Uncanny Avengers #9 Review

(w) Rick Remender
(a) Daniel Acuna

It's quite obvious to me that Rogue and Scarlet Witch's argument represented the real-life arguments online after the release of Uncanny Avengers #5. In that issue, Remender intended to convey the idea that people shouldn't be judged by their race, gender, sexual orientation, or mutation. This was misinterpreted by many as advocating for assimilation instead of diversity. Remender's meltdown on Twitter was widely circulated, and he apologized shortly after, but Uncanny Avengers #9 is where he really gets to let it all out.


** SPOILERS AHEAD! **


At the beginning of the sequence, I assumed Scarlet Witch's argument defending Havok would come out on top. Fortunately, Remender keeps things balanced and allows Rogue to have her own opinion without it sounding condescending. Both women make valid points about what was said by Alex at the press conference, and neither budges from their point of view. If this sounds familiar, it's because this is how most people are, in general. Debate is all well and good, but not often are individuals swayed from their established notions.

As far as the story itself is concerned, Uncanny Avengers #9 advances the narrative for the Apocalypse Twins by setting in motion their plan to annihilate all human life on the planet and start fresh on a new mutant world. Remender is doing an excellent job weaving is grand narrative about Apocalypse -- which began with Uncanny X-Force -- into the world of the Avengers. Wolverine's hard choices have come back to haunt him and now threaten to divide the team when they need to be united the most. Insecurities bubble up, bitter truths are spoken, and everything the team stands for begins to break down.

Uncanny Avengers #9 is an excellent issue. From a long-form perspective, Remender's casting choices have been truly excellent in bringing diversity and balance to the title's tone. It feels like human-mutant relations in the Marvel universe may never be completely peaceful, and the Avengers Unity Team is beginning to internalize this feeling more and more.

GRADE

8/10

Uncanny Avengers #5

(w) Rick Remender     (a) Olivier Coipel

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

On the spectrum on comic book art, it goes from being extremely cartoony/exaggerated on one end, to vividly realistic/lifelike on the other. Rob Liefeld and Humberto Ramos are the first two names that popped into my head when thinking of examples for the former, while David Finch and Ethan Van Sciver represent the latter. While most artists exist somewhere along the spectrum, there are few that find a phenomenal middle ground that represents the comic book format, yet manages to capture dynamic realism. Some of these names include Jim Lee, Jim Cheung, Greg Capullo, John Cassaday, Phil Noto, and Olivier Coipel.

Coipel has been a favorite artist of mine since I read House of M, so when I heard he was doing an issue of Uncanny Avengers with Rick Remender -- a more recent addition to my list of favorite writers -- I was immediately sold. Though, it's not like I wasn't already going to read the issue. Coipel's artwork is an absolute treat for an transition issue that begins to incorporate Remender's storylines from Uncanny X-Force he promised would resurface in this series.

There is a sequence in Uncanny Avengers #5, wherein Alex Summers begins a national dialogue about the use of the word "mutant" as a descriptor of individuals with activated x-genes. For some ridiculous reason, select critics and journalists have chosen to become incensed by the ideas put forth by Havok in his speech. These ideas deal with the perception of mutants as inherently different from humans, which Alex attempts to explain simply isn't true. The controversy surrounds Alex's insistence that the word "mutant" now carries a negative connotation, and that maybe, just maybe, the intelligent peoples of Earth might just possibly be able to think of a better way to interact with those who are different. The point of the speech was that Alex didn't want to be defined by his mutation; a noble belief that ultra-sensitives on the internet have turned into an ugly attempt at casting Rick Remender and his narrative decisions in a bigoted light. It's ridiculous and frankly appalling that a story conveying a hopeful idea for the future of an oppressed people is so viciously attacked because of the wording.

And the funny thing is, Havok's speech is only a small part of the issue. Probably the least technically interesting part about the issue is Alex's speech. It's a sentiment that's been a part of mutant life in the Marvel universe for decades. Remender conveyed that sentiment very well, but it's been done. The speech is important, but in true Remender fashion, the entire issue sets up future stories, not just the big finale at the end. There's the addition of Wonder Man, Wasp, and Sunfire to the team, the romantic tension between Captain America and Scarlet Witch, the attack on the press conference by Grim Reaper, or even the ongoing look at Captain America and Havok's struggle to keep rank.

Uncanny Avengers #5 is a fantastic issue of a fantastic series. Rick Remender knows how to write great comic books and now that we're getting to the point where his storylines from UXF are starting to connect, it's just going to get better and better.

GRADE

8/10

REVIEW: UNCANNY AVENGERS #3

(w) Rick Remender
(a) John Cassaday

Reading Uncanny Avengers is experiencing a modern classic unfold. Much in the same fashion he rendered Uncanny X-Force one of the best comic book series in modern history, Rick Remender is making sure this new series lives up to it's top shelf name. Uncanny Avengers sits comfortably and impeccably between the Avengers and X-Men franchises, in terms of team makeup as well as narrative breadth. Jonathan Hickman is going universal in the pages of Avengers and New Avengers, ratcheting up the scope of the threats facing each team, threats that have universe-sized ramifications. Brian Michael Bendis is bringing his unique brand of interpersonal relationship drama to the X-Men by penning decompressed, character-driven stories. Remender's book and team fall right in the middle, which is kind of the point.

Uncanny Avengers #3 continues "The Red Shadow", an opening salvo that very much reflects Remender's attempt to balance the sheer size of the Avengers with the intimacy of the X-Men. There are a number of different elements that showcase the melding of franchises. Like Red Skull, who is traditionally an Avengers villain, focusing his evil intentions upon the biggest perceived genetic monstrosity of all: the mutant gene. Taking the Nazi ideology to it's extreme conclusion makes Red Skull one of the more foreboding villains in recent history. Or Red's S-Men, a ramshackle team super humans made special externally, through science, magic, or anything other than being a mutant, really. These S-Men (short for Special Men, one would assume) have undergone alterations to become a facsimile of the very perceived threat they stand against. For them, the ends justify the means when the end is the extinction of all mutants. And their backstories reveal the hatred that fuels their endeavors.

It's not often that reading a comic book feels like reading a novel. Remender's narration throughout Uncanny Avengers #3 transforms "The Red Shadow" from a well-written Avengers story into a broad, expansive narrative that's a fantastic allegory for World War II. While Red Skull's general ideology remains the same -- thus does his position in the symbology -- his hatred has shifted from merely one ethnicity to an entire species of mutated humans. Against Red Skull's metaphorical Axis stand the Allied Forces in the Uncanny Avengers, who seek to throttle Red's hypnotic amplification of people's base fears about mutantkind, pushing them to murder those who are different. Captain America vs. Red Skull: sound familiar?

Keeping the gratuitous violence off-panel was a wise choice, artistically, because it gives John Cassaday room to show more with less and to incorporated Remender's narration to give these sequences the cold, bitter tone the story requires. Cassaday's artwork for the entire issue is fantastic, especially his Red Skull, who looks verily insane from beginning to end.

Rick Remender and John Cassaday are creating something truly inspired with Uncanny Avengers. The narrative's underlying symbolism and lasting consequences give it the demeanor of Marvel's flagship 'Marvel NOW!' title. In many ways, Remender has taken the best parts of the Avengers and X-Men franchises and melded them together for stunning results. Uncanny Avengers #3 is the third chapter of "The Red Shadow", but unlike many middle issues, this one doesn't lull or rest on exposition to carry the story into a big conclusion.

GRADE
9/10

REVIEW: UNCANNY AVENGERS #2

(w) Rick Remender
(p) John Cassaday

Well it's been long enough! Eight weeks after it's debut, Uncanny Avengers is back with it's second issue, and this one's a doozie. Rick Remender and John Cassaday aren't making any compromises with this series, as evidenced by the repeated delays for this issue so Cassaday could make sure the art was up to his high standards. Uncanny Avengers #2 is split into three 'acts' to better convey the large amount of new information being presented. And while this format can feel a tad disjointed from time to time, it all goes toward Remender's bigger picture.

First up are Captain America, Wolverine, and Thor helping with the relief effort in Manhattan after the devastating attack by Avalanche in the first issue. While Avalanche's attack wasn't even close to being the real focal point of UA #1, the ramifications of a mutant attack resulting in hundreds of dead humans are terrifying. Basically, 'Act I' sets the stage for why Uncanny Avengers have come together -- now that Charles Xavier is dead, it seems that his dream of peaceful co-habitation between humans and mutants is slowly dying as well. It's a poignant scene that shows two sides of a desperate situation. Captain America sees this as crucial time frame for the human race to establish a better relationship with the mutant community. For Wolverine, Steve Rogers' "mutant community" doesn't exist and having Havok -- a mutant and brother to international criminal Cyclops -- lead an Avengers response to mutant attacks is a terrible idea. Both perspectives have their merits, but a small, two-panel sequence between a thankful man and Havok himself is enough to prove the Uncanny Avengers are needed now more than ever.

The second part of the issue focuses on Rogue and the Scarlet Witch being held prisoner by the maniacal Red Skull, while 'Act III' brings these two ladies together to close out the issue. While Red Skull did appear at the very end of Uncanny Avengers #1, there wasn't much information regarding his motives or master plan. Here, we get a much more fleshed out Red Skull who explains himself without sounding like he's lecturing 150 bored college freshmen in a beginner's biology class. It's simple, really. Red Skull had his consciousness preserved and downloaded into a cloned body -- circa 1942 -- so he could reawaken 70 years later when "the world had forgotten me and my perceived atrocities." Now, seeing the state of the world with mutants running around, Red Skull has taken the Nazi idealism of purity and strength and applied it to humanity at large which means "mutants are the ultimate invading foreigners." I'm actually surprised no one has ever taken this direction with the Red Skull, but that's kind of what 'Marvel NOW!' is all about, right? Before, most of the dealings of the Avengers stayed relatively separate from the world of the X-Men. But now, classic Avengers villains are getting in on X-Men territory, and the results are bone-chillingly awesome.

In the end, Uncanny Avengers #2 is a more compelling issue than the first, and that's extremely hard to do in the modern comic landscape. Red Skull has always been a rather menacing character, but it's usually at arms length -- he's generally reserved for flashback issues or as a totem for other villains. Fortunately, Rick Remender takes Red Skull to frightening new heights, making him not only one of the most formidable villains in years, but also one of the most powerful in the Marvel Universe. The team itself is slow to actually getting together, but that's what an opening arc is all about, right?

GRADE

9/10

AVENGERS vs. X-MEN #12 of 12

(W) Jason Aaron

(P) Adam Kubert

(I) John Dell, Mark Morales, and Adam Kubert

So that's it. Avengers vs. X-Men finally comes to a close after six months of nearly non-stop melodrama, crazy battles, cosmic death gods, and general mayhem. And while the event - as a whole - had its missteps along the way, it managed to right the boat and finish strong with Scott Summers' ascension as the new Dark Phoenix, the death of Charles Xavier, and the incredible new developments contained in the pages of Avengers vs. X-Men #12.

It's do or die time at the opening of the issue: Cyclops has totally flown the coop and has become the Dark Phoenix, corrupted by absolute power. Flash back 72 hours, and Tony Stark is giving one of the most candid (yet still somehow snarky) speeches of his life because he finally doesn't know what to do. Science, in all it's know forms and manipulations, has failed, and now the Iron Man cites 'faith' as the next step for the Avengers. I'm usually critical of religious overtones bleeding into mainstream comics, mostly because it's often done clumsily and awkwardly, but Jason Aaron's decision to give THE man of science a sense of belief in a higher power is spot on. The Avengers have been waging a literal war against a cosmic god (in whichever of it's forms) with no real plan, no way of actually knowing what they're doing, of if it will work at all. In a world where a mortal man (however evolved) can make decisions that could literally change the face of the planet, faith doesn't seem like such a nonsensical idea. But is it Tony's faith in his plan? Or his faith in Hope Summers and Wanda Maximoff? Perhaps it's faith in faith itself.

The first big moment of the issue is when Hope and Wanda attack Dark Phoenix directly. Wanda's chaos magic is the only thing that can harm the Phoenix, and Hope can mimic that power, meaning that for the first time since the Phoenix came back to Earth, the Avengers have a fighting chance. Soon, Scott breaks through the Phoenix power, begging the Avengers to kill him before he's consumed once again. It doesn't happen, and the Scarlet Witch and Mutant Messiah go H.A.M. on Dark Phoenix until it leaves Scott. Of course, it immediately sets its sights on Hope. For the short amount of time Hope wields the Phoenix force, she undoes all that Cyclops has done to ravage the world, setting out fires, calming volcanoes, extinguishing the ocean, and generally making sure the entirety of humanity wasn't swallowed by it's own planet. It's remarkable, even in it's inevitability. This is when the second big moment hits.

Hope is in full control: she's seen what the Phoenix is capable of in the wrong hands, and with the life she's had, Hope understands the need to keep the power of a death god on a tight leash. "No. That wasn't why you were chosen," explains Wanda. "It's because you're the only one with the strength to let it go." Hope's destiny, ironically, is completely shaped by the events of Avengers vs. X-Men, as opposed to being the cause or the result of. Without seeing what the Phoenix could actually do when it's host is corrupted, Hope would never have had the strength or the wisdom to withstand the power. In the end, she let's the Phoenix force go. Then, as the fire bird dissipates into space, Hope and Wanda take things one step further. They send the bits and pieces of the Phoenix down to Earth and use it to create new mutants all over the globe.

While I usually see these things coming, I'll admit I was taken aback by "No More Phoenix". It shocked me before it made complete sense: Avengers vs. X-Men is the bookend to an era at Marvel that began with House of M when Wanda declared "No More Mutants", decimating the homo-superior population down to less than 200. And while I seriously enjoyed this issue from beginning to end, I felt a bit unsatisfied by the event as a whole.

My main issue with Avengers vs. X-Men - one I've had since it started - is that the Avengers are the real bad guys here, and no one wants to admit it. What if the Phoenix Five were right? What if Captain America had just laid off a little bit, watched what happened with unbiased eyes, and seen the beauty that came from the power of the Phoenix? Instead, Marvel was content with making Cyclops, Emma Frost, Colossus, Namor, and Magik all out to be mastermind criminals who simply decided that they would become dictators. Nowhere is there underlying subtext that hints at the Avengers being the symbolic destructive force that unleashed the literal destructive force.

If Marvel had made more of an effort to include layered meanings throughout Avengers vs. X-Men, the entire event would have been damn near perfect. In reality, it's still one of the best crossovers of the past decade, but without more than surface-layer meanings and forced misunderstandings, everything just seems silly in the end. But I try not to think like this. I try to see this story for what it was; a narrative intended to bring years of resentment and anger to a close with a conflict that tore them apart, both literally and symbolically.

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 #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+