I am firmly in the “I like the Bendis Avengers” camp. The amount of critical scrutiny that accompanies ever issue of this series and New Avengers is sometimes daunting. Some people hate the talking heads . . . but they keep buying it. Some seem to think it’s too silly. Most recently, people have accused Bendis of ripping off Back to the Future. All of these criticisms are, of course, valid. We all have specific tastes, and no one says we have to like a book.

Having said all that, I really don’t understand how anyone who has given this book a try would not be having a vlast reading it. This issue finds the Avengers battling Apocalypse, as Time itself twists and crumbles around them. Bendis brings the actiojn here and John Romita Jr. delivers on the visual goods.

 JRJr is a living legend. Whether or not his work on this title is his best seems like a quibble to me. The storytelling and page layout are all there, and his work imbues these characters with an iconic presence. Mix in sharp dialougue and KANG(!), and you have a fun Avengers book that reminiscent of the 80’s Avengers back issues I’ve been digging up recently. These are enjoyable super hero stories with high stakes and wonderful characterization.