Avenging Spider-Man #1

This is a title I've been anxiously awaiting since the moment it was announced. Joe Madureira is my all-time favorite artist, and I get everything he's ever put his name on. The day he left comics was a very sad day for me. When he came back to draw the third volume of the Ultimates, I was excited, but not as much as if it had been on a main-universe Marvel title. Still, I enjoyed it, and wished there was more. And now there is. And it's on a main-Marvel book, about Marvel's main character. It's an exciting time!
Avenging Spider-Man is everything a Spidey book should be. Heck, it's everything a comic should be. It's fun, action-packed, and leaves you wanting more the second you finish the last page. Zeb Wells was one of the best writers on Amazing Spider-Man when the title was being written by the "braintrust." It's great to see him back telling the tales of ol' Spidey. And this time, he's brought all of Spidey's friends with him. Team-up books have always been hit-or-miss. Some are very well done, and each character is represented equally. Some have been basically a way to showcase a lesser-selling character with the help of a bigger-selling one. This book so far has taken all the best qualities of a team-up book and amped them up with the biggest names in Marvel's line. Seeing Zeb getting to play in that sandbox is going to be a ride like nothing else on the stands today.
Having Joe Mad along for that ride is the best icing any cake could hope for. His art is the most electric of any artist working today. He breathes life into his drawings that make them seem like they're jumping right off the page. Joe's style used to have more of a manga look to it when he first started out, but more recently it's definitely morphed into a style that mixes more "traditional" art with a manga essence. I still love every bit of it. The only flaw I can mention is the fact that Joe needs an inker on this title. The lack of one leaves a sort of unfinished look to some pages and panels. It's not totally distracting, but I feel ink would just be a better way to go. The coloring by Ferran Daniel, though, is a real win. It complements the art in a way that almost makes not having an inker forgivable.
The best part of the book (so far, at least), is the fact that you can jump right in to a Spider-Man title without needing to know anything about current storylines, or even years of back tales. As long as that lasts, I think this book will have a nice, healthy shelf life.