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“Scott, it’s her decision…
…Not anymore!”
Marvel’s 2012 Summer Blockbuster finally reaches the stands as Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita Jr. begin the hopefully epic tale, Avengers vs. X-Men.
With the phoenix force heading towards, Captain America and Iron Man assemble the Avengers to take any precautions necessary to protect the planet. Unfortunately for Cyclops, that means a trip to Utopia to confront the mutant messiah – Hope Summers.
| Overall rating | 4.0 | |
| Art | 4.0 | |
| Covers | 4.0 | |
| Story | 4.0 |
Story: 4 out of 5
Brian Michael Bendis writes an incredibly well thought-out and easily comprehendible issue. With so many characters and so few pages to explain the very nature of the phoenix force, it would not be as easy a feat as others might suggest. Bendis however makes it look effortless, gifting new readers with all the information they may need as well as injecting a lighter side into the book, mostly in the form of humour. Laughing with a character is one of the quickest ways to allow a reader to bond with a character, and Bendis certainly does well to form those relationships.
Also, Bendis uses the panels well in choosing to make a fair amount silent. Each picture says 1,000 words, and sometimes it is best to not clutter the page with many more. Bendis recognises this and uses his experience and skill to choose when to employ the technique wisely. However when he does write dialogue, each character is given a distinct voice and are easy to segregate.
This comic is not without faults, although they are more with the story rather than the writing of this one particular issue. Firstly, what exactly is the Avenger’s goal? Sure, they want Hope, but what then? So far we have seen the phoenix force devour planets within seconds. It has never once devoured Earth and that is because it has found a host – Jean Grey. This has minimised the destruction and only benefited Earth, preventing its total destruction. Why not let the phoenix force bond with Hope as opposed to obliterating the planet as a giant fire bird? This isn’t made entirely clear and the plot holes certainly show. Secondly, why are the Avengers assembled? Why is it Avengers vs. X-Men? Surely the Avengers and X-Men could benefit from uniting against such an almighty threat. Given the X-Men’s history with the phoenix, one would think Captain America would recognise this tactical advantage. And finally, a lot of time was given to Wolverine, but his motivation for choosing a side isn’t made clear. Again, this is a detriment to the book.
Artist: 4 out of 5
John Romita Jr is no stranger to large casts, and in AvX #1 he handles the cast well. Although lacking detail in parts, each character is drawn well and clarity is granted, and the scenery looks wonderful. The expressions of each X-Man and Avenger are accurate and develop a real sense of emotion. The story telling abilities of JRJR’s art is definitely one of his strengths.
Laura Martin provides lovely colours which are strong and bright but not too overpowering.
However, John Romita Jr makes some sloppy errors which a person of his calibre should not be making. The most obvious and heavily criticised panel is that depicting Cyclops’ blasting Hope with an optic beam. Her anatomy is off, and the sense of dimension is lacking. Hope appears to be both at the forefront of the panel, and in the background. It is a rather disrupting image. Also, whether one considers this a negative to the art, or a clever and subtle way to draw parallels between the two leaders, Cyclops and Captain America share a lot of similar poses (such as when they point at each other in turn). As stated, this could be a clever reflection on the two main cast members, but there is the chance it could be simple sloppy, suggesting a rushed work schedule.
Cover: 4 out of 5
There is not much to say about the cover, as it is just a shot of the casts from a side view. The pencils are clean and the colours are bold. The expressions are somewhat repetitive but that is due to intention and not laziness. It is simple but powerful – a fitting cover to the issue.
Overall, Avengers vs X-Men is off to a good start as the story develops nicely. There are a few holes in the plot, but given that we’re only a twelfth of the way through, I’m willing to give Marvel the benefit of the doubt. I eagerly anticipate the next issue.
| Overall rating | 4.0 | |
| Art | 4.0 | |
| Covers | 4.0 | |
| Story | 4.0 |
Recommended!
This issue was better than the prologue. Still not perfect, but getting there. My hope for this 12 issue event is rising. At this point, I have decided to declare my allegiance with the Avengers. I know it may seem like I am jumping on the "hate Cyclops" bandwagon, but I just feel a greater affinity for the Avengers - and it is not because I am a big Steve Rogers fan. In fact, I am not a big fan of either side's leader. It is the more "family" and "team oriented" feel to the Avengers that encourages my alignment. It is the same feeling I get when reading Fantastic Four or FF.
Enough about picking sides, even though it has been made clear that Marvel's social media arm is pushing hard on this "us vs. them" theme for this event - I guess it makes for lively forum debates and twitter traffic, so at least there is that. Anyway, back to the story... The Phoenix Force is tearing through space, burning anything that happens to be in its path. Even simple alien farm folk. In fact, it was the imagery on the first couple pages that stuck with me more than all the petty squabbling between and among the two superhero teams throughout the issue... it still haunts me, several days after reading the book - And it is not because these simple alien farm folk are creepy to look at, it is because the Phoenix Force, in its raw form, is decimating everything in its path to get to Earth. Where apparently it needs a physical host to cause destruction and really mess up family relationships and friendly alliances.
All this destruction - planets destroyed, a comatose Nova, and a worried US President - just so two forces for good can battle it out for twelve issues, round after round. It feels a bit forced, but I am going to go with it. I am going to see where it takes me. The fact that part of the issue still haunts me is reason enough for me to continue reading.
The Avengers part of the story was pretty great. We get to see them do what they do best, work together to save some people. The panels where Tony and Cap brief the US President has been previewed numerous times, so there was nothing new there, and though the newest installment of "Teen Angst in Utopia" hasn't been previewed for weeks, it is the same old story, again and again. They are really making Cyclops out to be the fall guy for this event. Finally, even though the initial confrontation between Cyclops and Cap has been previewed to death, the question still remains - Who started the fire? Cyclops' optic blast? Cap's strong arming? The giant firey bird shape tearing its way through space? Or that creepy hay face kid on some planet far far away?
It is up to us to decide, pick a side, and hold on for the next eleven issues and umpteen tie-ins. Or I guess we can bail and go read something else... that is, if you can find something else that isn't obscured with a giant AvsX on the title. I choose to stick with it.
Go Avengers.
I have a bunch of variant covers, I am supporting the cause. If for no other reason that to pay homage to that poor little hay face kid still burning on some far away planet. Sorry little hay kid, Hope's got surrogate grand-daddy issues, better luck next time.
