The Week in Revue (June 26 - July 2, 2013)

------- Spotlight

Batman/Superman #1
(w) Greg Pak
(a) Jae Lee

------- DC Reviews

The Flash #21
(w) Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato
(a) Francis Manapul

Justice League #21 
(w) Geoff Johns
(a) Gary Frank
CHECK OUT THIS REVIEW ON DC COMICS NEWS!

Justice League of America #21
(w) Geoff Johns
(a) David Finch
CHECK OUT THIS REVIEW ON DC COMICS NEWS!

------- Marvel Reviews
Age of Ultron #10A.I.
(w) Mark Waid
(a) Andre Araujo

X-Men #2
(w) Brian Wood
(a) Olivier Coipel

Young Avengers #6
(w) Kieron Gillen
(a) Kate Brown

Spotlight: X-Men #1

(w) Brian Wood
(p/i) Olivier Coipel
(i) Mark Morales

I don't know what I was expecting.

Honestly.

I had absolutely no idea how to feel about Brian Wood's all-female relaunch of X-Men. Well, I had one. I felt (and still feel) that it should be titled X-Women. But that's beside the point.

X-Men #1 is a surprisingly awesome book. It starts out slow, and unless your generally familiar with the X-Men lore as of late...and into the 1990s, you might have a harder time jumping on. But that's to be expected in this modern age of continuity and time travel travesties. Wood has assembled all the most bad-ass female X-Men for a squad whose mission is to stop the destruction of all life in the universe.

While it doesn't sound like a terribly original plot, the threat itself that really drives this title. John Sublime was created by Grant Morrison during his run on New X-Men. He's the embodiment of a sentient bacteria that's been infecting living things since the beginning of life on Earth. Though he became somewhat buried amongst Morrison's numerous high-concept ideas for the X-Men at the time, Sublime represented a deep-seeded fear of someone or something having control over us as humans. He was a powerful character, not only literally, but also literarily.


**SPOILERS, HOOOOO!!!!!!!!!**


And now we learn Sublime has a sister.

Unfortunately, she's not like her terrestrial brother who chose to nurture life on Earth. Sublime reveals that their ancient, bacteria-level, primordial war resulted in his choosing Earth and casting his sister out into space to fend for herself and hope for evolution. And now she's all grown up and angry as hell.

Wood's focus on family comes through with this brother/sister relationship, as well as through Jubilation Lee's return to Westchester County to seek help from the X-Men. Though I detest narration boxes, Wood employs them well here with Jubilee, keeping it light and fast-moving to avoid lingering on something too long and sounding corny.

Jubilee has been out of the picture long enough for Wood to bring her back without having to do much by the way of quick character development. It's not like she's Wolverine and Wood's got to establish that this is, in fact, Wolverine by making him say "Bub" and look menacing while discussing an ethically impossible scenario. This is Jubilee, a character whose been out of rotation for a long time and needs to be treated accordingly. Fortunately, Wood does this by keeping her panel time relatively small. Though the infant she carries is the focal point of the issue, we don't get an intimate look at Jubilee. She's been away for a reason and now, she's wary of returning.

I LOVE Olivier Coipel's artwork. There's not much more to say there.

These days, I find myself enjoying stuff I often scoff at when reading solicitations. It's a bad habit I'm trying to drop, but it's also a testament to how early previews sometimes skew opinions before the book has a chance to really make it's own case. I made a choice to invest myself in #1's when I got back into comics with the 'New 52' and Avengers vs. X-Men. I did this so the comic could prove itself without my preconceived notions getting in the way. X-Men #1 makes my case.

GRADE

9/10

The Week in Revue (May 29-June 4, 2013)

It's a fifth week, so things are a bit slow. I'll only be covering three issues here on The Comic Book Revue this week, as I've started splitting my time between this blog, my work for Pop Matters, and reviews for DC Comics News, which is a BRAND NEW site dedicated to all things DC Comics.

Also, make sure to check out The Comic Book Revue later this week for a...drumroll please...A PODCAST! That's right: I'll be taking the plunge and recording my first ever podcast about various comics, news, and happenings. More information will come as I figure it out :/

------- Spotlight
X-Men #1
(w) Brian Wood
(a) Olivier Coipel

OLIVIER COIPEL IN AN ONGOING SERIES! YEEESSSSS!!!!!!

------- DC Reviews

Earth 2 Annual #1
(w) James Robinson
(a) Yildiray Cinar, CAFU, and Julius Gopez

LET'S MEET THE NEW BATMAN OF EARTH 2!

------- Marvel Reviews

Captain America #7
(w) Rick Remender
(w) John Romita Jr.

REVIEW: X-MEN LEGACY #1

(w) Simon Spurrier
(p) Tan Eng Huat

Legion hasn't been too front-and-center in recent years. He's a somewhat obscure character whose powers aren't very easy to explain. His stories tend to be heavily steeped in philosophical quandaries. His hair looks ridiculous.

X-Men Legacy #1 is an issue that I believe will surprise many, many critics and fans alike. Unlike the title's previous incarnation -- which was basically just another X-Men team book in a very ho-hum lineup -- this 'Marvel NOW!' version focuses squarely on Professor Xavier's estranged and mentally unstable son, David Haller. David's 'Legion' moniker comes from his mutant power -- the ability to absorb a person's essence as an alternate personality and access said person's superhuman/mutant powers -- as does his extreme psychosis. The thing is, stories about David's instability have been told for years, decades even. It's old news, and Simon Spurrier knows this.

Instead of making David a victimized villain once again, Spurrier has decided to redeem the irredeemable mutant nutjob through spiritual and emotional journeying. Think of it as one part Red Hood and The Outlaws-esque redemption story, one part China Mieville's Dial H zaniness, and just a dash of Invincible-like daddy issues -- you've got Spurrier's X-Men Legacy. It sounds ridiculous, but the fact is that this issue is really, really good.

David has been undergoing spiritual therapy at a psychic retirement community in the Indian Himalayas. This setting alone was enough to make me realize this wasn't going to be just any run of the mill X-Men book. This series is going to be something special in the X-Men world: a solo book that's not about Wolverine. Yes, I know there are some solo series for other mutants of the Marvel U...but are there? Really? Or does Wolverine basically have a monopoly on solo adventures? David Haller is far more interesting that Logan, at this point, and every page of X-Men Legacy #1 reinforces that notion. Add to that a wholly personified interpretation of David's brain keeping his multiple personalities prisoner, and you've got one solid comic book, regardless of it's inclinations toward the Children of the Atom. 

The best part of the issue is when David senses his father's death at the hands of Scott Summers Dark Phoenix (at the end of Avengers vs. X-Men, true believers!) and basically erupts with emotion. I don't want to spoil the fun, but suffice it to say, I've already called my LCS and put X-Men Legacy on my subscription list. There are a lot of cool new ideas coming out of 'Marvel NOW!', and X-Men Legacy is at the fringe of it all, looking in and taking metaphorical approaches to literal problems. It's fantastic.

GRADE

9.5/10

MORE MARVEL NOW

With the flood of new titles being revealed by Marvel this past week, I thought I'd update the NEW MONTHLY SCHEDULE to reflect the new series. Unfortunately, most of them are debuting in December, a month of which solicitations haven't yet been released. Thus, I'll list here the newly announced titles that will be covered in December.

Thunderbolts

Written by Daniel Way

Art by Steve Dillon

Honestly, I've never been a fan of Thunderbolts. I understand the concept, the characters used just didn't really appeal to me. Now, though, Daniel Way is introducing a whole new roster and idea for the team. No longer are the Thunderbolts connected to the government, so their actions are their own. Red Hulk (with obvious references to General "Thunderbolt" Ross) now leads the Punisher, Elektra, Venom, and Deadpool. All of these characters together feels like it's going to be amazing. I was especially intrigued when Way, in an interview, explained that he would have liked for the title to be Thunderbolt's in the possessive because Red Hulk is leading the team. "Thunderbolt" has been good in the pages of Avengers, but this move to make him leader of his own team is smart.

Avengers Arena

Written by Dennis Hopeless

Art by Kev Walker

Is in The Hunger Games or Battle Royale or a little bit of both? Let's hope it's just Battle Royale. Dennis Hopeless is set to pit a large group of teenaged mutants and metahumans against one another at the whim of classic Marvel villain Arcade...ON MURDERWORLD! If that doesn't sound awesome, I don't know what does. Characters from Avengers Academy - including X23, Hazmat, Reptil, and Mettle - as well as Chase Stein and Nico from Runaways. I was a huge fan of Runaways, and I'm still holding out for some Young Avengers thrown into the fold. I mean, Wiccan is on the cover of Marvel NOW! Point One, so I'm banking on this possibly being the title.

Cable and X-Force

Written by Dennis Hopeless

Art by Salvador Larroca and Frank D'Armata

Dennis Hopeless will give Cable his old team back, but only in name. Along with their fearless, futuristic leader, Cable and X-Force will feature a recently villainized Colossus, Forge, Domino, and a much more bad-ass looking Dr. Nemesis. Similar to Thunderbolts, the new X-Force will be a shadow operation not answering to a higher-up. But while the Thunderbolts consist of those unfit to work in a group under normal circumstances, this new iteration of X-Force is a team of misfits and villains on the run from the rest of the Marvel universe, who view them as a squad of super villains. Again, I've never been a huge Cable fan, but I'm extremely interested in this title.

***

All in all, it very much feels like Marvel is endeavoring to make their universe more cohesive. In this post-Avengers vs. X-Men world, there are no more rules about 'Avengers' and 'X-Men'. And perhaps that's the real idea behind the event. The last eight years have been heavy on the definitions between the two entities, many books from each family never crossing over with the larger Marvel U. Now, mutants and metahumans enjoy membership on the same teams, new groups are being introduced to make the crossover more concrete, and the switch-ups to old teams are generally moving in a good direction. The days of Avengers and X-Men being separate are apparently at an end.

This is good.

Avengers vs. X-Men has literally proven that the two-party system has run out of steam and it's time to reach across the aisle to create new and interesting stories moving forward. If only our politicians could be as perceptive as Marvel.

AVENGERS vs. X-MEN #11 of 12

STORY: Brian Michael Bendis
ART: Olivier Coipel and Mark Morales

It's emotional gut-punch time! Over the past eight years, Marvel has made it pretty standard to kill off a major character at the end of major events. For Avengers: Disassembled, it was Hawkeye and Ant-Man. During Civil War, it was Captain America, and for Avengers vs. X-Men...you didn't think I'd spoil it this early in the review, did you? No, I'll give that little gem a bit more time.

Brian Michael Bendis and Olivier Coipel helm Avengers vs. X-Men #11, bringing the event ever closer to it's conclusion and segue into 'Marvel NOW!' starting in October. Ever since Cyclops and the other four X-Men took control of the Phoenix Force, it's been an obvious downward spiral for the Children of the Atom, and in this issue, that fact becomes all the more apparent once Rogue seeks asylum amongst the Avengers along with the rest of the disenfranchised mutants once loyal to Cyclops. Oh, and Charles Xavier is now in the mix for good. This just got real.

This is an issue filled with emotional and physical confrontations. With a huge new contingent of mutants at their side, as well as Xavier - who explains that he knows "what must be done" - the Avengers lay siege to Utopia, all while Professor X keeps Cyclops occupied in his own head. It's harrowing to see Cyclops, a cosmic god, bending to the will of a mere mutant. Of course, it's not just any mutant, and we get to see Charles Xavier unleash the full extent of his power against Cyclops as a legion of X-Men and Avengers descend upon Emma Frost to keep her occupied. Hell, they even manage to get the Hulk to help out. A lot of these pages are dedicated to the big fight. But Bendis is such an adept writer, he organically balances the fighting with the intervention-style confessionals by the likes of Iceman, (somewhat) Storm, Magneto, and - obviously - Xavier himself. Each one of them has a special connection to Scott Summers, and each has some words for the leader of the X-Men who's become a megalomaniac.

The opening pages of Avengers vs. X-Men #11 show Cyclops and Emma arguing over the fate of the universe, something that doesn't carry a lot of weight at first, but soon becomes the catalyst for Scott's eventual betrayal of Emma and his subsequent power play. It's telling how these two characters can chat about rewriting the universe without questioning why they should. Sure, both want the best for mutantkind, but the strain of the Phoenix obviously has taken away perspective (as seen more eloquently in Avengers vs. X-Men #6 Infinite). By the time Cyclops attacks Emma so he can acquire her power, it's pretty much expected. Bendis foreshadows this inevitability, but then acts like it's a big surprise once it happens. We all knew it would come down to Scott, it just became a question of when.

Scott feels violated. He's moved mountains, saved countless lives, and changed the world for the better, and now all his friends and family stand against him. He is a leader without a nation, a shepherd with no flock. It's a tough position to be in, but with interstellar powers at your fingertips, that grief can turn into suffering pretty quickly. And so it goes, Scott and Charles duke it out. In the end, it's Xavier on the ground and Scott floating above the corpse in a perfectly haunting fashion.

A lot of this issue's merits come from the emotional ramifications of the one of Marvel's Golden Children falling into darkness. Cyclops has been a mainstay in the Marvel universe since he was introduced. He's been in a leadership position throughout most of it, and he's been at odds with Charles Xavier only a handful of times that didn't have nearly the same ramifications as this disagreement. The fact that Charles feels he must force Scott to stop means there could never have been a positive outcome for either party. Scott loses the strongest father in his life, and Charles loses the son he always wished he had. It's beginning to look like no one will win this war. Usually, these mega-events don't have meaningful boundaries (i.e. - death is meaningless, changing alliances, etc.), so I hope Marvel sticks to it's guns for a while and keeps Xavier down. It was a truly shocking moment (though it was expected), and I'd hate for that emotional nuance to be squandered by resurrecting the good Professor.

GRADE

B

THE FIRST X-MEN #1 of 5

STORY: Christos Gage and Neal Adams
ART: Neal Adams

The First X-Men doesn't need to exist. It's as simple as that. For some reason, Christos Gage thought it would be cool to look at X-Men before there were...X-Men...which doesn't make much sense. The whole idea behind the name was that they were Xavier's Men, hence, X-Men. I understand that Gage and Adams are not calling this group 'X-Men' within the narrative, but the book's title and Neal Adams' obvious opine for the 1980s convey a sloppy and repetitive series that just didn't need to be. The problem stems from ground be retread. A team working for the safety and wellbeing of mutantkind? That's the X-Men! It's somewhat frustrating that Gage and Adams think this is some grand new idea that their pioneering. If they don't think what they're writing is somehow new, why would they write it in the first place? So either way, The First X-Men doesn't make sense.

From the very first page, this narrative feels undeveloped. Wolverine is helping a friend from the army find his son who has run away from home. Who is this mysterious friend? I guess we'll never know. Even with such a shaky beginning, I continued reading in hopes that the story would start making more sense. Instead, I was treated to more nonsense just for the sake of it. Why does The Wolverine want to act as babysitter to a bunch of muntant children? With decades of continuity as evidence, Logan doesn't take to children easily. Sure he was a mainstay at the Xavier School for a long, long time, but he was rarely more than a passing resident, mostly there to make sure the X-Men had the muscle they needed. Who's honestly going to take this seriously? And Sabertooth is helping out? I know there was a time when he and Wolverine worked together, but again, Gage and Adams warp Victor Creed's base personality, simply to tell a story. Not cool.

Then there's Charles Xavier. Dear God in Heaven, Charles Xavier. Why in the world Christos Gage and Neal Adams would feel it was okay to turn the greatest mutant revolutionary in Marvel universe history into a whining, selfish prig who just wants to be normal is beyond me. While he never actually says the word "normal", it's obvious that Xavier wants to live a purposely average life, which is an affront to the character at a very raw level. What's even more frustrating is how Marvel allowed this to happen.

None of this is even to mention Holly Bright, a carbon copy of Mastermind, who manipulates peoples minds into believing the horrific things he makes them see are real. Seriously, she does the exact same thing. Oh, but her name is Holo, which is a total anachronism because holograms or even the idea of them wouldn't have been around in this "years ago" time period. It's just so sloppy.

Perhaps the most frustrating parts of this series - and there are obviously many - is that Erik Lensherr is going to join the team. Magneto. So, Christos Gage and Neal Adams are trying to claim that Wolverine and Magneto were on a Pre-X-Men team that helped mutant kids before Charles Xavier possessed his lifelong ethics (really????) and decided to try and guide the mutant race. The entire idea is just stupid. There is no way this is alright. Not by a long shot. What The First X-Men is comes down to one word: disappointing. Not only is this series totally unnecessary, it slaps comic book fans across the face with a whole new slew of (technically official) canon that's just depressing to think is now part of a comic book universe that still had some semblance of sense to it. I'm not even going to start into Neal Adams' completely dated and awful artwork because it will just depress me. I'll just say, it's mind-numbingly bad (Magneto's hair looks like Nite Owl II's cowl).

GRADE

D-

AVENGERS vs. X-MEN #9 of 12

STORY: Jason Aaron
ART: Adam Kubert and John Dell

One could argue that reading Avengers vs. X-Men might be pointless now. What with Marvel teasing 'Marvel NOW!' - a soft reboot including new titles, relaunches of current series, and a ton of creator mix-ups - for weeks, why not just wait until October and start fresh? Because this series has finally reached the epic level we were all promised from the start - things are starting to happen that matter and will have lasting consequences.

Marvel is letting their gang of writers play pretty fast and loose with the passage of time in Avengers vs. X-Men, allowing upwards of two weeks to go by between issues, something that sets this series apart from many previous line-wide events. Knowing that this conflict has been going on for more than just a few days makes it all that more palpable - this isn't some skirmish or quick blowout. No, this is a war, in a much better sense than Civil War ever achieved. The premise of the series has grown from niche at best, to an idea that could be a monthly ongoing if it's parameters weren't so strict: Human Superheroes vs. Mutant Overlords! It's a series that could go on for years based simply on humans being the underdogs - as the Avengers have been for four issues now - and the mutants, however benevolent, have a dark fate ahead of them.

Indeed, the growing darkness surrounding the Phoenix Five Four takes precedent in Avengers vs. X-Men #9, as Jason Aaron gives readers a more detailed look into the psyche of each X-Man still wielding part of the Phoenix. Emma Frost, per usual, offers up the most introspective and existential dilemma dealing with her now awe-inspiring psychic powers. With the ability to look into every mind on the planet, she does and realizes that she could end the conflict in a moment using little more than a single thought; with Namor's power transfered to the other four Phoenix's, Emma's power is immeasurably grand. But Emma Frost is no simpleton - she understands the god complex she's undergone and sees that infinite power has brought her nothing but desire to destroy. In Emma's despair, we see the root of the Phoenix's terror, the meaning behind it's destructive tendencies. Would it be too far-fetched to see the original Phoenix, eons ago, attempting to save lives across the universe, only to be met with hostility by those who didn't understand it? Would it then be plausible to imagine that this ancient Phoenix would become sad, then angered by the lack of gratitude and understanding, leading to a rash of violence? We'll have to wait until next issue to find out if Emma succumbs to the pressure.

On the more visceral side of things, Magik and Colossus take center stage as the Avengers mount a rescue operation from the Verkhoyansk Mountains in Siberian. Magik has used her newly heightened powers to integrate a part of Limbo - the demonic dimension she uses to teleport through - into a volcano to act as a prison for the most powerful of Avengers, including Thor, Spider-Woman, and Quicksilver. Captain America leads his team into hell on Earth and is immediately ambushed by Colossus and Magik. After a few chaotic moments, Spider-Man manages to lure the Phoenix's away from the rest of the team rescue the captured Avengers. With his little sister whispering suggestions in his ear, Colossus beats Spider-Man to the point where I found myself questioning if this was the end for Peter Parker, a viable concern considering the upcoming reboot.

Magik starts getting a little too gruesome for Colossus' taste, and the two demigods begin bickering before Peter gets his two cents in. It's quite obvious that Magik has been corrupted by the Phoenix power, her already dark tendencies made even more chilling with the power of a death god. Colossus fears for his sister, and a few choice words from Spider-Man give each mutant a reason to take the other down. Spidey emerges, clinging to life with everything he has, while both Colossus and Magik lay defeated, their celestial power gone.

A major point in this issue is the fallout of the mutant race. After Namor's attack on Wakanda, Black Panther had his marriage to Storm annulled leading to Ororo gathering the other X-Men who've realized that Cyclops and the others have gone insane to stand against with the Avengers against the Phoenix Four. The fact that X-Men are distancing themselves from the Phoenix's was inevitable, but having Storm lead the rebellion is poetic justice. For decades, Storm has stood as a shining example of what most, if not all, X-Men strive to be - an agent of change for good through the use of a mutant ability. Now, it's her time to shine as the beacon of mutant hope against a force that threatens to demolish all life on Earth.

The Avengers now have more support than ever. Unfortunately, Cyclops rips through time and space to get to K'un Lun and take Hope away from Earth's Mightiest Heroes. While most of these issues have ended with cliffhangers, this one seems especially haunting because the writers can't jump forward in time next issue; this is the very moment before a giant brawl that promises to lead into the epic climax.

GRADE:

A-

AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #7 of 12

STORY: Matt Fraction
ART: Olivier Coipel and Mark Morales

Getting convoluted, you say? Wrapped up in it's own hyperbole, you say? Avengers vs. X-Men continues this week - after a stellar sixth issue and opening to Act II - with a huge slam on the brakes. Granted, it would take a lot to one-up Jonathan Hickman's masterful take on the Phoenix Five's betterment of Earth, but Matt Fraction not only doesn't keep the momentum going, he seems to be satisfied with a lot of talking.

Avengers vs. X-Men #7 is very much a filler issue. Wanda Maximoff has been revealed as the Phoenix Five's one true equal and the Avengers are now basically fugitives on the run. Both of these elements are dragged out over the course of the issue as Fraction decides to tell us how benevolent and awe-inspiring the Phoenix Five have been, and how far the Avengers have fallen out of grace instead of showing us what's happening. It's a lot less interesting to hear Cyclops tell his peers that the world loves them than seeing parades being thrown in honor of the Phoenix, or newspaper clippings about their good deeds. Hickman kind of knocked that ball out of the park last issue, but Matt Fraction is supposed to be one of Marvel's heavy-hitters, but his story falls pretty flat.

Which is all the more frustrating because Wanda Maximoff entering this conflict and siding with the Avengers is a big power play for the series and one that obviously has dire consequences. Since Scarlet Witch really is the only person who can stand up to the Phoenix Five, Fraction takes the extra time to convey this power. When Wanda faces off against Magik, it's the X-Man that goes down, not the Witch. Fraction glosses over this HUGE plot point just to get to Emma Frost unleashing some rage and burning Clint Barton nearly to death. While I understand the idea of making Clint's live roast an emotional hinge...MARVEL DID THIS EIGHT YEARS AGO! During the Avengers: Disassembled mini-event, Hawkeye was murdered by the Scarlett Witch when she had a nervous breakdown. Now, with barely any dialogue to give him a personality anyway, Hawkeye is hurt in nearly the exact same fashion: by a magic-wielding maniac with no boundaries.

Is it just me, or does Hawkeye really get the short end of the stick a whole helluva lot? First he's killed by Wanda, then resurrected - but as the hero Ronin, then he gets his name stolen during Norman Osborne's control over global defenses before abruptly having his costume changed to more closely resemble his movie counterpart.

Avengers vs. X-Men #7 does a fine job as a bridge issue between more important narrative aspects. Last issue, it was the reintroduction to the world under the leadership of the Phoenix Five and in two weeks, it will be the invasion of Wakanda by Namor and the Atlanteans. For an issue with little substance to spread out over 22 pages, Matt Fraction does the best job be can with the content he's given. It's unfortunate that Olivier Coipel's fantastic penciling couldn't be more readily employed, but even his 'neutral' faces for characters have so much more life in them than some artists' most emotionally charged heroes.

GRADE

B-

(COMIC) AVENGERS vs. X-MEN #6 of 12

STORY: Jonathan Hickman
ART: Olivier Coipel and Mark Morales

In the last issue of Avengers vs. X-Men, the Phoenix was fractured into five pieces which bonded with Cyclops, Colossus, Magik, Emma Frost, and Namor. I was a bit skeptical as to Marvel's intentions with the 'Phoenix Five' - their appearance seemed to precipitate an even bigger fight between the Avengers and the X-Men. The kind of battle that levels cities.

Instead, Jonathan Hickman brings us into Act II of Avengers vs. X-Men with a somber overview of the new world order. This issue picks up ten days after the confrontation with the Phoenix on the moon. In those days, Cyclops has led the other Phoenix Forcers in reshaping the world into a better place. With the power of gods split between five benevolent beings (the possible exception being Colossus and his Juggernaut power, which hasn't been brought up yet), the X-Men personify the 'rebirth' part of the Phoenix omens, the part where this force can be one for major positive strange.

I'm actually pretty impressed with Marvel's decision to make this turning point one of growth instead of conflict. There's an obligatory stand-off at the issue's end, but it's only real purpose is to start the slow burn to the next big fight.

Avengers vs. X-Men #6 is all about the change being created by the Phoenix Five. Magik and Colossus are fertilizing once barren land, Namor has tamed the Aleutian Trench to provide fresh, clean, free water for the world's people, and Emma Frost has created a machine in the Gobi Desert that provides sustainable, renewable, clean, free energy for all. Oh, and Utopia is now a freaking paradise of technology and peace. Even the Avengers are a bit awe-struck by the X-Men's sheer force of good.

In this issue, Jonathan Hickman had to usher in a second act to the biggest Marvel event of the year, introduce a new status quo for the Marvel Universe, dedicate quality pages to both sides of the conflict, all while pushing the narrative forward. It's a big task and one that Hickman masterfully handles.

The mini-story dealing with the Electric Legion is a gem that sits right in the middle of this issue. The Avengers set out to stop the Legion from a rampage when Colossus shows up and talks it out. With the Phoenix powers, Pyotr just learns to speak Electric and brokers a deal for the Legion to power half of Europe. Iron Fist's disbelief starts a domino effect of disapproval with the Avenger's strategy to stand against the X-Men. Beast and Black Panther both see the Phoenix as a source of good that has only helped and improved the world since arriving. Wolverine, of course, stand by his convictions and Captain America, but many Avengers have begun to doubt.

Again, I want to emphasize the scope of Hickman's job here. Wanda Maximoff arrives at the end as the Avengers execute their covert operation to acquire Hope from Utopia. Cyclops is on the verge of taking out every single Avenger when Wanda's chaotic powers interfere with the Phoenix Force. Obviously, it's a sign that the Phoenix isn't omnipotent - it has a weakness.

And of course, Cyclops declares, "No more Avengers" on the last page, which is what we've been waiting for since Act II's announcement. Here goes nothin'!

GRADE

A

(COMIC) AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #4 of 12

STORY: Jonathan Hickman
ART: John Romita Jr. and Scott Hanna

Finally, finally, things are moving forward a bit in Avengers vs. X-Men, a series that has, thus far, shown little more concept than, "let 'em fight!" which may not be a terrible idea on paper, but stretching it out to a whopping 12 issues was silly, as I mentioned a few weeks ago for my review of AvX #3. Fortunately, Jonathan Hickman's turn at bat has proven a much better experience than any previous issue, and it's mostly because the actual conflict is in the background.

A few panels here and there are dedicated to giving the readers a little overview of where all the troops are for both sides. Fights have broken out on Wundagore Mountain, Tabula Rasa, in Wakanda and Latveria, and even into the Savage Land. The beginnings of these bouts are explained throughout various tie-in issues over the Marvel imprint. Uncanny X-Men #12 shows how Namor and Sunspot got to Tabula Rasa to fight the Thing and Luke Cage, etc. Compartmentalizing these fights has given Hickman more room to flesh ou an actual story, which is refreshing.

Last time, Captain America kicked Wolverine out of a Quinjet and into Antarctica. A polar bear skin-clad Logan follows a trail of frozen beer - in a nice moment of humor - to Hope Summers who has come looking for Wolverine, even though last time they met, he tried to kill her. After a little time to herself to comprehend the scope of the alien entity coming to possess her, Hope now understands why everyone is going ape-shit over the Phoenix's return.

While the various fights around the world are going on, Iron Man is attempting to build a Phoenix killer - a weapon with enough cosmic might to take down a god - and Emma Frost psychically uses Toad to interact with Cerebra at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning in Westchester. This shows not only Cyclops' disrespect for Toad, but also his desperation in technically stealing from Wolverine. Hope recruits Wolverine to help her get to Earth's moon, where she hopes she can connect with the Phoenix and learn to control it before returning to Earth. Seemingly impressed by Hope's logical thought process, Logan comes along for the ride. And then, all hell breaks loose.

The showdown between the Avengers and the X-Men is staged on the moon's surface as Wolverine informed the Avengers to Hope's whereabouts as soon as they met in Antarctica, and Emma was able to find Hope using Toad and Cerebra. Like most situations in this series thus far, this face-off feels forced. On the moon? Seriously? Then Thor crashes down and the Phoenix shows up. Like I said, this issue finally gets some plot going, but it takes us to the moon and that just seems silly.

GRADE:

B-

(COMIC) AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #3 of 12

STORY: Ed Brubaker
ART: John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna

After what amounted to a pissing contest followed by an issue of little-to-no plot, Avengers Vs. X-Men is finally on-track to deliver a cohesive story. Ed Brubaker takes the reigns for issue three, and he does a fantastic job raising the level of discontent between the two warring factions.

Wolverine acts as the audience surrogate, waking up hours after being cooked by Hope Summers at the end of issue two. Spider-Man informs Logan that the X-Men have surrendered and Captain America is trying to get everything in order again. Logan immediately knows something is up and attacks Cyclops, which turns out to be a mystic projection from Magik masquerading as Doctor Strange. This scene is the first of two important ones dedicated to piling on the distrust between the two sides. It's worth mentioning the press release given out by the X-Men's publicist in the pages of Uncanny X-Men #11. In it, Cyclops explains how the Avengers - and the US government, by proxy - considers mutants to be 'less than' even after everything the mutant community has given back to the world, and waxes poetic about being treated like property instead of people. It's a powerful element of this event that I'm quite surprised wasn't included in the main series. Either way, Magik's fake-out serves as a proverbial smack in the face to all the Avengers. Add in an argument between Iron Man and Captain America about the legitimacy of the Avengers' mission, and you've got a great first part of the issue.

The second important scene is between Captain America and Wolverine onboard a Quinjet discussing Logan's rogue behavior on Utopia. Cap believes Logan is too involved, too close to the situation to make rational and logical decisions. Wolverine, on the other hand, knows the Phoenix force better than most and feels he has to do anything in his power to stop it. After a quick fight, Cap orders the jet's cargo doors open and throws Wolverine out. It's quite obvious that the Captain had this planned all along, that he's had a contingency for Wolverine in place for quite some time. Seeing this side of Captain America is a little chilling - he's (only somewhat) turning into a Batman-esque character who has a coordinated plan of attack against any of his fellow Avengers...just in case.

So far, it seems like Brubaker has the best hold on the plot of this series. It's difficult to express discord between friends in a comic in a meaningful way. Fortunately, Avengers Vs. X-Men #3 made up for a lot of the pitfalls I saw in the first two issues. If Marvel can keep the narrative moving as smoothly as the giant, orchestrated fight sequences, this series might just be amazing yet!

GRADE:

A

(COMIC) AvX: VS #1 of 6

STORY: Jason Aaron (Part 1) and Kathryn Immonen (Part 2)
ART: Adam Kubert (Part 1); Stuart Immonen and Wade Von Grawbadger (Part 2)

The preface pages of Avengers vs. X-Men: VS #1 explains most of what you need to know about this series going forward. While it connects to the main Avengers vs. X-Men event, VS is all about fighting! Small on plot and big on visual appeal, VS is mostly about letting the artists draw some of the biggest and coolest fights ever seen in the Marvel universe. And, Marvel isn't looking to squeeze every last penny out of you by limiting VS to six issues, one for each month of AvX.


This month brings us the "director's cut" for the fight between Iron Man and Magneto, as well as the undersea brawl between Thing and Namor. Unlike the somewhat lacking main series, VS isn't trying to dress up this superhero cat fight with actual plot. After a disappointing second issue in the main series, I was very much hoping that VS would be this event's saving grace. Unfortunately, while the actual fights are fleshed out very well, the choices for who fights and who wins is absolutely absurd.

Can you really call him 'Iron' Man if his suit isn't made of metal? I mean, I understand not being made of actual iron - that would be ridiculous - but shouldn't Tony Stark's suit be somewhat metal? Or at least have some metal parts? I find it very hard to believe that throughout his entire suit, there's not at least a few metal pieces. But, that's what Marvel would have us believe as Tony takes on Magneto. And wins. Yes, Magneto takes on IRON Man and loses.

The second extended fight comes from Thing - formerly of the Fantastic Four - and Namor, the Sub-Mariner and ruler of the former kingdom of Atlantis. After getting punched up into the air through a S.H.I.E.L.D. Hellicarrier, Thing crashed back down into the ocean and proceeds to defeat Namor. NAMOR IS THE KING OD ATLANTIS AND CAN BREATH UNDERWATER! I seriously almost became angry when Thing was able to breath using thermal vents on the ocean floor. How ridiculous is that? Namor is the obvious winner of this fight, yet the writers decide to make Thing the victor.

It very much feels like Marvel and it's writers are trying to throw audiences curveballs with this series. It's very, very obvious that Magneto should defeat Iron Man and that Namor should defeat Thing when fighting underwater, yet Jason Aaron and Kathryn Immonen (respectively) feel like giving the underdogs the victories makes more sense. Instead, it simply comes off as ridiculous and a slap in the face to readers who supposedly know these characters. I mean, how can Marvel justify making Namor lose a fight underwater? I simply don't know.

GRADE:

C-

(COMIC) AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #2 of 12

STORY: Jason Aaron, Brian Michael Bendis, Ed Brubaker, Jonathan Hickman, and Matt Fraction
SCRIPTS: Jason Aaron
ART: John Romita Jr. and Scott Hanna

Marvel has a tendency to misjudge the length of it's major comic book events. 2006's Civil War seemed like a good length at seven issues, but spent the final three mulling around until reaching the final battle and standoff between Captain America and Iron Man that everyone wanted to see anyway. In 2010, Siege was a measly four issues when it should have been a more sprawling epic. And just last year, Fear Itself lasted seven issues, followed by a 12-issue aftermath series - Fear Itself: The Fearless - that only ended last month. Two weeks ago, Marvel proved us that the conflict between the Avengers and X-Men showed promise in terms of storytelling concept and execution. Unfortunately, Avengers Vs. X-Men #2 fails as both a follow-up issue and as a piece of the overall narrative.

I understand that the fundamental focus of AvX is supposed to be the fighting; Marvel has been advertising the hell out of the event on a platform of awesome one-on-one fights that stretch across the imprint. That being said, readers should still get quality storytelling from a premier event with issues at the four dollar price point. And that's where this issue falls flat. An omniscient narrator (I like to think Jason Aaron thinks in the same manner as he writes) explains the brawls happening throughout the issue in opaque and tritely metaphorical ways, attempting to seem dramatic when it only comes off as pretentious.

Now don't get me wrong: the fights are awesome. Colossus vs. Red Hulk; Namor vs. Luke Cage and The Thing; Iron Man vs. Emma Frost and Magneto - these are just a few of the bouts fleshed out in the pages of Avengers Vs. X-Men #2, but they all feel stunted, like there isn't enough space in the issue to fit in all the action. Of course, Marvel knew this going in and planned accordingly with Avengers Vs. X-Men: VS, the all-fight companion series that debuts next week.

Knowing about VS going into this event makes the scant storyline all the more obvious. I couldn't help feeling like a lot of the fighting in the main series could have been relegated to the pages of VS with little consequence. But then Marvel couldn't stretch this (somewhat inane) conflict between these teams out for a exhaustive 12 issues AND sell us the companion series, so...there's that. Hopefully the third issue can make up some time in the narrative department.

GRADE:

C+

(COMIC) AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #1 of 12

STORY: Jason Aaron, Brian Michael Bendis, Ed Brubaker, Jonathan Hickman, and Matt Fraction

SCRIPTS: Brian Michael Bendis
ARTWORK: John Romita Jr. and Scott Hanna

It's finally here: the Marvel event fans have been demanding for years. Avengers Vs. X-Men signifies a major shift in the way Marvel is looking to structure their comic book universe. Pitting it's two most popular franchises against one another is a bold move, one that could make or break Marvel's financial year. If this crossover event isn't a hit, the House of Ideas has some problems.

So it's no surprise when Marvel announced the writer lineup for Avengers Vs. X-Men. All the big names are here to lend a hand, but Brian Michael Bendis takes the reigns with scripts that the others work from. Bendis' style is very prominent, but shades of Jason Aaron, Ed Brubaker, John Hickman and Matt Fraction are evident throughout the book. Similarly, John Romita Jr. has been brought in as the ringer on artwork. Romita Jr. has a very specific style that works for a variety of comic book fans. A few years ago, his work on Eternals and Kick-Ass were simply breathtaking, and he brings the same thick lines, sharp corners and gruff look from those series over to AvX.

Aaron and Bendis have done a fantastic job making Avengers Vs. X-Men attractive to new readers, and it's no coincidence that this crossover event will overlap with the nationwide release of Marvel's summer blockbuster, The Avengers. Unlike many (many) of their events over the past eight years, Marvel didn't release much 'build-up material'; the conflict between the Avengers and X-Men has been organically brewing for years in the pages of Marvel's many titles, and AvX is the natural endgame.

In this seminal first issue, good ol' Nova returns to Earth! Unfortunately, he's brought omens of the returning Phoenix force, the interstellar entity that possessed Jean Grey years ago. Meanwhile, Cyclops is going a little Mommy, Dearest on poor Hope Summers, the supposed 'Mutant Messiah'. After badgering her one too many times, Cyclops gets a face full of Phoenix. Hope's just as surprised as the rest of them before Bendis & Co. take us back to the Avengers (meeting with the President on Capitol Hill) who immediately sense the Phoenix energy signature.

The disagreement between Marvel's two most popular teams boils down to a lack of respect. The Avengers want to take Hope under their custody - especially after Nova's warning - while the X-Men believe that Hope's situation falls under their responsibility as leaders of mutantkind. Both parties have pushed the other around quite a bit in recent Marvel U history, so it makes sense that a fundamental issue like jurisdiction could be the catalyst to a massive conflict.

Being disappointed by Marvel events has left a sour taste in my mouth. Last year's Fear Itself was so lackluster I stopped reading after two months. Even 2010's Siege was half-baked at a measly four-issue main series. Apparently, Marvel took note with Avengers Vs. X-Men, giving readers a perfect-sized 12-issue main run, a six-issue VS. series dedicated to fights, fights, and more fights, as well as multiple tie-ins throughout the imprint.

GRADE:

A

(COMIC) AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #0

Written by Brian Michael Bendis and Jason Aaron
Artwork by Frank Cho

For months, Marvel has been teasing it's Avengers Vs. X-Men crossover as the event to read this summer. With a huge 12-issue main series, the all-fight companion series AvX: VS, and countless tie-in issues from across the imprint, Marvel is bringing fans an awesome event without going overboard, an issue that's plagued crossover events - for both Marvel and DC - over the past ten years. And it all starts this week with Avengers Vs. X-Men #0, a prequel issue that features two stories about the Scarlet Witch and Hope Summers.

We start with Scarlet Witch and her fight against M.O.D.O.K. Spider-Woman and Ms. Marvel show up to lend a hand and a few words about friendship. Against Wanda's better instincts, they all fly back to Avengers Mansion only to be greeted by Scarlet Witch's ex-husband, Vision who wants nothing to do with her. It seems a bit odd to me that it's been eight years since the Avengers: Disassembled story arc and seven since House of M, and loose ends from both of these events are just now being tied up. Why wouldn't Wanda and Vision have at least seen each other before now? It might be a bi-product of Brian Michael Bendis' writing style. Dedicating twelve issues of a series to a day's worth of events - for example - severely hinders the ability for the entire imprint to keep a consistent timeline.

The second story focuses on Hope Summers, the mutant messiah, as explained to me by the character bio at the beginning in the issue. Holed up on Utopia, the X-Men's island sanctuary off the coast of San Francisco, Hope has been sneaking out to fight crime and Cyclops has finally decided to approach her about it. Before I keep going, I'd like to mention the fact that Scott Summers (a.k.a. Cyclops) is supposed to be the leader of the X-Men and an inspiration for all of mutantkind. It's been 70 years and he still has to wear a visor. Seriously? It's actually kind of annoying that Marvel hasn't allowed Cyclops to evolve beyond needing his visor. Anyway, Hope is set to be the next avatar for the Phoenix Force, which is hurtling through space toward Earth. Scott doesn't want to talk about the Phoenix, due to the whole Jean being possessed by it thing, and Hope wants answers about this mysterious alien force coming to possess her body.

For fans who regularly follow Marvel's titles, Avengers Vs. X-Men #0 is probably an integral issue that offers payoff for months of build-up, but as a jumping-in point for new readers, it fails to give enough backstory to create a narrative understandable enough to continue reading.

GRADE:

B+