New Avengers Vol. 3

This volume follows Fear Itself.  The issues in this story coincide with the issues in Avengers as well in fact this story would probably be better read in periodical form.  This book sees the escape of Norman Osborn under the watchful eye of Luke Cage's Avengers in the opening scenes of this story it doesn't really discuss the backstory of the Goblin gang that started being foreshadowed in earlier issues.  Osborn begins to form a plan to reform the Dark Avengers & supplant the current Avengers teams with his own.  Osborn in a genius & it shows in just how well he turns the tide against the Avengers.  Osborn forms a united team by gathering The Hand, A.I.M. & Hydra under the banner of what remains of H.A.M.M.E,R.  The one thing this mini event does is show how  disjointed the Avengers team are after Fear Itself.  The issues in this story are under the banner Shattered Heroes which is the appropriate title.  This story shows just how much Bendis loves to write Norman Osborn he has elevated this villain from the Spider-Man rogues gallery to the global stage as an Avengers level threat.  The Avengers rally once they find out how Osborn has manipulated them & show up to take down H.A.M.M.E.R.  For everything that was done right in this story there was a mistake for how well put together Osborn's plan was the Avengers plan seems confusing & chaotic.  I wish Bendis had put more time into building up this story because the execution & editing seemed rushed.  Luke Cage misses out on the final showdown because he is concerned about his family.  As H.A.M.M.E.R. falls all of Osborn's associates bail on him knowing that Osborn is his own worst enemy & that he usually brings about his own downfall.  Since these are the issues leading up to Avengers vs. X-Men I am surprised there is really no lead up to that event in these issues but it is a deserving follow-up to Fear Itself.