Jan-ken-pon – Dark Avengers #3 review

I tend to avoid focusing on the Sentry as much as possible, but since Bendis begins the issue explaining to readers how Osborn was able to gain the Sentry’s loyalty, it‘s somewhat relevant. One cannot question or overstate the importance of the recruitment of the Sentry, as Osborn knows just like Stark knew that the Sentry is to dangerous to be taken into consideration, and a priority one at that. He’s simply too powerful to not acknowledge. Osborn didn’t need any of the former Avengers on his side (as he showed – Ares was simply icing) except Sentry. I’m rather open about my dislike of the character, and I think that Marvel is extremely lucky that Bendis seems to have taken an interest in him– and it’s a good thing as that interest alone almost substantiates the continued existence of the character. Almost. My opinion is not anything remotely unique regarding this character, but it is the character – since his inception – has constantly been exactly what we see in this issue. Something that writers have to baby and work around. Osborn essentially waves his hand, “These aren’t the voids you are looking for”, and then takes the kid out for hamburgers. Sentry is capable of moments of brilliance. When Bendis started New Avengers in ‘04 we were introduced to the Avenger’s Superman, leaving self-imposed imprisonment to kill ‘90’s stupidity in the form of Carnage in epic fashion. Even as recent as the previous issue in this very title, we saw Sentry tearing heads. In the very same issue, we see him ‘it’s magiced’ right out of the game. Not because we want him to be neutralized, but because he HAS to be, for someone to tell even the most reasonable of stories involving a battle. Bendis spun it incredibly well – he used it to show us the gravity of a confrontation with Morgana, but it isn’t lost on readers that these things are those he has to do to have Sentry in his book– he can’t not be a Dark Avenger, or else Dark Reign would be short indeed. The scene in question in this issue is nicely done, both in regards to dialogue and the art – Deodato sells us the childlike look perfectly – but I can never shake the thought that even though the scene could be a poignant moment, it seems one that we are forced to relive some version of over and over. While it has storytelling sense behind it, it’s not very fun to read, even if you keep topping yourself in the execution of it.

The rest of the issue continues the confrontation with Morgana and her handling of these Avengers. This fight is absolutely beautifully rendered, and with Ares standing in the scene it almost feels like I’m reading one of those beautiful Conan books from the ‘70’s. In an odd occurrence, my former years of NWN MMORPG experience came into play as we see illustrated here what all gamers know: high level arcane user pwn melee in numbers— and do so emphatically and absolutely. Osborn realizes he needs Doom to salvage the situation, but before we get to that point we see a decision by Osborn that once again gives us some insight into his train-of-thought, and in this case in battle conditions. He does not throw away even expendable assets, and declines standard reinforcement. That said, a part of me wonders how bad Osborn wanted access to the technology that he and Doom utilize to eventually confront Morgana, and if he has motivations beyond stopping the routing of his team. Perhaps it is as offered here, but a part of me is always looking for when Osborn’s angle is going to appear. Will be ‘crazy’ enough to cross Doom, and the ramifications of that, as it concerns the Cabal (especially when we don’t know the extent of the Sentry’s injury). Essentially, Doom’s armor (through his permission), has been accessed by Osborn – no small boon for somebody in Osborn’s position – and are able to use a time cube to attack Morgana in her own time.

There is a danger anytime you use time travel or a high volume of magic. There are usually questions related to shortcuts and of convenience. Convenience is an element that you simply aren’t going to get too far way from in comics as a whole. The real goal is to avoid contrivance. Was this contrived? The answer is no. Osborn uses a resource that was available to him: Doom. Who else would not only know how to deal with Morgana, but have a path cleared to do so ready to be executed? He knew an immobile Doom was the best hope for whatever his goal(s) were. We can focus on the hocus pocus and time cubes, but it is within Doom where we find answers, and simply put, this should not be a hard sale to any Marvel fan.

More than anything, we should remember what an experiment this title is. It’s been underplayed in talk I’ve heard regarding the series as a whole, but a Brian Bendis Avengers title is not the same as forming a surprise hit with the Thunderbolts. To assert or think that this has been done before at this level of profile is the most bumbling of fallacies. As a reader, when you reach a point where you don’t even think twice that it is Bullseye letting arrows loose, that it is not Ms. Marvel standing back-to-back with Ares, and that you are just reading another high octane Marvel team book, it should not only cause us to look and appreciate the efficacy of the creative team, but also our own culpability.

Comic books that give us answers are terrific. Those that ask us their own deserve proper acknowledgment.

Accept change?

    
- Jay Tomio

_{Jan-ken-pon is the time traveling, force-walking, multiverse crossing column of Jay Tomio, owner of 1/3 of everything you see currently on screen, and the editor of Heliotrope. Some call him the Bodhisattva.}