When it comes to single-issue comic reads, the more bang for the buck the better, which is why The New Avengers is on my pull list. We’re three issues deep, yet each issue gives you far more action, scenes, and character work than most superhero comics these days. All that, and the entire lineup of this team hasn’t even appeared yet. One more is added to the folder in The New Avengers #3, which offers up two major fights and a team barely able to work together.
The New Avengers #3 opens on a quiet foothill of West Virginia. In the shadows, we see Hulk, and by the end of the first page, the New Avengers are pulling off their latest mission. It’s a heist to enter Hulk’s mind! It’s a quick two-page infiltration, but characters like Black Widow, Namor, and Wolverine all get to play a part.
Once inside the mind, writer Sam Humphries continues to show he’s packing a lot into this, with two characters entering and only minutes until Hulk wakes up again. How they’re in their mind is thanks to Clea, and there’s a good mix of teamwork here involving guns, claws, and magic.
Thanks to the power of teleportation, the story smash-cuts to an entirely new location and a new target. Sure, there’s a coincidence as to why Carnage is there, but it leads to an almost immediate confrontation with one of the Killuminati. While the battle rages, there’s a nice check-in with Clea that will surely lead to something next issue, and plenty of banter between the characters.
What a punch!
Humphries adds good bits of one-liners and fun dialogue throughout. It helps that this team isn’t cohesive yet, but they’re all dangerous on their own. One can see that once they can work together, they’ll be even more formidable, though it’s nice to see the team earning any bonds they build in the series.
Art by Ton Lima and colors by Rain Beredo are the right amount of detail you want in a superhero comic. Lima leans into the meaty face of Hulk when he gets punched by Namor, and a striking attack by Wolverine on Hulk is a showstopper. There’s also a wicked full-page splash of Carnage you won’t want to miss. There tends to be a lot of dialogue, but Lima keeps you invested even with five or more characters in a single panel. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lima is drawing a Marvel event in three or four years.
The New Avengers #3 is a high-value, action-packed issue that continues to prove why this series is a must-read. With sharp writing, memorable art, and a team dynamic that’s slowly but surely developing, Sam Humphries and Ton Lima deliver a superhero comic that’s firing on all cylinders, even if a few plot conveniences make you raise an eyebrow.
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