Well, That's Done.

Siege has, finally, come to a close.

What do I think of issue #4? Well, for the most part, it's a case of the third verse being the same as the first two: Bendis' script has fewer words than usual, Olivier Coipel's art is really the major attraction here, the comic is a big, bombastic, crowd-pleaser and, for better or for worse, it's still the comic book equivalent of candy: you like it, you want more, even if there isn't a whole lot of substance.

The ending of the book is exactly what it should have been- the death of the Sentry (who, for all intents and purposes, is a Marvelman stand in*) and the reformation of the Avengers is really the only way the story could end. In many ways, this feels like a reinvention of the Marvel universe and I suspect that's the case because Bendis' story cycle really has run its course. I complained a while ago about how I hate it when writers put away their toys, but this ending doesn't feel like Bendis has undone everything that he's made; instead, it feels as if there are new stories to tell and, although the history won't be forgotten, it can be put in the past. I suspect this represents a pretty important shift; maybe this is the moment where our heroes get to be heroes again, at least for a little while.

If that's the case, then I certainly look forward to this "Heroic Age", this "Brightest Day"; there are new stories to tell, and perhaps they're a little less dark (although hopefully no less nuanced) than what has come before.

*I'll probably write about this some more when I'm done with finals.