New Avengers #49

I enjoyed last issue. I'm curious to see how this one goes.

So is this the first $3.99 regular 32 page issue?

Weird Marvel's website shows it as 2.99 and 3.99

http://marvel.com/catalog/?id=10764

It's 32 pages at $3.99.  That's new price, better get used to it.

@LiquidSnake: hmmm idk why they did that

ugh this sucks paying that price for that... but i love it so much!

can't wait to see luke cage team up with the devil

a bit expansive for NA, but whatever. If it's as good as it used to be...and stays that way.

It's hard to get used to this price for an ongoing book of regular length.

im definally going to pick up and cant wait til 50 epic battle

Well, Dark Avengers was solicited @ $3.99 w/32 pages, but shipped with a much higher story page count.  Here's hoping they do the same with this book.  If not, I'll grab it in trade.

luke should use that cover for his modeling portfolio

This is probably one of the favourites for my POTW.

Ya know, if this is too heavy on Cage, Sentry and Ares, I don't think I care.  I wanna read about Cap'n'Crew.

*puts on snarky hat*
marvel, you don't seem to understand the concept behind the word "anniversary".
(I'm the same douchey way whenever a friend of mine says they & their significant other are celebrating a "__ month anniversary") if you want to have a word represent what you meant, call it a 50 issue-versary, or wait until the year 2054.
*removes snarky hat*
weeeee! new avengers!!

honestly for four bucks an issue its better to wait 4 months for the trade

Cage isn't on the Dark Avengers team so I wonder what Osborn has in store for him.

I think when the Doc Strange story starts I'm dropping this book or switching to trades. I just don't like how Bendis writes Strange and the 3.99 price doesn't help.

I really enjoyed Secret Invasion (I know, I know...) but the new Dark Status Quo is brilliant. Shame about the Billy Tan artwork.

I'm loving what Bendis is doing with Luke in this story. Damn Bendis needs to write the Luke Cage movie or at least be a consultant on it.

Yeah, Bendis has single-handedly turned Luke (and Danny, to a lesser degree) into one of my favorite Marvel characters. It's not hard, I guess, since most everyone in the Marvel U has a heart of gold, but Cage has that Peter Parker type of "does the right thing so often that you can't root against him" vibe coupled with an infuriatingly stubborn and prideful side. Both of those things look to make this issue (or arc) pretty interesting. 

what a step down for luke cage though. he goes from leading the avengers to selling his soul to the devil to find his kid.  though where can that kid be......i got it. doc doom has her

I hope he gets his kid back in this issue and then the rest of the new avengers get him out of registration

I hope he starts rockin the tiara again in this issue.

I still need a little more proof but... I think I'm starting to like The Sentry.

i LOVE the Sentry.... 

I've been indifferent to the Sentry, but if he is getting close to Osborn just to take him down I will officially like him.

@Andrew  I'm also hoping for that, or for something equally crazy

Been a fan of the Sentry since Day 1 (I like the odd ones).  This set up with Dark Reign should be interesting.

I'm looking forward to this book; apparently issue #50 will be awesome.  Looking forward to seeing what will happen, there's a lot of different stuff going on in this book.

I thought they were gonna go with this Jarvis thing a little longer but they wrapped all that up quick. Anyways next month should be great.

Haha, Cage with the Wrecker's crowbar might beef up his power level enough to make the Sentry cry in the next issue.

The last issue was great. I'm so glad New Avengers is back.

Sentry and Ares aren't really in this book other than on a television background. 

I liked this minus the last few pages. How many Bendis books of late have ended with Clint Barton being really pissed off and turning to the reader to state as much? 

@brainmaru

 I'll give you that, but I really think Bendis is back now that SI is over.  I think he's going to do right by Clint Barton in the next issue.

Hrmm. While this was a great Luke Cage issue, I found it more or less predictable and more than a little boring. I love Luke Cage. Partly because of what Bendis has done for him. But at $3.99 and the clear notion that this is going to be Clint Barton and his Amazing Friends, I may be dropping this book. No disrespect to Hawkeye, or Hakeye fans, but I'm a bit tired of his constantly showing up in major events as a "power player." (House of M, I'm looking at you!)

I mean, the only time GA saved the multiverse was when he Shot Hal in Zero Hour. ;-) 

NA gets one more shot before I decide to drop it. 

Also, would it be that hard for Bendis to come up with a title for the issue? That really irks me with current Marvel comics, where titles are being doneaway with because they can post the creator information to the "summary page."

excellent

Great issue, but it was 22 pages of story.  Is $3.99 really going to be the new price point for New Avengers?  'Cause that's just depressing.

People keep saying they're trade waiting to save money.  Although they'll save money, the trade definitely won't be at the normal trade price.  If the price to produce books goes up, its not just in the floppy area.  It'll be very soon that we see a price increase in trades as well.

I just don't know what to think. I liked this issue story wise-there's not question that when Bendis is on, New Avengers can really hum along. But I just couldn't get the price out of my head. I get a discount from my LCS, but still. I kept thinking to myself as I read..."Is this really $4 worth of entertainment?" This 3-$4 bump really has me reconsidering. I just don't know what to do right now.

Agreed that $4 feels steep (actually more with tax).  With that aside, this issue was a fun read and a lot more enjoyable than I expected.  An all-around solid comic, and I thought the use of the Wrecker's crowbar was a nice touch (and that Bendis did a great job introducing it).

@ rwpos: You're paying taxes on comics?  Why?

@akamu: Sales tax - it wasn't MY idea, but if I want to buy comcis at an LCS (vs on-line) then that's just the way it is.

Comics don't have taxes on them

Is it just me or does it seem like with the new price increase they've been doing more pages consisting entirely of art. Example: The Bullseye page.

 Meh, anyways I loved this issue and it was almost my potw. It probably will be with issue 50. Welcome back Brian.

@anson

You're right the trade will be higher, but it will still be 30% off at in stock trades which is still a healthy amount of savings in the end.

On another note, I am just happy I could finally read a mainstream marvel book without feeling like I needed to go to group therapy for depression.

Ever since Avengers Disassembled it seems like there was an editorial mandate that for every good thing that happened to a character they had to have 5 bad things happen. I was just glad I could finish a mainstream book, well, glad.

Holy Crap!

They actually wrapped up a plot thread quickly and concisely.

How refreshing.

Only 22 pages and its 3.99? Well if Marvel needs to sell it at that price thats fine. I just hope its not that they want it at that price.

Argh. Between this and Mighty I'm officially sucked back into the Avengers. Still on the fence on Dark, but if I get to see someone beat the crap out of Venom and/or Bullseye every month I'm down for it.

I really liked this issue.  They coved both things i was wondering about.   Now i have an avengers book almost every week.  SWWEEEEEETT

Alright story with a GREAT setup for the big brawl.

my only problem with the issue is that venom was in spider-man form. i'm sure cage would notice that mac's doing a full on spidey impersonation ('cept when he's about to eat people, which i'll admit, the transformation into 'i wanna eat your brains' mode is cool)? just a slight nitpick though;
and i have no problem with barton having the kickass lines at the end of a few issues, bendis is setting him up for great things. i like new cap on the team, but it seems a bit off with him there to me, so i don't think he'll be there forever. and then the avengers will need a leader, cage will be too preoccupied with child rearing, so maybe a man in purple will step up to the position.

So Luke Cage is a scumbag.  But Clint Barton is mad pissed.  He is going to destroy Bullseye.  I need to see Spider-man smack the crap outta the iron patriot.