General Information

Title: Mighty Avengers #14
Author: Brian Michael Bendis
Illustrator(s): Khoi Pham (pencils), Danny Miki (inker), and Dean White (colorist)
Cover Date: July 2008
Cover Price: $2.99 US, $3.05 Can

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Premise

The Skrulls have been testing and studying the Sentry for years, trying to understand how to best replace him. The plan they have is to leave him be, counting on his mental instability to take himself and those closest to him out of the picture. After all, the power of this man's mind created the Void, a creature with identical abilities to him that does the opposite of whatever the Sentry does, counterbalancing whatever good Sentry contributes. We see what happens leading up to and following immediately after the Skrulls face the Sentry in "Secret Invasion #2."

High Point

The last three pages. This is the first time I've ever been excited by the Sentry.

Low Point

Did the Sentry have any other past adventures, at all? We've seen the same one at least four times now, and I haven't even read either of his solo miniseries!

The Scores

The originality is a bit limited, as it's adding details to scenes that have already gone past. Then come the last few pages, where Lindy's hero steps in to save the day. Man, was that a great moment. I give it 4 out of 6.

The artwork is decent. Pham has done some nice work over in Incredible Hercules lately, and he keeps the trend going here. It's not spectacular, but it's good. The character poses and panels layouts are nice, but some of the faces irk me in a way I can't pin down. I give it 4 out of 6.

The story is nicely done. We've got a good snapshot of the Sentry's history, particularly regarding the Skrull interactions with him. There's also a great issue capper that I'd like to see play out elsewhere. I give it 5 out of 6.

The characterization is fairly well done. We see something of the personality of the Jarvis Skrull, and get a pretty good overview of the Sentry himself. I give it 5 out of 6.

The emotional response is pretty good. Sentry is a major power, and he'd need this type of strategy session to deal with. It's an interesting setup, with a fantastic clincher. I give it 5 out of 6.

The flow isn't too bad. There are numerous time hops that could get a little disorienting, but the rest works well. I give it 4 out of 6.

Overall, despite its flaws, it's well worth picking up. Any issue about the Sentry that I prefer to a well written Nick Fury issue has to come highly recommended. I give it 5 out of 6. If you have any interest in Secret Invasion, pick this one up.

In total, Mighty Avengers #14 receives 32 out of 42.

Additional Notes and Comments

Next up: Incredible Hercules #117