let us kow what you think. Yours is the only opinion that truly matters J .