just back from my weekly Wednesday-lunch-and-comic break, and today's featured selection was none other than Avengers 14. I'd forgotten about you-know-who being featured on the cover, so seeing the issue in the shop made me ever-so-happy. And after reading the thing, I'm even happier!

The main things that jumped out at me about this issue were:

1: Kurt and George cavortin' on the pages! I was quite startled by that at first, but I loved it. When was the last time the creators inserted themselves into the comic to such a degree-- much less popped up over and over all through it?   (Several times-- yeah, I know-- but this time it really seemed to work, if for no other reason than because I simply didn't expect it from this normally "serious" duo).  What a great idea! I'm sure someone will object, or find a reason to dislike it, but I found it very entertaining, and became even happier when I got to thinking of what I might do on the website, using the scanner and those little Kurt & George cartoons. heh heh!! Just wait and see...

2: More rich character interaction! Lots of talking! Heck, I can't get enough of that, in today's world of two-page splashes (the Beast's intro pages excluded, of course).  Especially enjoyable was the dialogue among Wondy and Beast and Wanda and Vizh. And Wanda getting ready to take Cap to the woodshed-- ha! Just like the old days, back when she told him what-fer in #167 or 168 (?). And my goodness, but is Vizh getting more and more sinister or what? I mean, I know that he's basically just angry and jealous and trying to keep it all in, but it's coming across like he's ready to just... go off... Heyyy... y'know, I'd been thinking my boyish hopes of a Simon-Vizh   rematch from #158 were never going to come true, but now....

3: Beast! Ultron! Wanda about to lecture Cap! Thor showing up for a while, then vanishing! Vizh and Simon about to come to blows! (though Simon doesn't seem to realize it... yet...) Man, it's like 1977 all over again. But not a rehash-- Kurt's putting an entirely original spin on it all. If only Beastie could have stuck around longer. @#$%&^$ X-books...

4: And oh yeah, there was some sort of villain who fought the Avengers and sort of functioned like the Growing Man. The villains continue to be the weak link of this book, but with everything else rolling along, I certainly don't mind, especially when ol' Adamantium-Puss is lurking in the environs of one Hank Pym again. And even good ol' Count "I ain't really dead, just ask Van Plexico" Nefaria got a mention!   (Bring him back, Kurt!  He didn't die in Iron Man 116-- it was all a scam-- and you all fell for it!  All of you!!  He's been off dreaming up new ways to conquer the world, for, what, 21 years now?)

What a great comic. Kudos all around. All we need now is a climactic action scene like the one where the Avengers show up to battle Ultron in #162, and we'll have officially attained Avengers nirvana!