Writer: Tini Howard

Art: German Peralta, Jordie Bellaire, and VC’s Joe Sabino

Price: $3.99

Release Date: September 25th, 2019

What could be such a threat that the answer is not even told to the Avengers? Let’s find out if Strikeforce can do what the Avengers can not! That is AFTER we figure out who is on the Strikeforce team…

I like the premise of this issue. I really do, however, there are a few major issues I have with this number one. Here’s the low down, some vials containing viruses have gone missing from a facility somewhere in the US. The Avengers are called in.

As the team makes their way through the facility She-Hulk takes her mask off for some unknown reason and is exposed to whatever virus is in the air.

While taking the mask off was completely the wrong thing to do it also lead to She-Hulk doing Hulk type things and searching for “friends”. I guess it’s a “friend seeking” virus she was exposed to or some nonsense. While this is going on Tony is his typical self-centered self.

She-Hulk smashes her way through walls and leads us to our supposed team. So far, so good right? I thought so, but this is when things go sideways a bit, at least they did for this reviewer.

I figured this is where we’d be introduced to the team and get to know why they’re trapped in this facility etc…. Or not.

A number one issue should be a great jumping-on point for new readers. It should introduce the team with their names and tell what their powers are etc… This doesn’t happen though. If you aren’t a veteran Marvel reader you’ll be completely lost. Trust me, because I was. Strikeforce also relies heavily on knowledge of War of the Realms for the villains. Again, if you haven’t read that event you’ll be lost like I was. The worst offense by Tini Howard however, was that the roster page with names/abilities is put in at the very END of the issue! What sense does that make? How does that help someone that doesn’t know who Wiccan is? I read that he is engaged to a shapeshifter before I even knew what his name was!!

The rest of the issue is decent enough in explaining what the mission of the team is that I’ll keep reading for another few issues at least, but I was super confused the whole time. I was drawn to this series because from reading the previews because it deals with magic and features a couple of characters I really like, Bucky and Jessica. The execution of this issue was extremely lacking though. In a huge way.