Siege #2 Review

Siege #2

[Spoilers]

Siege #2 opens with all out war in Asgard. Ares is battling Balder. Ares is fueled with rage that the throne of Asgard, from his perspective, no longer exists. He sees Balder’s “reign of madness” and Thor’s exile as an affront to the glory that Asgard once held. Heimdall approaches to shed truth of what has happened. Only then does Ares realized how he was played a fool by Norman Osborn.

Meanwhile, outside Asgard, Osborn is ready to take a beaten and injured Thor into custody. As news cameras look on, Osborn is playing his normal fiddle of legality saying he merely arresting Thor for Treason against the U.S. Government. He realizes too late that a rocket fired from Maria Hill is closing in. The blast scatters the villains. Hill covers while local Broxton townee, Jason, begins the hefty task of loading Thor into the back of his pickup truck. Thor expends the last of his energy protecting them from the bad Ms. Marvel and Vapor (one of the U-Foe jerks that started this whole mess).

In the secret Brooklyn hideout of the Avengers, Steve Rogers begins to rally the troops. As he so often is known for, he gives a stirring speech to a collected assembly of New Avengers, Young Avengers, Mighty Avengers and Secret Warriors. It is clear that the days of Norman Osborn’s reign are numbered.

In Asgard, Ares confronts Osborn. The truth of Osborn feeding him lies to bring Ares into this battle is revealed, but Ares only gets a couple of shots at Osborn before he is engaged by the Sentry. Ares says he expected more from the Sentry and how he thought of them as friends. However, Sentry seems possessed and unwilling to discuss the matter with Ares. The two trade Earth-shattering blows until Sentry eventually gains the upper hand. With calmness, the Sentry tears Ares in two… Literally. The collected spectators look on in horror.

Exit Ares.

Back in New York the heroes board an old S.H.I.E.L.D. transport to get to Oklahoma to take the fight directly to H.A.M.M.E.R. and Osborn. Bucky gives Steve his shield for this battle, trading up to a massing rifle of some sort. Jarvis gives Steve Tony Stark’s briefcase containing his Iron Man armor. Before boarding the transport, Nick Fury grounds Ares’ son, Alex, from participating in this war saying he didn’t want him fighting immortals or his father (of course neither are aware of Ares’ brutal murder at the hands of the Sentry).

All the awesomeness that has already taken place in this issue leads up to what I dare say will be the most memorable last page of any comic this year. Before we get to that spectacular moment, Daken has been dispatched into Broxton to retrieve Thor. Just as he catches Thor’s scent, Daken is burnt to a crisp by a bolt of lightning. Thor tells Osborn that he will not hide and he will defend his home until his dying breath. Osborn sends the Sentry to the city to “give Thor his wish”. Distracted by Thor’s brash defiance, Taskmaster has to tell Osborn to turn around to see what is coming. The shadow of the transport is moving over Osborn. As Osborn looks up at the hovering vehicle a small disc is moving closer and closer to his head. The last panel shows the reflection of Captain America’s shield coming right for Osborn’s face. And thus, one of the most memorable pages in Marvel since Captain America’s death scene closes out the issue.

Brian Michael Bendis and Olivier Coipel deliver a phenomenal issue. I still feel justified that I should have been concerned after such a great start to the event. After all, Marvel has had a tendency to “front load” their events only to have them fizzle in the middle and end. Maybe my cautious pessimism helped me really love this issue. I don’t know, but from start to finish, everything I hoped Siege would be this issue hands out in spades.

Coipel’s art is dynamic and exciting. It sets tones and, in the most important frames, uses angles to heighten or vilify characters. The gore of Ares’ death and the thunderstruck Daken are eye catching and gasp inducing, but not out of place. Of course, that fantastic last page is all his art – no words, no thoughts, just the subtle art of the Avengers joining the fray.

If this was always Bendis’ plan since taking over the Avengers seven years ago, then the wait has been worth it. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the biggest of Bendis’ fans. I like him well enough. As a person, he’s quite friendly and seemingly genuine in his love of comics and what he does. He’s the type of guy who likes to shake things up regardless of how people receive the changes. I appreciate that. I don’t always have to like it, but I get it. So, if this mini-series is the culmination of the past seven years, then maybe it was worth dealing with the street level New Avengers, or the really over the top dialog from “stereotypical angry black guy” Luke Cage, or the dreadful Hood.

So with only two more issues to go in Siege, all I gotta say is – DON’T SCREW THIS UP. Don’t pull punches. Don’t play anything out longer than it should. Don’t set up another event to happen after this one without giving this story closure. Don’t do anything that both of you (Bendis and Marvel) are prone to do. Go for the jugular. Rip it up like so much Sentry!

Lastly, rest in piece, Ares. You were one of the two Dark Avengers I actually liked.