Review: Dark Avengers Annual #1

While DC had their spoiler comic with Blackest Night Flash #1, Marvel's spoiler comic of the week is Dark Avengers Annual #1. What I mean by spoiler is that parts of the story take place after one of their mini-series that's running late, so you know how it ends before, well it ends. This one is not as bad as the Blackest Night Flash as in you already know in general what will happen at the end of the mini series. I won't tell you what the spoiler is because it's pretty darn cool (another awesome last page).

Now on to the issue at hand. Dark Avengers Annual #1 was probably my favorite read of last week. Normally I find annuals pretty throw away, but this was nothing of the sort. Written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Chris Bachalo, this issue is very important to the overall Dark Reign-Siege lead-in story.

With Dark Avengers Annual #1 we find out what's happened to Noh-Varr--Marvel Boy--after his exit from the Dark Avengers after learning they're all criminals. Noh struggles to find direction on Earth, to understand humanity better and eventually where he stands in the upcoming events.

Noh finds a connection to humanity with a young, beautiful girl and after an amazing battle with the Sentry, Noh sets out to contact the Kree which leads into an upgrade of his character.

Bachalo's art is superb in the fact you can actually understand what's going on, sometimes he goes off the deep end with design to the point where although it looks amazing, you really can't understand what's going on in the panel. His art here reminds me more of his Vertigo clean style than is chaotic super hero work of recent. Bendis continues to prove he is the master of dialogue and inner-monologue

And then, of course, the last page which even though it's a spoiler, it's definitely not to miss.