New Avengers (2013) #6 Review

“BLUE”

Using the knowledge gained from the Black Swan, the Illuminati rework all their plans and cross the uncrossable line.

The first secret alliance is formed.

If an incursion is normally RED, what does a BLUE one mean?

The Good

Cover- The duo chrome colors of white and red really add to the dramatic presentation of this issue. We have Namor, Dr. Strange, Iron Man, Black Panther, Mr. Fantastic, Black Bolt and Beats walking away from an exploding planet. I love the simplicity!

Art- Steve Epting’s art is on point on every single panel. The colors and expressions of Black Swan are deliciously and subtle.

Villain- There’s something about the Black Swan that I really dig. Hickman clearly has major plans for her and there are layers to her character that I find intriguing. At the end where she communicates telepathically with the captured Terrax has so many possibilities.

Threat– One thing I’m greatly enjoying on the book is how many threats he can squeeze out of these incursion events.  So we have a red incursion in which two earths smash into each other destroying both universes. During a red if you can destroy the other planet you destroy their universe and save your own, temporarily. Then we have the blue incursions where Map makers a race which suck all life from a planet smash a shard of an already consumed world into one they want to harvest then use the shards of the dying world as a homing beacon to teleport in unseen and suck the new world dry. Oh and now Dr. Doom is aware of the incursions and has the homing beacon for the map makers. Doom’s has a sordid history with this batch, him and Namor allied at one point and almost killed Black Panther ( See Black Panther [2009] #2 for details) he then captured and manhandled his former wife Storm and let’s not forget Doomwar. He has also had run ins with Dr Strange and was a candidate for sorcerer supreme, his long history as nemesis of Mr Fantastic also. The things that happen here are clearly tips of the iceberg.

Black Hero- So Black Panther is present and he fires the weapon which destroys the other world…..so yeah.

The Bad

The moral question of does the ends justify the means in destroying another planet to save our own when said planet is as much a victim as our own was glossed over way too fast for me. Reed Richards seems more gullible than one would expect after her illustrious heroic career.

The Ugly

I would have preferred a bit more of a spotlight on the team as opposed to the Black Swan but considering she’s a member of this team and the only true unknown I guess Hickman really is fleshing her out for our own good. Overall I really enjoyed this issue and I give it a 3/5