Writer: Kurt Busiek
Triathlon also has a conversation with Jonathan Tremont the leader of the Truine organization. Tremont wants Triathlon to show up at a rally they are having in Boston. Triathlon shows that he is serious about his duties with the Avengers as he stresses that he will go to the rally if he has time, as Tremont becomes a little annoyed. Warbird overhears the end of Triathlon's conversation and is glad that Triathlon doesn't seem to be as much of a security risk as everyone thought while she thinks that someone should straighten the whole thing out.
Warbird arrives at the meeting and she is asked out by the Vision after she says needs something to do. Everyone looks on a bit surprised, particularly the Scarlet Witch and after a brief bit of talk Warbird accepts the Vision's offer. Meanwhile, Yellow Jacket is involved in a fight it a bar and is doing well in it.
At the Avengers meeting it is revealed who Benedict was and what was on the gold coin that was given to the Black Widow in Avengers volume 1. While inside a butte south of Las Vegas a rather paranoid Madame Masque recounts everything that has happened to her. The dead Masques and the character that called herself Masque at the end of Volume 1 were not really her they just carried out her actions and whenever they showed any free will they were killed.
Outside the Grim Reaper and his troops arrive to invade Madame Masque's base and kill her since the Grim Reaper realised the one he killed last issue was only a fake. Before the Grim Reaper can really do anything the Avengers arrive saying that S.H.I.E.L.D tracked him down and thought the Avengers would be suited to taking him down. The Avengers battle the Grim Reaper while Madame Masque sends robots out to kill them both thinking this was all a ploy to attack her.
Then Count Nefaria arrives with Atlas and Wonderman seemingly under his control.
Comments: Busiek ties up stories from Avengers volume 1 in his usual fashion. Although I never read the Avengers issues that were dealt with here when I heard about the dropped storylines I wondered if they were going to dealt with and how it would turn out. Everything was tied up in a reasonable fashion and carried over from the dead Masque bodies showing up Iron Man's title.
While I enjoyed the She-hulk being with the Avengers for awhile I'm glad that the Vision is back with the team and is a character I enjoy seeing much more. I was particularly surprised when he asked Warbird out to dinner in front of everyone. Of course the Scarlet Witch had to be there at the same time so the Vision can be his usual self while she can be surprised what the Vision is doing. While the Scarlet Witch is with Wonder Man much to my dislike she still expects the Vision not to have much of a life and to wait around for her if she becomes interested in him again. Sometimes these scenes just beat everyone over the head with what's happening, the vision just had to say that they were not longer married again to show his point. Scenes like this with the Vision, Warbird and the Scarlet Witch along with plenty of other moments is what makes this title great to read in-between all the villainous threats they face.
Triathlon taking his duties as an Avenger seriously is good to see it looks like he's fit into the team the team well enough by now. He tells Tremont that the Avengers come first but I wonder if that would be the case if he was pressured to choose between the Truine and the Avengers in a really urgent situation and if he choose to help the Truine.
The scene with Yellow Jacket is interesting but really doesn't show anymore than what is already known. Hopefully with this bar fight the Avengers will be alerted that he is around which will lead to something more interesting.
The recapping of the Iron Man issues with Madame Masque in this issue was good to see as most of it I didn't even know before and with all the focus on her she seems to be a great character. A particularly useful character to use in Iron Man's title or the Avengers later too.
Without having Thunderbolts #42 I get to piece together that Atlas lost his fight with Wonderman in that issue and that he was brought to Nefaria. That's not too big of a spoiler for me. I was hoping that Atlas would at least put up a good showing against Wonderman I'll have to wait and see but the best parts of Thunderbolts #42 are probably still intact for me to read hopefully next week.
Nefaria's costume doesn't look too good at the end of this issue. The costume seems too old and dated. The one he wore in Captain America was much better although maybe a little generic. The look the costume in this issue gives him makes him look less threatening with the bright red and yellow cape and then the white boots. Then he almost looks like a flat drawing with the rest of his body being covered in black.
Perez's with the help of Paul Ryan looks just about as good as the regular Avengers issues except for a few things here and there. I'm amazed sometimes that artists can be brought in to a do an issue that don't have a regular series or have much current work for marvel. Such was the case for Magneto: Dark seduction where the art was some of the worst I've seen in a while and I'd have rather had Paul Ryan doing that as his work in the Avengers was good with a classic feel to it.
This looks to be a good start to an Avengers/Thunderbolts crossover anyway and I have been looking forward to the Black Widow showing up in Thunderbolts again since she appeared in Thunderbolts # 9.
Thunderbolts and all associated characters are the property of MARVEL COMICS TM&©2003.