Hold on tight, we’ve got some Dark Reign updates for y’all. While we’re trying not to give away anything too major, keep in mind that there are some SPOILERS AHEAD!

And I thought New Avengers was good last month! We’ve got some great developments in this one. We get to see if Osborn is true to his word to help Luke Cage find his baby. We also find out what Luke is really made of.

Remember the last few pages of last week’s Dark Avengers? That comes into play in this issue. I think this one’s going places, people. Order your copy of New Avengers #49 today and get your pre-order in for other upcoming New Avengers Dark Reign issues.

Kudos to Bendis, Tan and the rest of the creative team on this issue.


Carol Danvers hates Norman Osborn so much, she’s given up her name, her costume, and her identity as Ms. Marvel! That’s right, it’s time for Ms. Marvel #35! After rejecting Osborn’s offer to be part of the Dark Avengers, Carol is living under an assumed name, trying to get to the bottom of “Ascension” and clashing with the new so-called Captain Marvel.

I’ve followed Ms. Marvel as a character casually through the years–I was actually introduced to her through Uncanny X-Men, when Rogue stole her powers and memories. Carol’s always had to struggle to find her place in the world, and I’m pleased to see her reverting to her secret agent ways. I’ve heard some rumors about where this is going, so I’m definitely eager to read Ms. Marvel over the next couple of months.


Next up is Avengers: The Initiative! I admit, I’m not much of an Avengers buff, so I got a little lost until I read the fine print. Apparently, The Initiative is boot camp for superheroes, where they can be trained and then placed in groups all over America. Um . . . snore, so far.

Avengers: Initiative #20 (which Josh and I unintentionally skipped a couple of weeks ago) focuses on Hank Pym, formerly known as Ant Man, coming to terms with the death of his wife, Janet Van Dyne–the Wasp! Throw in a possible alien pregnancy and a hero (Taskmaster) who looks suspiciously like Skeletor from He-Man and . . . yeah, still pretty boring.


Avengers: The Initiative #21 throws in a lot of new characters and features the return of the Thor clone! While there are some small, funny moments and the dialogue is sharp, overall, it seems like this book is still figuring out where it’s going, and I’ll have to read a couple more issues before I make my final decision on this title.

Thoughts? Opinions? Who else is reading the Dark Reign arc, and where do you think it’s going? Post your comments and questions below, and if we’ve missed anything, we’d appreciate your feedback.

Author : Josh@TFAW