If you haven’t figured it out yet that Hickman is going for a slow burn with this ‘New Avengers’ run then you’ll know it by this issue. What makes it ironic though is that Hickman advances the plot very quickly even though very little gets done. It makes up for one frustrating read because it makes me torn on how I feel about this series in only three issues. On one hand, I am really intrigued on what Hickman is setting up here. On the other hand, I just find myself be slightly bored by it all.

Like I said earlier, a lot happens here and in one instance it is Earth shattering for the Marvel Universe. Without spoiling it the moment I am referring to really did shock me and it was the highlight of the issue. Everything that happens around it though was so mind-numbingly boring! I don’t know why I felt like this because, as you all know, I am a huge fan of Hickman. Everything about this though just couldn’t hold my interest for whatever reason. What didn’t help was the two pages at the very end where it’s a 4×4 grid layout. Which makes me think Hickman didn’t realize he had almost ran out of room and had to squeeze the rest of the issue.

At this point when it comes to Steve Epting you know what you’re going to get with him. He’s a fantastic artist but because he’s so solid it is very hard to come up with different things to discuss. Oh but there is one thing to talk about and that is the HORRIBLE design of Beast. Ever since Morrison had him mutate all those years ago in ‘New X-Men’, artists have had a terrible time making him look consistent. I can see that Epting was going for a ‘Jack Kirby’ approach with the design, especially when you see the chin. But he looks like something out of a Hellboy design and it was so distracting to look at it doesn’t make me confident if Beast is going to stay on this series.

It never is a good sign that with only three issues in you start to feel bored. I never thought I would say that when it comes to anything done by Jonathan Hickman and Steve Epting but it’s true. While a major event occurs in these pages the build up to it didn’t hold my interest. I’m not willing to give up quite yet though because like Hickman’s flagship ‘Avengers’ book, it might take a bit longer to fully appreciate this series. Let’s hope it comes much sooner though.