Dark Avengers #11 Review - Secret Wars II

Dark Avengers #11

Direct Market Release Date: November 18, 2009

Credits

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Art: Mike Deodato
Painted Pages: Greg Horn (pgs 12-14 & 16-17)
Color Art: Rain Beredo
Letterer: VC's Cory Petit
Cover Art: Mike Deodato & Rain Beredo
Associate Editor: Lauren Sankovitch
Editor: Tom Breevoort
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
Executive Producer: Alan Fine

Previously in the Dark Avengers

Norman Osborn, former Thunderbolts leader, has risen to power and was appointed to replace Tony Stark as head of the National Peace Keeping Taskforce, H.A.M.M.E.R, which includes his own team of Avengers.

They're a gathering of controversial figures that Norman has given the iconic likenesses of many of the famous Avengers, as well as the secret identities that go with them. Joining former Mighty Avengers Ares and Sentry are the assassin Bullseye, now Hawkeye; reformed criminal moonstone, now Ms. Marvel; Wolverine's disturbed son Daken, now Wolverine; Venom transformed into a new Spider-Man; Kree warrior Marvel Boy took on the mantle of Captain Marvel, and Norman unveiled his new identity... the Iron Patriot.

Norman is also trying to help the powerful Sentry deal with his demons while he continues to deal with his own.

Their latest mission has taken them to Dinosaur, Colorado, on the trail of a missing politician’s daughter, where Norman has come face to face with the insanely powerful team of Molecule Man, the Beyonder, the Enchantress, Mephisto and Zarathos…

Summary

Three years ago at a S.H.I.E.L.D. outpost in Washington D.C., Business Affairs Operative Victoria Hand is working out, boxing her girlfriend Isabella. Victoria thinks Nick Fury is too close to the front lines and doesn't see the big picture that she sees from her desk. Isabella convinces her not to overstep her boundaries.

Later, when Nick Fury is signing the S.H.I.E.L.D. quarterly budget, he finds a note from Victoria slipped inside that voices her disapproval of his leadership. Victoria Hand immediately finds herself transferred to Portland, Oregon. Disgusted that Victoria didn't follow her advice to stay quiet, Isabella leaves and tells her that they are through.

In the present, Victoria Hand assumes control of the H.A.M.M.E.R. Helicarrier after the Dark Avengers have suddenly disappeared over Dinosaur, Colorado. While the agents on board advise that a full out attack is the best course of option, Victoria asserts her authority as Deputy Director and begins thinking of a plan.

Meanwhile, Norman Osborn stands before the throne of Owen Reese in the pocket universe he has created around the small Colorado town. It is revealed that the Enchantress, the Beyonder, Mephisto, and Zarathos are merely constructs created by the Molecule Man. Owen Reese tells Osborn that he won't kill him, but that he wants to be left alone in his pocket reality, which he created over the town where he grew up. When Osborn tells him that Reese needs to leave American soil, he tortures him with a vision of Gwen Stacy, pregnant with his children, and the reality that everyone, even the people who are rooting for him, want him to fail.

Next, Reese tortures the rest of the Dark Avengers, ripping the Sentry apart, reducing Venom to a puddle, electrifying Moonstone, turning Daken into a tree. Shortly thereafter, the Molecule Man's constructs begin talking to him, telling him that he obviously wants to be found, otherwise he wouldn't have killed all those people. Torn, he states that he was merely protecting his home.

Owen Reese is interupted by Victoria Hand, who offers her surrender.

Quotes

Norman Osborn: How can I help you? How can I help you and your friends?
Owen Reese: My friends?
The Enchantress: We're not his friends. Owen doesn't have any real friends in the real world.
The Beyonder: The world wasn't made for him.
Mephisto: We're the friends he made. The friends he deserves.
Zarathos: We're the friends he should have. If the world were a fair place.

Owen Reese: You're not scared of me.
Norman Osborn: I was until you told me you weren't going to kill me.
Owen Reese: Killing is easy. There's other things.

The Enchantress: You should kill them all and run away.
Owen Reese: NO!! NO!!
The Enchantress: That's because you want to be found, Owen.
Owen Reese: What?
The Beyonder: You want to fail. You killed all those people. You're almost begging to be found here
Zarathos: What did you think would happen?
Owen Reese: No. No. I was protecting my home.

Victoria Hand: Hello? Hello?
Owen Reese: Who are you?
Victoria Hand: My name is Victoria Hand. On behalf of the United States of America... we surrender.

Commentary

Another great Bendis issue, full of suspense, danger, and fantastic dialogue. Bendis does an impressive job of balancing the Molecule Man's two best conflicting character traits here; being a lonely, pathetic under-confident loser who is also one of the most powerful and dangerous threats to the universe.

Deodato's artwork handles the scenes from the Molecule Man's private world, and he is supported by guest artist/painter Greg Horn, who handles the illusions and tortures subjected to Norman Osborn and the Sentry. I'm a little confused as to why those two characters get painted scenes, while Deodato handles the art chores for the other Dark Avengers. The immediate assumption is that those attacks happened in Dinosaur, Colorado, while the first two were in Owen Reese's realm. But it seems strongly implied that the entire team had vanished into Owen Reese's realm, not only by the video replay on the H.A.M.M.E.R. Helicarrier depicting a blank screen where the Dark Avengers once stood, but also by Osborne demanding the Molecule Man to give him his team back.

This issue reveals that the Beyonder's appearance here is only a manifestation of the Molecule Man's imagination, a "friend" which he has created for himself in his own personal world where he wants nothing more than to be left alone. Or at least, that's what he thinks he wants, until the imaginary friends begin telling him they believe that he wants to be found. These final few pages where Owen Reese is being challenged by these figments of his imagination end up being the highlight of the book for me.

Up next...

The Beyonder appears next in Dark Avengers #12!