Avengers: The Enemy Within (Marvel NOW!)

 

Recently, I read the first two volumes of Carol Danver’s exploits as Captain Marvel. During those reviews, I explained that I read them because I needed to in order to follow the latest Avengers book at my local library. Well, this is the Avengers book I was talking about. I’m not 100% sure why this is considered an Avengers book and not a Captain Marvel title. The book reprints Avengers: The Enemy Within and 2 issues of the Avengers series from the first Marvel NOW! series. But, the star of those issues is Carol Danvers. Not only that, but there are 3 Captain Marvel issues reprinted as well in this book. (All 3 are from the subsequent first Captain Marvel Marvel NOW! series.)

 

In Captain Marvel volume 2, Danvers’ powers were slowly being syphoned from her into a Kree villain from her past. In this volume, that villain has taken things to the next level kidnapping one of her friends. Thanks to Spider-Woman and Thor, the woman is saved, but during the search, Captain Marvel learns that the Kidnapper broke into Carol’s apartment.

 

Well, that means things just got personal and with that, our Kree baddie activates dozens of Sentries across North America in order to bring his Kree home world to our planet and have it take the place of Manhattan.

 

You know, this is the plot of Transformers 3. Normally, I might be impressed with the whole terraforming earth in order to create your own idea of paradise. But, with this book and Dark Of the Moon being released so close to each other, I have to cry a little foul. This was the most creative idea you could come up with? Now that I think about it, wasn’t this the plot of an earlier Marvel NOW! Avengers storyline? Geez- I’m a little annoyed. So glad I didn’t buy this book.

 

Anyway, a couple of hours ago, I thought I enjoyed this book. I now feel like Marvel, which has been long labeled the “House of Ideas,” has finally scraped the bottom of the barrel. The method of using Sentries to form a network in order to user a new nation was clever. And to have Carol Danvers and her Kree powers be the crux of the whole operation was a shocking revelation. I enjoyed the follow-up issue at the end of the book, too. That story involving Carol and the aftermath in NYC was a great issue. But again, I get the feeling that when I boil the plot to The Enemy Within down to its more basic form, I literally seen this movie before.

 

Very good art throughout the book. The dialogue, especially the witty banter between Avengers was awesome. The first act of the book along with the epilogue was some of my favorite Marvel NOW! material. However, that middle act, while action packed, was using some very tired out plot lines.

 

Worth Consuming, but just barely.

 

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.