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New Avengers #35: Review

Oct 2007
Brian Michael Bendis, Leinil Francis Yu

Story Name:

The trust part 4

Review & Comments

Rating:
4 stars

New Avengers #35 Review by (March 25, 2015)
Apart from Hood, John King, Jigsaw, Chemistro and the Wrecking Crew the attendees at Hood's meeting include Wrecker and the U-Foes (Ironclad, Vapor, Vector, X-Ray) plus Answer, Armadillo, Blackout, a Blood Brother, Bushwacker, Controller, Corruptor, Crossfire, Crusader, Cutthroat, Deathwatch, Doctor Demonicus, Foolkiller, Grey Gargoyle, Griffin, Machete, Mandrill, Mentallo, Mr Fear, Mr Hyde, Purple Man, Razor-Fist and Tiger Shark. The Official Index claims that the guy who looks like Constrictor is actually Squid, on the grounds that Constrictor will be seen as part of the Initiative and Squid will feature in Hood's gang later (and they have similar costumes for head and shoulders). The OI adds that Rampage can't be Stuart Clarke because he's currently working for Punisher and so suggests it's another of Clarke's old Recession Raider gang. Similarly Nitro can't be there because he's imprisoned in Atlantis, so the OI can only suggest it's an infiltrating Skrull. (My proposed change to the OI/Marvel Continuity Project's ordering of Dr Doom apps would say that Nitro is now in US prison crippled by Penance.) The OI also suggests that some other villains are behind the scenes here because they will be part of the gang in Annual #2, but I find that unnecessary. The OI also has a problem with Chemistro being Curtis Carr here because Curtis has gone straight for a long time. The current Chemistro is his brother Calvin, and the OI suggeasts he's using his brother's name as an alias. I think it was just a writer/editor mistake but the alias explanation would win a no-prize. Jonas Harrow, Madame Masque and Wizard were at Owl's auction, and join Hood's gang afterwards. (The 4th auction attendee Crimson Cowl will be part of Hood's gang in the Dark Reign: Hood mini-series.)

Jigsaw is a mobster who got his name after a shattering encounter with Punisher and a window ruined his face in Amazing Spider-Man #162. This was when Punny was a Spidey foil, 10 years before his own 1st series. But Punisher took Jigsaw with him into that 1st series and they've been regular foes ever since. Wrecker was given Asgardian power in Thor #148. After a few more issues he met the future members of his Wrecking Crew in prison and shared the power with them in Defenders #17. They've been wrecking things ever since. This issue and Mighty Avengers #3 are Tigra's 1st 2 post-Civil War appearances. The Official Index puts this flashback before MAv#3. Paul Bourcier's Marvel Calendar agrees but the close connections between the 1st 12 MAv issues and NAv#27-37 mean that there's only a couple of days separating the 2 apps, and Tigra recovered very quickly (especially from being shot) and shows no psychological effects in MAv#3. It would make more sense to me to have this flashback happening (immediately) after MAv#3, leaving Greer lots of time to physically recover (across World War Hulk) before her next apps in Av: Initiative #6 and our Annual #2. (But the close ties between MAV and NAv around here may leave little room to squeeze it in.) Hood and his gang will terrorise her again in An#2, making her tell them where our team is hiding. Tigra's injuries may keep her from being sent to join the Arkansas Initiative team, because she'll be seen several times in Camp Hammond and New York before actually appearing with the Arkansas Battalion in Av:In#19. In later issues of Av:In she'll get revenge on Hood during Dark Reign by leading the Avengers Resistance against his gang.

In #33 the Owl claimed this Deathlok was the original Luther Manning version. But the OI points out that the Manning Deathlok has been relegated to an alternate timeline. However there have been many clone/alternate timeline versions of Manning/Deathlok (not counting the Deathlok's that definitely *aren't* him), and as many theories of how all his versions are connected via time-travel and such. So I'm not going to say more. (Until I have a spare year to investigate it all!) The Mighty Avengers only show up in 1 panel of TV coverage of their fight against the symbiotes. We clearly see Black Widow, Iron Man, Ms Marvel and Sentry. The OI says Wonder Man is also there. But if he's the figure below Iron Man then I think the artist has erroneously depicted him with his safari jacket costume that he abandoned in MAv#7 just before the fight. Ares, Spider-Woman and Wasp aren't shown. The OI claims that the attacking symbiotes include the New Avengers Dr Strange, Iron Fist, Ronin and Wolverine. Dr Strange and Wolverine are recognisable, but I don't know which symbiotes are Iron Fist and Ronin. And almost any of them could actually be Spider-Man. This fight will be covered by next issue and MAv#8. There'll be problems trying to merge both accounts. And fitting this exact scene into either issue will be difficult. I'll try to sort it out in my comments next issue.




 

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

New Avengers #35 Synopsis by Rob Johnson
This issue is mostly flashbacks concerning the Hood and his organisation.

It begins with the criminal called Jigsaw trying to persuade a night watchman to open a safe, until he's stopped by Tigra. But policemen who interrupt the scene don't recognise her as a member of the Initiative, and in the confusion Jigsaw gets away. When he gets home he finds an invitation to a meeting.

The meeting has been called by the Hood, and it's attended by lots of super-criminals. He proposes that they get organised as a criminal group. Now is the best time ever for it. Wilson Fisk is gone, so there's a vacuum to be filled. Captain America and Nick Fury are gone, and the remaining heroes are split - some are fugitives while the rest have to wait for Iron Man's go-ahead before they can take any action.

Hood is going to lead the gang. They can still pull jobs individually or as smaller groups but he should be notified 1st to avoid clashes. And if they have problems then others in the gang can help solve them. He'll also resolve any disputes between them.

When asked why he should be the boss, he 1st of all gives them 25 grand each as a sweetener. They can take the money and never come back, but he promises them much more. He says he'll keep the heroes off their backs by threatening their families, and killing them if necessary. He chooses Jigsaw's recent problem with Tigra as an example.

Greer Nelson returns home angry to discover that she's been assigned to the Arkansas Initiative team - she wanted to stay in New York. But she also discovers that Hood has used his invisibility cloak to get inside her apartment. He beats her up and shoots her in the leg. Then he phones Greer's mother, and tells Tigra he'll kill her unless she stops harassing his men. He beats her up some more, and Jigsaw films it all. Then the 2 go back to the meeting and show the film. Everyone now wants to join Hood's gang.

Hood introduces them to John King who will be their point of contact with him. During the ensuing celebration Chemistro approaches John and tells him about an auction to be held by the Owl. Owl declined his invitation to this meeting, and Hood decides to make an example of him.

In between this section and the next is Hood and John King's appearance in #33-34 where they break up Owl's auction of a Deathlok cyborg and shoot him. Then Wolverine overheard them planning to use Deathlok to attack Avengers Tower, and Hood and Wolvie fought.

Now we've reached the present, where Hood presents Deathlok to his gang (which now includes some of the attendees at Owl's auction). They figure Wolverine will tip off the (Mighty) Avengers, so instead they rob a bank. While Deathlok deals with the guards the Wrecking Crew (Bulldozer, Piledriver and Thunderball and their leader Wrecker) make off with the loot. They lose the cyborg but it's a large haul.

Back at their hideout Hood divvies up the money, with a bonus to Chemistro for leading them to Deathlok. Then on TV they see Iron Man and some of the Mighty Avengers fighting symbiotes, among them some of the New Avengers (MAv#8 and next issue). Hood sees this as an opportunity for them.



Leinil Francis Yu
Leinil Francis Yu
Dave McCaig
Leinil Francis Yu (Cover Penciler)
Leinil Francis Yu (Cover Inker)


Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Captain America
Captain America

(Steve Rogers)
Iron Man
Iron Man

(Tony Stark)
Wolverine
Wolverine

(James Howlett)

Plus: Wrecking Crew.

> New Avengers: Book info and issue index

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