Warning: Here There Be Spoilers!

On Wednesday March 17th Marvel Comics released Siege #3, the third issue of their four issue miniseries, Siege, written by Brian Michael Bendis and drawn by Oliver Coipel. It chronicles Norman Osborn’s (better known as the Green Goblin) unsanctioned military strike on Asgard, home of Thor and the rest of the Norse gods, and currently floating near the small town of Broxton, Oklahoma. This was a ridiculously cool comic. From the opening double-page spread of Captain America smacking Osborn in the face with his shield all the way to the final cliffhanger, this comic is packed with cover-to-cover excitement. And when I say excitement, I mean it! This issue is the definition of non-stop superhero action. As Captain America and the Avengers arrive in Asgard to aid Thor and his brethren the tides finally begin to turn. That’s when Norman calls in his reinforcements, in the form of The Hood and his gang of super-criminals. Who do…not much at all, quite frankly. I’m not quite sure why Bendis threw them in there, but I’ll just assume that it’ll be justified next issue. Back in Washington D.C. the President authorizes a strike on Norman Osborn’s own strike force, H.A.M.M.E.R., and a squadron of jet fighters shoot down the H.A.M.M.E.R. helicarrier, killing Norman’s right-hand woman, Victoria Hand. Maybe. It wasn’t very clear. She might have jet-packed her way to safety off-panel. But she’s probably dead. Meanwhile, also in the skies above Asgard, Thor is doing battle with Osborn’s attack dog, the insanely powerful Bob Reynolds, codenamed Sentry, who is being taken over by his dark side, The Void. To give you some perspective on just how strong this guy is, the most common description of his powers is the “power of one million exploding suns”. And this was before Norman jacked him up on even more of the serum that gave him his powers. Said powers consist of Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, agility, reflexes, senses, and durability, Energy projection, Matter manipulation, Flight, Telepathy, Resurrection, and Healing. Yeesh. Also, it’s been hinted that The Void is actually the embodiment of the wrath of the biblical god or something. He also ripped Ares in half last issue. Yes, that Ares. The Greek god of war. Ripped him right in two. That doesn’t bode well for Thor. Back on Asgard’s battlefield, Captain America is gaining the upper hand in one-on-one combat with Osborn. To make matters worse for the villain, Iron Man returns to the battlefield and hacks into his “Iron Patriot” armor, and deactivates it’s systems. Osborn knows that he’s lost, and pulling out one last gambit, he calls Sentry back down to Asgard. Actually, let me correct myself. He calls Sentry back down into Asgard. And right through the other side. And then back in, and back out, over and over. Until the whole city is brought crashing to the ground with a series of FABOOM’s and KRAKKAFABOOM’s. Asgard lies in ruins, and Norman is left crawling out of the wreckage. And straight to Captain America. His armor clatters to the ground, revealing a truly unsettling sight. In a scene chillingly rendered by Coipel, we see that he’s gone further off the deep end than ever before. His face is painted in the visage of his trademark goblin mask, and you can tell that this man is one truly disturbed individual. He raves about how the Avengers “HAVE NO IDEA” what they’ve done, until he’s silenced by a punch in the jaw from the spectacular Spider-Man. That had to be the most satisfying single punch in the last decade of comics, made all the more amazing by the years of history between the two men. But it’s not over yet. No, it’s far from it. Back to his senses (at least temporarily), Norman directs the Avengers’ attention to the sky. Hovering in the air, cross-legged, is Bob Reynolds. But there is no more Sentry. There is no more Bob. There is only The Void, a black and red monstrosity covered in massive, spider-like, clawed appendages, and emitting equal parts bright yellow kirby crackle and pitch-black darkness. Looks pretty grim.

Bendis, Bendis, Bendis. Right when I get out, he pulls me right back in. The man has been writing the Avengers for about five years or so now and his writing, which I absolutely loved at first. But lately, it’s really started to wear me down. And then he goes and releases Siege. This series has completely redeemed him in my eyes, and I really can’t get enough of it. And then there’s Oliver Coipel, the man behind the fantastic art that graces the comic’s pages. His attention to details, fluid character movements, and impeccable landscapes make him one of, if not the best of Marvel’s exclusive artists. The only weak points I could see were the return of Iron Man, which, while awesome, seemed a bit tacked on, and the arrival of The Hood and his crew. That just felt unnecessary. But they were only minor flaws, and not nearly enough to lower my opinion of the issue even one iota. It gets Five Falling Cities Out Of Five!