Big 60th issue. Think they’re gonna kill Luke Cage to celebrate? Seems unlikely! Cool coloring choice to focus on Jessica that way on the cover. Luke is feeling good and wanting to see Danielle, but informed that she’s with Jessica’s mom. Then Dr. Strange comes over and wants to check him out for any tampering from Osborn. Didn’t let that one ride too long, page one! Also, Ben Grimm and Misty Knight just left, I guess? They’re the only ones from the Luke Cage Rescue Squad not here.
It’s interesting to me how Bendis loves “I know who this is/I know what to do/etc.” as a cliffhanger or page turn. It’s just very Bendis. Well, the Dark Avengers are flying back across the country, Osborn fuming at how easily he was played, when the Hood calls him. They argue about whether the Hood has met his obligations to Osborn (How could anyone think he has?) and whether Osborn has turned his back on him for Harrow (Why wouldn’t he?), but it’s unresolved before… this…
So, after Secret Invasion, Mighty Avengers kept going as this weird sort of also-ran title where nothing that happened in it ever got referenced anywhere else until now, a full year later. Hank had some kind of nervous breakdown after Janet’s death (“death”) and became the Wasp, put together his own Avengers team, did a series of incredibly stupid things, and made me realize this Dan Slott guy I’d heard so much good about was maybe not for me. Remember, I was not reading ASM, all I had to go by was Hank breaking into the Baxter Building for no reason and calling Reed Richards a bitch, I had seen enough. Anyway, here he is, the worrisome Wasp. The gag with him forgetting to turn on his broadcast thingie there is more entertaining than the entire run of Slott’s Avengers put together. The New Avengers arrive as Hank is preparing to shrink Doc Strange down to ant size.
During the sprawling Kree/Skrull War storyline in the 60s that is, like, Bendis’ ultimate Marvel touchstone event, Ant-Man had to shrink down and travel within the Vision on a mission of life and death. Illustrated with the usual flare by Neal Adams, it was one of the most memorable moments in Avengers history, and certainly the coolest thing Ant-Man had ever done. It left an impression. So… we’re kinda doing that. Elsewhere, Osborn has been refusing to communicate with Victoria Hand the whole way home, but has finally gotten around to it, and is informed they have a signal from Luke coming from Long Island. He tells her to have Jonas Harrow “start the cycle,” and she doesn’t know what that means, and he doesn’t explain.
Pretty funny. I guess that’s the house Harry & Liz used to live in, in the bad old days? Boom. The good guys are all celebrating in Bucky’s place (How has Osborn not found it yet?), and then Jessica’s mom brings Danielle over and all the hero types give the family some space. The mom says Cage owes Danielle a normal life, and he agrees. Meanwhile, on the HAMMER helicarrier, all the dumb villains are gathered, discussing whether this Osborn deal will work, and Harrow walks in. They’re surprised to see him, he’s surprised to see them.
The Hood has a lot of nerve calling basically anyone a “loser idiot.”
SIEGE. Everything’s building to Siege. We’re almost there. Just a couple pitstops first…