There hasn't been a lot positive written about this mini-series, truth be told, but I've been sort of hopeful that this incarnation of the DEFENDERS would somehow overcome it's mediocre beginnings and evolve into something surprising.  Unfortunately, my hopes have been essentially dashed with this issue, which ultimately feels somewhat dull in the the way it's all presented.  As the story begins, we're shown with the fallout from Nighthawk's efforts to use a group of mercenary heroes to fight Atlantean terrorist U-Man.  The folks at S.H.E.I.L.D. ain't too happy with him for going against their wishes and Nighthawk is essentially forced to give up the cape (under the rules of the Initiative) and go back to being a civilian.  Nighthawk does so begrudgingly, of course, giving a nod to Captain America as he bids Tony Stark and company a bitter good-bye.  Of course, when he gets home to start life as a regular guy, he's faced with the charging horses of the Son of Satan...and thus one can assumed that he'll be donning the cape in the next issues.  Ultimately, it's not the story itself that bothers me about this issues, though it is fairly predictable stuff.  Instead, it's the dull storytelling that bummed me out.  Truth be told, there was a lot of talk going on in these pages, and most of it felt fairly pedestrian.  If you're going to have a talky book, then you need the dialogue to sing.  Unfortunately, this one fails to really carry a tune when all is said and done.  The completist in me will probably buy the next to issues just to have a complete 1-6 experience, but like Nighthawk, I will do it begrudgingly.