Ed Brubaker’s take on the Secret Avengers was large and dynamic and something of an homage to the Roy Thomas/Neal Adams material from back in the day. While I was excited to see what he could do, the Warren Ellis take on the comic was a bit too cool for me and seemed self-aware of the expectations from fans. Far too stylish and flimsy on plot, I dropped the series after one issue (a rarity in my collecting behavior).
As Steve Rogers takes up the high profile mantle of Captain America once more, having him lead a black ops Secret Avengers team makes little sense. Introducing Hawkeye as the new leader of the team is a genius move. The former leader of the West Coast Avengers, he is a fan favorite hero who will no doubt gain new followers next Summer when Jeremy Renner takes up the bow in the Avengers movie.
The addition of writer Rick Remender could easily make this comic a must read series. A brilliantly gifted scribe from Punisher and the new Venom, he has a gift for taking characters and making them come to life without sacrificing their legacy (yes, I know he chopped up Frank Castle and brought him back as a Frankenstein monster… so take that with the correct amount of salt).
Patrick Zircher is tearing up the Hulk currently with his astounding work on the Hulk of Arabia storyline, so the point one issue should be beautiful. Artist Gabriel Hardman is no slouch either. An artist of some acclaim from his work on the critically acclaimed yet sadly canceled Agents of Atlas and more recently the Jeff Parker Red Hulk series, his delineations are superb. I’m very excited to see what he does on an Avengers book!
And yes, I noticed that Hawkeye looks like a blend of the upcoming movie version and Ultimate Hawkeye. I’m not sure what to make of that.
Next year, critically acclaimed creators Rick Remender (Uncanny X-Force) & Gabriel Hardman (Hulk) take readers deep under cover in Secret Avengers! Captain America has tasked Hawkeye with putting together a brand new team, ushering in a new era for the Secret Avengers. When the call is put out for heroes to save the Marvel Universe from its most dangerous foes, the biggest powerhouses will answer. America’s Secret Soldier – Venom, The UK’s premiere super hero – Captain Britain, Founding Avenger – Giant-Man and more will join ranks to create a team that will have fans everywhere demanding more. Packed to the brim with action, intrigue, insurmountable odds AND covers by legendary artist Arthur Adams, no fan can miss this!“Our opening arc will have a big secret war, a big secret new world, a big secret new race, a big team death, a big secret team betrayal, and begin a secret affair. High stakes, intrigue, and tons of character drama as we unearth the mystery surrounding familiar automaton villains reimagined as members of a new species—The Descendants!” exclaimed Remender. “I’m a tremendous fan of Gabe’s work; he’s one of the best storytellers in the business, always puts clarity first, while still managing engaging and dynamic action. I’m beyond excited to have him joining me on Secret Avengers. And having Art Adams on covers is truly a dream come true.”
Kicking off this January in Secret Avengers #21.1 by Remender and red-hot artist Patrick Zircher, fans can get a taste of what we’ve got planned before Gabriel Hardman jumps on board as the ongoing artist with Secret Avengers #22.
“Secret Avengers gives me the opportunity to draw an exciting group of heroes who I’ve never drawn before as well as design new villains and new worlds. Hawkeye, Beast and Valkyrie have been favorites of mine since I was a kid. That combined that with the crazy big, black ops tinged action/adventure makes this a book I had to draw,” explained Hardman. “Rick is known for his wildly inventive scripts and he really delivers with Secret Avengers. This is an epic story that will have big repercussions. That’s the kind of storytelling I like to be involved with.”
With Hawkeye at the helm, Captain America’s strike force team must dodge Adaptoids, Descendants and the biggest threats to the Marvel Universe…without anyone knowing, in Secret Avengers!
SECRET AVENGERS #21.1
Written by RICK REMENDER
Pencils & Cover by PATRICK ZIRCHER
FOC – 12/26/11, ON SALE – 1/25/12SECRET AVENGERS #22
SECRET AVENGERS #22 HARDMAN VARIANT
Written by RICK REMENDER
Pencils by GABRIEL HARDMAN
Cover by ARTHUR ADAMS
Variant Cover by GABRIEL HARDMAN
ON SALE THIS FEBRUARY!SECRET AVENGERS #23
Written by RICK REMENDER
Pencils by GABRIEL HARDMAN
Cover by ARTHUR ADAMS
ON SALE THIS FEBRUARY!
11/11/11 Official press release update via CBR:
Next year, critically acclaimed creators Rick Remender (Uncanny X-Force) & Gabriel Hardman (Hulk) take readers deep under cover in Secret Avengers! Captain America has tasked Hawkeye with putting together a brand new team, ushering in a new era for the Secret Avengers. When the call is put out for heroes to save the Marvel Universe from its most dangerous foes, the biggest powerhouses will answer. America’s Secret Soldier – Venom, The UK’s premiere super hero – Captain Britain, Founding Avenger – Giant-Man and more will join ranks to create a team that will have fans everywhere demanding more. Packed to the brim with action, intrigue, insurmountable odds AND covers by legendary artist Arthur Adams, no fan can miss this!
“Our opening arc will have a big secret war, a big secret new world, a big secret new race, a big team death, a big secret team betrayal, and begin a secret affair. High stakes, intrigue, and tons of character drama as we unearth the mystery surrounding familiar automaton villains reimagined as members of a new species–The Descendants!” exclaimed Remender. “I’m a tremendous fan of Gabe’s work; he’s one of the best storytellers in the business, always puts clarity first, while still managing engaging and dynamic action. I’m beyond excited to have him joining me on Secret Avengers. And having Art Adams on covers is truly a dream come true.”
Kicking off this January in Secret Avengers #21.1 by Remender and red-hot artist Patrick Zircher, fans can get a taste of what we’ve got planned before Gabriel Hardman jumps on board as the ongoing artist with Secret Avengers #22.
“Secret Avengers gives me the opportunity to draw an exciting group of heroes who I’ve never drawn before as well as design new villains and new worlds. Hawkeye, Beast and Valkyrie have been favorites of mine since I was a kid. That combined that with the crazy big, black ops tinged action/adventure makes this a book I had to draw,” explained Hardman. “Rick is known for his wildly inventive scripts and he really delivers with Secret Avengers. This is an epic story that will have big repercussions. That’s the kind of storytelling I like to be involved with.”
With Hawkeye at the helm, Captain America’s strike force team must dodge Adaptoids, Descendants and the biggest threats to the Marvel Universe…without anyone knowing, in Secret Avengers!
The Daily P.O.P. 
Um. I like the artists and Remender has gotten a lot of praise for Uncanny X-Force so this *could* be good. However, I am sceptical about the use of Hawkeye here mostly because it’s so blamed lazy and cowardly of Marvel. To explain, they have obviously decided to cravenly model much of next year’s Avengers on the movie, while it should be the other way round surely?! Not far off 40 years of Avengering and they pull their pants down to imitate the movie’s version? It isn’t a reflection on Remender’s stories -which I hope will be -good but it is a poor one on the corporate mindset, lets make Hawkeye look like the film version because his costume’s silly. What really annoys me about this is that putting Hawkeye in a “black ops” Avengers is a blatant imitation of The Ultimates so where’s the differentiation between those 2 different versions of Hawk, one a killer one not? Marvel isn’t the House of Ideas is it?! Once again it isn’t to do with the talent but the corporate idiocy and the fear of not being “cool”. Bah! I hope the comic itself works despite this.
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It has an impressive (and unusual) lineup:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=35386
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I think that this series will continue to improve.
Have either of you fine gentlemen seen the latest Avengers issue with Norman Osborn reforming The Dark Avengers Mark 2.0? Looks very interesting!
Also the new recruits in Avengers Academy, another of my favourite titles getting a bit of a face lift.
Let me know what you fine fellows think.
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Hey Marco, long time no hear! I’m dubious about the revival of the “Dark” Avengers (not least because I’m sick of “Dark” being applied to all and sundry, what’s next, “Dark Archie and Jughead”?!) but Mike Deodato’s artwork is excellent in that issue, much less static than usual. I do hope that this time someone puts Osborn in the ground and he stays there heh heh heh.
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I have been busy my friend,
I am glad to see that you are still about.
Though I see where you are coming from with Dark being inserted in front of every title. I have been a BIG Norman Osborn fan since I read as a kid the death of Gwen Stacy storyline as a reprint. I was both shocked and surprised when they brought him back from the dead and repositioned him as Marvel’s answer to Lex Luther. The character really seemed to come in to own in that new role. I loved it when he was in charge of The Thunderbolts, HAMMER and the like. I hope he really becomes a major player in the Marvel Universe ala Doctor Doom. I think he could bring a lot to the table if handled correctly.
How are things with you?
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I am okay, if ill, Marco. Not to complain, though! If you enjoy reading about Osborn then you should like what they have in store for him, I can’t imagine them getting rid of him anytime soon (more’s the pity from my perspective – he’s too evil to live!).
You are a fan of the “Apes” films aren’t you? (no, not the ones with Clyde the Orangutan, ha) Conquest of the Planet of the Apes has been shown twice here this week, boy, that’s a depressing film. Those Damned Dirty Humans! (well, apart from Ricardo Montalban’s character and look what they do to him)
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I am sorry to hear that you have been ill Hal,
I can relate, I have been a bit under the weather too!
Regarding Osborn, if heroes didn’t have evil baddies to fight, they would be at home doing knitting or something (not that knitting isn’t a manly act for a hero to do, look at Spider-Man, he’s an expert at it!). Stan Lee had a famous saying, that a hero is only as interesting as the villain that they face (or words to that effect!). Hence, my interest in the character!
Hey! I LOVE Clyde the orangutan, who could ever forget “Right Turn Clyde!!!”. Great films!!!!!
It is interesting that you mentioned Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, they showed it in the UK last night. I have seen it a million times before, fantastic film!
It is confirmed by the way that they are going to make a sequel to Rise of the Planet of the Apes. I am definitely looking forward to seeing it when it comes out.
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Thanks for the kind words Marco. I too am in the UK, I thought you were an american, duh, me am no think so good enny mor! Right-turn Clyde, indeed! The “Which Way” movies are guilty pleasures of mine. You’re lucky you can’t hear me or I would regale you with my off-key renditions of songs from those films! “Beers to you, old Amigo”, what a song, and it’s presumably meant to be Philo singing to Clyde, fantastic.
I know what you mean about villains but I think that today they sometimes make them SO despicable, hateful and evil that I just want them to be defeated utterly because it becomes too *depressing*. Yes, I am weird.
I like all the original Apes films to a greater or lesser degree except for “Battle” which I find annoying cheap rubbish. Escape is heart-rending (poor Zira and Cornelius), Beneath is a weird, bleak, occasionally clunky mix of political satire (war-mongering moron Ursus opposed by peacenik Chimps), while The Planet of the Apes is, of course, the best. Do you remember the tv series with General Urko played by Spock’s Dad, Mark Lenard? It was quite crappy but Roddy Macdowall and Lenard were good. Apes Exist!
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