David Mack illustrating an issue of New Avengers? Yes, please!
Mack played a prominent role in the creation and early development of Echo–both with Brian Michael Bendis and in a story arc that featured Mack’s own script–so it makes sense that he’d come aboard for an Echo-focused issue.
I like that last issue Bendis focused on Jessica and Luke and brought in artist Michael Gaydos, who was such a huge part of the Alias series, and now Bendis brings in David Mack. Bendis was a great writer who always understood how important the artist was to his work. That’s not always the case with great writers (I’m looking at you, Stan Lee!).
As for the story, Echo is beginning to suspect that some of the New Avengers are skrulls. She’s the newest member, so it tracks that she’d be suspicious. She goes looking for a familiar super-face in Daredevil, but it turns out the DD she finds is a skrull, who was sent to replace Maya herself…
It ends with Hawkeye and Echo talking about what it’s like to be new to the team. Nice touch, as Hawkeye’s early Avengers days were fraught with conflict and suspicion, since he was originally a criminal allied with Black Widow (back when Natasha was still working for the Russians).
Then, she and Hawkeye have sex, Clint falls asleep (as men do), and we see her reaching for him…
Very well done issue. The Secret Invasion event had a lot of potential, and its stories like this–about paranoia and identity–where it shined brightest.