OK, we're getting deep into "Avengers vs. X-Men" at this point, with a number of tie-in issues appearing to supplement the events of "Avengers vs. X-Men" #2. Of the issues reviewed below, I would say that only "Secret Avengers" did anything to advance the plot of the main mini-series, though it's still unclear what impact, exactly, the events depicted in that issue will have on the event's central plot. "AVX:VS" and "Uncanny X-Men" just serve to flesh out some (mostly unnecessary) details of some of the fights that we briefly see in "Avengers vs. X-Men" #2. "New Avengers" could get interesting, exploring the connection between the Iron Fist and the Phoenix Force, though the jury hasn't quite reach a verdict yet. Other than "Uncanny X-Men," I did at least enjoy the issues, so, even if the story is a little muddled at this point, we're at least not in "Fear Itself" territory yet.
AVX:VS #1: I considered this issue a win once I read the likely tribute to Troy McClure on the first page: "Name's Tony Stark. You may know me from such things as routinely using my amazing intellect and unparalleled resourcefulness to save the entire world." But, like the intro page says, this issue doesn't really have a plot, so it's a bit hard to review. The fights are fun, but, considering you're spending $3.99 for an issue without a plot, they better be fun. But, again, at least Marvel admits that $3.99 isn't buying you anything more meaningful than seeing the Thing insult Namor, so I can't really hold the obvious lack of plot advancement against anyone. As a completionist, I'm probably going to buy all six issues of this mini-series, but, if you're not one, it's pretty easily skipped.
New Avengers #25: OK, this issue, for me, seems to portend the beginning of tie-in issues whose connection to the main mini-series seems like a stretch. We get an extended flashback sequence of a Kung Fu master named Yu Ti having visions of a red-haired girl displaying the power of both the Phoenix Force and the Iron Fist. Disturbed, he takes to walking through the city of K'un Lun until he discovers a red-hair girl living with a local family and declares her to be the next Iron Fist. Bendis does a pretty good job of making the story more or less accessible to the casual reader, though I think that you'd enjoy it more if you knew a lot more about Iron Fist lore (particularly who, exactly, Yu Ti is). But, Bendis makes the point of his involvement pretty clear by drawing a fairly obvious parallel between Yu Ti taking in the red-haired girl and Cable taking in Hope. To me, it raises the possibility that Hope is actually some sort of anomaly created by the Phoenix Force as a avatar, upping the ante on my bet that we're going to discover that she was never actually real at all. After all, she (or someone like her) appeared mysteriously a few hundred years ago in Asia, a place not exactly known for its red heads, just like she appeared mysteriously in Alaska. I'm starting to think of Hope as Buffy's little sister, Dawn, who was given human form in an attempt to hide her from an evil god who wanted to use her ability to create dimensional portals to cause a ruckus. It's unclear what the goal of the Phoenix in creating Hope would've been, but we still have some time to get an answer. Marvel is clearly not rushing the reveal, and Bendis is obviously making it all the more unclear by creating this Iron Fist connection. However, it's this connection that made me start to question the applicability of this story to the main mini-series. After all, if Bendis hadn't put Iron Fist on the New Avengers, would we be seeing this connection? Doubtful. As such, this issue feels more like Bendis and Marvel grasping at straws to find a way to connect another secondary title to the main event than it does developing a sub-plot that's going to have a significant impact on the main event. Even if it's a well written issue, it's always this unstoppable proliferation of tenuous connections that dooms events for me. "Fear Itself" is, like, the ultimate example of that for me (like "A Bridge Too Far" proving the Caine/Hackman theory in "PCU") and I worry that we might've seen the first incidence of it in "Avengers vs. X-Men" with this issue. I'm willing to reserve judgment, since, again, Bendis clearly has more up his sleeve (and this issue was mostly enjoyable and not completely incomprehensible as it could've been, given that it's written by Bendis). But, consider an eyebrow raised.
Secret Avengers #26: This issue has a lot happening at the same time, so I'll try to break it down a bit as I review it. First, Remender quickly answers the main question I had before starting this issue, namely how exactly eight Avengers are going to defeat a cosmic entity like the Phoenix Force. We learn within the first few pages that the Secret Avengers intend to employ a device created by the Beast that will either contain the Phoenix Force or, if it fails, send information to Tony Stark on Earth so he can try something else. It was probably the only plan that would make sense in terms of why you'd send a team against the Phoenix, and it left me with high hopes that the "Secret Avengers" tie-in issues will constructively add to the events happening in the main mini-series. Remender also introduces three sub-plots here that could get interesting, though I'm a little unclear on some of the key details at this point. First, the Kree have apparently resurrected Captain Marvel with the intent to use him in some grand plan (see the next point), though I'm not sure exactly managed to do so. They appear to have summoned his body from the White Hot Room, but, since I'm pretty sure only former Phoenixes dwell there, I'm not sure why he would've been in there. (Moreover, I'm pretty sure that Phoenixes only spiritually, not physically, reside there. If not, are we supposed to believe that Jean Grey's body is in the White Hot Room and not buried at the Institute?) If I'm going to believe this resurrection, Remender is going to have to clarify how exactly it happened in a way that doesn't seem excessively convenient. Second, as I just mentioned, the Kree resurrected Marvel to implement some sort of plan that they believe is part of their cosmic destiny, but we never learn why they believe that. One of the Kree mentions that they were "instructed by the Universe to light the way," but how exactly did the "Universe" instruct them to do so? Is it some sort of heretofore unmentioned prophecy? Did the cosmic forces like Eternity approach them? Moreover, it's unclear what exactly the plan is to "light the way," other than the fact that it involves Captain Marvel and the Phoenix. The Phoenix obviously responds to the Kree, since it leaves its battle with the Secret Avengers to head for Hala, but, again, it's unclear why. Finally, I'm not entirely sure why Carol, who isn't Kree, feels a biological compulsion to help the Kree. I mean, sure, she used to hang with the Starjammers as Binary, but it didn't make her Kree. I'm willing to reserve judgment on all these questions since, again, Remender did such a great job with my question about how the Secret Avengers were going to confront Phoenix that I trust him to have equally reasonable answer to them. So, just like "New Avengers," my eyebrow is officially raised and I'm going to need to see some answers that make sense before I buy what Remender is selling here.
Uncanny X-Men #11: To be honest, this issue doesn't really give us anything that we hadn't already seen in "Avengers vs. X-Men" #2, except possibly for the transformation of Colossus into a demonic version of himself. Sure, it gives us some more details on the fights that happen in that issue, serving a similar role as "AVX:VS" #1 did. But, after paying $3.99 for "AVS:VS" #1 and $3.99 for this issue, I can't say it was really worth it. At least "AVS:VS" was fun. This issue isn't, particularly given that it ends with Scott's whiny-ass letter to "humanity." If "Uncanny" continues to serve the same role as "AVS:VS," but manages to be less fun int he process, I think it'll prove to be even more skipable.
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