I think he does, but… to me, his sensibilities don’t really seem cut out for the Avengers. He has gotten better at it, but I think his talky style and gradual stories suit solo characters (or duos, like in Powers) better than a big superhero team that goes up against big threats a lot.

Of course, given how many copies New Avengers has sold, I could be the one with the wrong sensibilities

It’s not I think Bendis is incapable of doing a good Avengers story. I just don’t think he cares.

Funny thing is, I’ve seen this guy at shows treat fans really nicely, but I can totally see how his “online personality” turns people off. It’s like Jekyll & Hyde. As a fan we want these guys to be cool people but its just a reminder that the work and the artist are two different entities.

Obviously this doesn’t mean that Bendis can never write a misogynistic tale, but I do believe there are far many other authors who are more deserving of the label.

Personally, I liked Avengers #26. I don’t really understand why it’s that surprising that Clint didn’t seek out the Avengers. He has been through a heck of a lot.

Some of the issue didn’t sit entirely well with me…I didn’t like the rushed transition to suddenly finding Wanda. And I’m still uncertain about how I feel about the way Wanda rather quickly throws herself upon him. It seemed…odd.

But then there was much about the tale that seemed odd. Obviously there is still much wrong with Wanda. I liked the atmosphere of the writing and Maleev’s art complemented it perfectly. While not a perfect issue my any stretch of the imagination, it was well done - and it was different than most superhero comics. I liked the changed of pace.

I will say this - at least the review above didn’t complain about Bendis’ quippy overly-hip dialogue.

The misogyny comes from the way he writes women; with the exception of the most recent issue of New Avengers, Maria Hill has been played as almost ridiculously nasty when Bendis is writing her. Issue #16 seemed to serve more of a purpose to “humiliate the bitch in charge” more than show the threat of the Collective. It gets under my skin when every artist tries to draw her in a highly sexualized manner, thus making the connection between attractive woman- position of authority- someone not worth trusting (Bendis usually ignoring the fact that she has good REASON not to trust the Avengers). Granted, he has a sudden reversal where he takes a well rounded look at her in issue #25 and gives her the characterization she deserves, so there’s that.

And there was something seriously creepy about issue #26, dontcha think? And Spider-Woman: Origin and the subsequent NA issue might as well have been retitled Jessica Drew’s Torture Time Funnies, for the way the abuse of her is fetishized. Wife and daughter or no, those stories flipped my triggers.

Am I demonizing him? I guess so. But given how bitter he comes off publicly these days… I’m just tired of the abuse creators heap on fans, yet keep writing comics. I wish he’d just write good stories again, you know?

Then again, I look at something like The Boys, and…

Farabee: Wow, you’re THE Dave Farabee that Byrne called an asshole? Neato! And I’m on a Storm of Swords, so I’m considering getting The Hedge Knight.

I do have a pretty healthy distaste for his hardcore sycophants, though. The level of ass-kissery they reach, and the pack mentality it fosters…it’s a good argument for minimizing interraction between fans and pros. Decent folks can become real schmucks around creators they’re trying to buddy-up with, and worst of all, the last thing a talented creator needs to be surrounded with is a bunch of yes-men.

In other news, I think the latest New Avengers was a painfully egotistical indulgence on the writing front, but I liked Maleev’s Klimt-inspired art quite a bit. Apparently the colors printed much more washed out than the originals, which I saw Maleev had posted at Bendis’ board:

http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=97025

But the book I’d most recommend this week is the hardcover printing of the Dabel Brothers’ adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s Hedge Knight. It’s a rare beast: an excellent fantasy story in comics.

But I do think Byrne is a dick, which is easily borne out by listening to just about anyone who’s ever interacted with him, or spending a couple of days on his boards and watching how he treats his sycophants (let alone anyone who might actually disagree with him). So he makes a good target for (usually tongue-in-cheek) cheap shots, and I don’t hold any guilt considering how freely he’ll blast away at anyone who disagrees with him in any way. If I were a bigger person, I wouldn’t do it… but I have a weakness when it comes to petty blowhards.