Issue #47 is quiet interlude focusing on Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and their new baby, Danielle Cage, is welcome–even if it starts with the stereotypical and tired joke that tough dads are afraid to be with their babies or change diapers.
The story flashes back to the time when Cage says he first fell in jove with Jones. It’s also the first time he met future President Donald J Trump.
Not much in the first issue of this arc that advances the plot until the very end, but this was back when Brian Michael Bendis was one of the best dialogue writers in comics so it’s an enjoyable read.
It ends with the captives being freed after Secret Invasion and Jessica seeing Jarvis among them, and realizing the “Jarvis” she left her baby with is a skrull. When she goes to rescue her child, “Jarvis” and Danielle are gone–and in issue #48, the whole team goes after the kidnapper.
This story bridges the Secret Invasion/Dark Reign eras, so it’s helpful to have a group shot that reminds us who the team are now. It’s also their first assemblage since all the skrull-replacers were killed–so the big shot is helpful. Can’t explain why Bucky Cap’s costume looks like that, but, whatever.
The team’s search amounts to a romp across New York City, from the Fantastic Four to the Moloids. When the search is unsuccessful, Luke goes to Norman Osborn for help.
Osborn reveals that HAMMER has 74 skrull prisoners of war, and the interrogations begin. They learn that the skrulls operate a portal to their homeworld in an old warehouse, and Luke and HAMMER stake it out until “Jarvis” shows up and turns the baby over. Then Bullseye shoots him in the head.
There’s a little more to the negotiations than that, but not much. No big fight or anything.
After his daughter is safe, Luke reneges on his deal to work for Osborn, grabs the Wrecker’s crowbar, and takes on Bullseye and Venom.
And thusly, Cage is an enemy of Osborn. But seriously, he would have been anyway, so Cage hasn’t really lost anything by lying to Norman.
Issue #48 with the team in a secret base watching Norman Osborn roll out his own (Dark) Avengers team, and Clint Barton saying that they should all go kick their asses.
English (US) · 