It's weird to me to think that an event book can be pleasant surprise only because event books are supposed to be those books that grab you by the balls and never let go.  But with SI, it's been a bittersweet journey for me so far.  After loving the first issue, the last three issues have left me desiring a little bit more.  With this month's issue, Bendis brings the goods, and as a fan of the concept of the series, I'm finally excited again.

I don't want to talk too in depth about the story, but there are definitely some fist pumpers, some eye brow raisers, and some genuinely great moments.  Some of my favorite moments of the issue include Norman Osborn breaking down what it feels like to be pulled from two directions (who knew he would play a major role in the tide of this war?), Reed Richards being a badass smart guy instead of the aloof smart guy, Maria Hill kicking ass and taking names, and lastly, Hawkeye saying exactly what we all feel (and probably causing Josh to have a nerdgasm).  This was an excellently crafted issue, and I enjoyed the hell out of it.  It's just too bad that things couldn't have moved like this throughout the whole event, but I digress.  If Bendis can keep up this quality, this will make an amazing trade read and will also give the Marvel Universe interesting places to go.

Yu's art continues to shine in this series, and I enjoy the less sketchy style that he adopts when he does bigger projects.  His lines look cleaner and his action is spot on.  And the fierceness he injects into Reed Richards is phenomenal.  Unfortunately, there are few panels where proportions look off or bodies are positioned strangely, but these are only slight missteps in what is otherwise excellently drawn book.