Chad Nevett looks back at the Bendis Avengers:
What eventually drew me in and won me over was his voice. This wasn’t the Avengers, this was his Avengers. There’s no mistaking the two. Some people hated that, but fuck ‘em. There are actually people who still say that Spider-Man and Wolverine and Luke Cage can’t be Avengers, because they aren’t Avengers, because they can’t be Avengers, dammit! It’s insane, of course. Go back to the beginning of the Avengers: Stan and Jack taking all of their heroes who weren’t Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four, basically, and putting them together. New Avengers was the purest remake of that concept since it happened. Anyone is an Avenger if they’re an Avenger. That’s the great thing about the team, especially under Bendis. It was the entire superhero community coming together to fight the good fight and not worry that this guy is a mutant with claws and that guy used to wear a tiara and that they have two Spider-People on the team at the same time…! All Captain America needs to know is that you’re willing to fight for what’s right. A pretty simple concept and, yet, so many people didn’t seem to get it. I’m glad that Bendis did and made it the underpinning of his eight years on these books.
I love it when smart people can explain the appeal of things that I don’t get in such a way that I wish I did. Go read the entire piece; it’s well worth your time.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:42 pm
I get why people would be against Wolverine and Spider-man (they’re preferable as solo acts), but Luke Cage? He was basically nowhere before Avengers. Well, he came back through Alias, but Avengers when he had a big comeback.
Luke Cage has made for a wonderful Avenger, and Who wouldn’t want Spider-man and Wolverine on their team?
I get it, it’s because they sell, but they also have great power sets.
December 4th, 2012 at 11:12 pm
So it’s good because it annoyed fanboys, and gave Chad someone to point at and laugh?
That’s a really sad reason to like a comic.
December 5th, 2012 at 12:13 am
Anyone is an Avenger if they’re an Avenger.
December 5th, 2012 at 2:14 am
Sales success, but not for me. Completely soured me on Avengers, much the same way post-Claremont X-Men crashed.
Looking forward to Hickman’s Avengers & New Avengers.
December 5th, 2012 at 7:55 am
Hey Dan Coyle! I’m relatively certain that’s not the point of Chad’s blog post at all, but it’s truly fascinating that that’s your read on it.
December 5th, 2012 at 1:28 pm
RF: Maybe I’m being a bit harsh, but the only other reasoning it seems he liked the run is because he liked Bendis already. Which is fine, but he was the biggest water carrier online for it and I’d like to think he had deeper reasons for putting up with it than THAT. I found Bendis’ run so cynical, nihilistic, and depressing, when it wasn’t outright incompetent, so maybe I should be appreciative that someone got something out of it.
December 5th, 2012 at 1:38 pm
Get ready to be even MORE appreciative, Dan, because I liked it too!
And while I understand that you require a more elaborate defense for these comics you clearly hate so much, I’m not sure it’s his job (or aim) to do that in this little blog post. The fact that you jumped to the “point and laugh” explanation strikes me as far more cynical than anything contained in the pages of Avengers, but perhaps I’m unaware of such bully-like behavior Mr. Nevett has displayed in the past.
December 5th, 2012 at 6:17 pm
“And while I understand that you require a more elaborate defense for these comics you clearly hate so much, I’m not sure it’s his job (or aim) to do that in this little blog post.”
Actually, it is. Nevett was making an argument. He explicitly framed his post as, “Everyone who doesn’t like Bendis’ Avengers can suck it, because they’re wrong.” The burden of proof is upon him to make his case. Otherwise, it’s a worthless post. It’s like replying to a debate thread by saying, “Nuh-uh!” As soon as you put stuff like that out there for public consumption, you must expect to be judged for it, just as you have judged Dan Coyle for his rebuttals in this thread, and just as you’re going to judge me for my own expressed opinions here. It works both ways. You don’t get to criticize others for their replies while simultaneously declaring the online posts that you like to be exempt from such criticism. Because that’s both hypocritical and just plain stupid.
December 10th, 2012 at 6:09 pm
I read and enjoyed what I did purchase of the Bendis period; it wasn’t everything but it kept me returning to my second overall fave book since the ’60′s to check in on what’s what. More importantly I’m enjoying the “All New” X-Men at the mo’.