Roger Stern Avengers (Siege at Avengers Mansion)

Writing this on Notepad because my hotel doesn't have wifi, and I have no desire to write for half an hour with my thumbs on my phone.  I'll post this tomorrow when I'm back to civilization.  Also, Steph's out for at least two weeks, so nothing's right with the world.

Avengers 270-272

Three issues that accomplished two things:

1) Got Namor off the team (on a leave of absence to help Marrina).

2) Set up the roster for the next big arc.

Regret buying? No

Would buy again? Yes

Would read again? No

Rating: Fine

Avengers 273-277

The next big arc.  The Masters of Evil take over Avengers Mansion!  By far the highlight of Stern's run, these five issues kept me engaged throughout.  

• Stern ties in numerous threads from the entirety of his run - Hercules bridling at Wasp's (female) leadership, Black Knight's crush on Wasp, Blackout's key role, Wasp's growth as a leader.
• Wasp's growth as a leader.  How far Janet has come under the stewardship of Stern!  She is so removed from the insecure airhead who mooned over Hank Pym.  She exists as her own person, capable and heroic.
• The Avengers straight up get their asses kicked by Baron Zemo and the Masters of Evil.  Captain America, Hercules, Black Knight are incapacitated for the majority of the storyline.  Jarvis' pummeling at the hands of Mister Hyde is legit disturbing.  Support characters are rarely treated so cruelly in comics.  Sure, they'll get into scrapes now and again, but never to this extent.  Even if they're killed, it's usually quick and painless.  (Though now that I think about it, Women in Refrigerators proves that statement to be completely false.)
• Not sure how Wasp, Captain Marvel, and Ant-Man infiltrated the mansion in issue 276.  Blackout still had the barrier up.  
• This would make for a sweet movie.  It's not so epic in scope that the world is at stake (Avengers), and not so small that I don't care about what happens (Ant-Man).  It's at the Captain America airport battle level - mostly contained to a single locale, plenty of moments for each character to shine, and genuine emotional weight behind the fighting.
• It's great to see Thor back.  Hercules is but a faint shadow as European gods go. Seriously can't wait to get to Simonson's work.   
• Why Doctor Druid??
• I tore through these issues.  I wonder if it's because I'm in my hotel room with fewer distractions than I normally have, or if because this story was really that much better than everything else in Stern's run.  I hope it's the latter.  I don't want to be second guessing my ratings.  

Classic "Refer to the next or previous person by name so that the reader knows who you are" device.

Heh.  (He's won three since.)

Moonstone: Starscream of the Masters of Evil.

Regret buying? No

Would buy again? Yes

Would read again? Yes

Rating: Good

Avengers 278-279

Aftermath issues.  Wasp resigns as chairman on her own terms.  Black Knight is feeling useless after spending most of the mansion siege knocked out with a concussion.  Doctor Druid (why???), She-Hulk, and Thor rejoin the team.  The Avengers select Captain Marvel to be their new leader.  

Regret buying? No

Would buy again? Yes

Would read again? No

Rating: Fine