On the Earth 603 podcast, the guys routinely praise Marvel's New Avengers, so that's exactly what I picked up at the comic book store this weekend. Which brings me to another old friend, The Million Year Picnic in Cambridge, MA. Back in the day (yes, I really did just use that phrase), I visited MYP on a regular basis to get my fix. And in some ways it hasn't changed much, except for the fact that they've downsized a bit. They used to occupy two spaces directly across from each other-- one had the new comics, and the other housed all the back issues. So space is a bit more cramped now that they've had to give up the back issue room and put everything in one place. But they still have an amazing selection and the place sort of feels like it always did, which is a good thing.
So...I'm in Million Year Picnic, and there's New Avengers. I grab issues 15 and 16. Flipping through, I'm immediately impressed with the art and the writing. This is a seriously sophisticated book. Nothing like the Avengers I read in the 80s. In fact, after taking these home and reading them fully, they are complex enough that I can't fully wrap my head around what's going on...but that's okay. This is really interesting. Jonathan Hickman's writing is thought-provoking and mature. This is epic stuff. I am sucked in!
