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 #6

(w) Rick Remender     (a) Daniel Acuna

This is the first issue of Uncanny Avengers I haven't outright enjoyed from beginning to end. Rick Remender takes readers back in time for a look at the first time Thor met Apocalypse. It's sort of like an interlude prelude chapter to "The Apocalypse Twins" that foreshadows the events in the present day.

Thor-centric tales are difficult to write because, more often than not, they feature some disagreement between Thor and Odin. Remender falls victim to this cliche and once again, Odin finds some reason to be disappointed in Thor. 

As a side note: seriously, does Odin ever even like his son? It feels like the old codger is constantly drunk and looking for someone or something to unload all his anger and frustrations upon. It's one of the reasons I've never been a huge Thor fan, and it's also why Jason Aaron's current run on Thor: God of Thunder is so good. There's only so many times Thor's daddy issues can be exploited, and that quota was hit years go.

Remender is a master of foreshadowing and long-form narratives, so it's kind of a given that all the events in Uncanny Avengers #6 will have some bearing on the present day, but it still removes readers from the current-day story and stops the momentum Remender was building.

GRADE

7/10