Avengers vs. X-Men #8: So far, I've been pretty impressed with how well the various authors have done in keeping all their details straight, particularly in terms of coordinating the main mini-series with the tie-in issues and other co-authors' issues. The wheels, unfortunately, come off the bus in this issue, weighing down the entire story for me as I tried to reconcile some fairly major inconsistencies.
First, we have the location problem. Whereas Hope has been in K'un Lun since "New Avengers" #27 (an issue associated more or less with "Avengers vs. X-Men" #6), she just arrives there in this issue of the main title. Presumably, Spider-Man's tutelage of her doesn't begin until after this issue (since he also just arrives in K'un Lun in this issue), making it a little odd that the events of two full issues of the main title (#7 and #8) pass before the events of "New Avengers" #27 could even remotely happen.
I mention these problems not only because they annoy me, but because they compound the problem that you already have under the best of circumstances with these sorts of events, trying to fit the stories happening in the main mini-series into some sort of continuum with the tie-in issues. Beyond the "prisoner problem," I've got a slew of questions about when the events in some of the tie-in issues happen. For example, when do the Phoenix Five fit in going after Mr. Sinister, particularly if they're the Phoenix Four by the end of this issue? When you start getting the authors directly contradicting each other, then it starts becoming really problematic, because it's hard to stay in the story.
Putting aside my anal-retentiveness, the other problem with this issue is that it really just seems like a stalling device. I mean, sure, Namor loses the power of the Phoenix and the Avengers have a pity party over the fact that it took everything that they had just to knock out a member of the Phoenix Five. But, nothing really substantially changed from the end of last issue. I mean, it takes Hope and Wolverine half an issue just to step through a portal! Instead, we get Professor X appearing suddenly furious at the end. I don't really understand why he was mad at Scott, since it's not like Scott destroyed Wakanda. I mean, I'm not really a fan of Scott's at this point, but it's pretty hard to blame Namor's rogue actions on him. But, Professor X just seems totally enraged, despite the fact that, the last time that we saw him, in "Avengers vs. X-Men" #6, he was just concerned. I'm getting almost all the tie-in issues (except, I think, "Avengers Academy") so I'm 95 percent certain that we haven't seen the reason why he went from concerned to furious in those issues. As such, it just feels like an arbitrary plot device to move us to the next mini-plot of the series.
I'm not really sure where it's all leading. We still don't have a clear sense of Phoenix's motives; at this point, it seems to be allowing the Phoenix Five to do what they want, but it's pretty clear that approach is going to change. I'm also confused why the X-Men are more focused on changing the world than changing mutantkind. Shouldn't they be using their power to restart the mutant race? Offering to return powers to mutants de-powered on M-Day? Phoenix's (purported) power to restart mutantkind is, after all, the whole reason the two sides are fighting this battle, since Cyclops believes it outweighs all the potential danger. Why isn't he using it to do that then? It's unclear to me whether it's part of Phoenix's plan (so it's manipulating Cyclops to feel less urgent in his need to address the issue) or if the authors' have just gotten distracted by other parts of the event.
Either way, the lack of attention paid to the issue is just one of the reasons why this issue felt like a massive attempt to stall. I mean, don't get me wrong. The battle with Namor was epic and the Avengers have a point that they don't have a whole lot of hope if it took all of them just to take down 1/5 of the Phoenix Five. But, in the end, this issue and issue #7 probably could've been collapsed into one and we wouldn't have been worse for it.
Avengers #28: I complain throughout this review about the fact that the coordination of tie-in issues with the main mini-series has taken a hit lately, but Bendis is the exception to the rule here. He does a really great job inserting this story between panels of "Avengers vs. X-Men" #7. He also wins applause for telling a story that makes sense, because I totally believe that General Ross would take it upon himself to try to assassinate Cyclops. The story flows smoothly and Ross' narration works well, getting us inside his head and showing us the sacrifices that he's willing to make to advance the cause. (I thought his most interesting comment was about Wolverine not being able to bring himself to assassinate Cyclops. I've always appreciated the fact that Bendis has often given Logan credit for a greater level of humanity than other authors have.) All in all, it's a pretty solid showing that does exactly what a tie-in issue should do, developing a plot that the main story doesn't have time to explore. It reminded me of Hope and Wolverine's adventure in "Wolverine and the X-Men" #11, another example of a tie-in issue filling in the blanks between panels. It's also the type of story that I expected to see from "Avengers" during this event, so it's a welcome relief from the recent Space Team plot, which seemed totally unnecessary given the competing story being told in "Secret Avengers." My only real complaint is the fact that Cyclops decided not to lock up Rulk. Personally, I'd prefer to have a guy who Emma Frost herself notes went toe-to-toe with the Silver Surfer locked far, far underground. Why bother locking up Luke Cage, Giant Man, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and Spider-Woman if you're going to let Rulk go? But, I understand that Bendis is working under editorial constraints, so it's not really his fault. Overall, it's worth a read if you're looking for a story that makes a lot more sense than Thor swinging a hammer at a cosmic entity in space.
Uncanny X-Men #16: The main problem with this issue is the fact that it's hard to be too worried about the outcome given that we know that the events depicted in it happen before the events of "Avengers vs. X-Men" #8, since Namor is still a member of the Phoenix Five in this issue. So, whatever Sinister is planning to do to the Phoenix Five, he clearly doesn't succeed, because they're all intact by the start of "Avengers vs. X-Men" #8. This issue is a great example of how that increasing lack of coordination negatively impacts the story that Gillen is trying to tell here. Is it still fun to watch Sinister to score some points against the Phoenix Five? Sure. But, in addition to knowing that they all eventually regain their powers in time for Namor to attack Wakanda, Gillen doesn't really explain how the Madelynes manage to siphon off their powers in the first place. They just sort of...do. You'd think Phoenix, who chose the Five, after all, would have some sort of say. All in all, it's not a terrible issue, but the lack of suspense and clarity drags it down a lot, a disappointment in light of how strong issues #14 and #15 were.
Wolverine and the X-Men #14: OK, Jason Aaron wins the prize for author of a tie-in issue who most successfully uses the main event to advance his series' ongoing storylines. In the love-triangle department, we've got Kitty firmly rejecting Peter and essentially instructing Bobby to ask her on a date. We've got the revelation that Toad is (creepily) collecting Husk's discarded skins and using them (creepily) to create life-sized models of her so that he can (creepily) serve them tea. (I told you it was creepy.) We've even got hints of Paige's ongoing problems with her powers, since I don't remember her leaving behind full-sized skins in the past. Seriously, I've enjoyed "Avengers vs. X-Men" so far, but this issue was the first one that made me wish it would come to an end soon so we could resume exploring the interesting storylines that Aaron reminds us are brewing in this title.
In terms of "Avengers vs. X-Men," Aaron furthers the plot significantly. Colossus is arguably the first member of the Phoenix Five that we see totally crack under the pressure. I mean, sure, Namor attacked Wakanda, but, frankly, it's pretty much within Namor's personality to go off half-cocked and attack a country. It is not, however, in Peter's nature to threaten Kitty or destroy schools. At several points during this issue, Aaron has us fear that Colossus is going to hurt Kitty, an idea so ridiculous that Aaron successfully uses it show you how far gone Peter is. (You know that it's going to go down hill quickly when he tells her early in the issue, during their dinner between the sea, that he has everything but her.) Molina and Lee do a great job of showing Peter vacillating between sanity and rage. One moment, his eyes are laughing at the thought that he might be under the possession of Phoenix; the next, they're burning with the idea that he could destroy existence as we know it. They really manage to accentuate the message that Aaron is trying to convey, making it all the more powerful for it. By the end of the issue, when Colossus tells Kitty that he could kill her and resurrect her, you realize just how quickly everything is deteriorating. But, before Colossus can do anything that he'd later regret, Aaron makes Colossus realize how far gone he is as well, as he's standing in the ruins of the statue of Jean Grey. It's a poignant moment, all the more so for reminding us of Jean's notable absence throughout this event. (I also thought that Kitty made a great point telling Colossus that she's treating him differently than Jean because Jean didn't round up people who disagreed with her. Given that the X-Men essentially viewed Jean, before the Phoenix Five got their powers, as weak for failing to control Phoenix and implied that a teenage girl could do it better, I'm glad that someone is giving her props.)
Also importantly, we see Bobby finally have enough when he's forced to "arrest" Thing. He and Rachel return, a defection (or refection) that seems to portend the start of Act Three, particularly because I'm assuming Rogue will come to a similar conclusion in the upcoming issue of "X-Men Legacy." It's also unclear what Colossus is going to do, as we seem him end this issue contemplating his actions as he walks across the Moon.
I've often felt frustrated with this series because Aaron has by and large ignored Kitty. But, we see a lot of the old Kitty here. For example, her response to Bobby and Rachel's return is a great moment. She's been trying to hold the School together for weeks, and it's pretty clear that the less she knew about the events happening outside the School, the better. As such, she refuses to engage Bobby on the subject, instead instructing him and Rachel to start teaching classes and serving lunches. ("Rogue's gym class and Beast's advanced biology are still open. I taught both of them at the same time yesterday.") Combined with the fact that she easily defended the School against Colossus, it shows the grit and determination that we used to see from Kitty. I hope that we see more of it in the future.
This issue only had two small downsides for me. First, in terms of the ongoing coordination problems, it seems odd that Ben was suddenly in New York when, last I checked, he had been spirited to K'un Lun with the rest of the Avengers in "Avengers vs. X-Men" #8. Moreover, I wish we would've seen more about Rachel's decision to return to the X-Men. I get why Bobby defected, but I feel like we needed some sort of explanation behind why Rachel did. She was a lot more committed to the cause than Bobby was, believing that it was her way to help prevent her future from becoming a reality, not to mention her desire to support her father. Although we saw hints of her disquiet in "Wolverine and the X-Men" #12, I didn't really think that she was on the verge of defecting. It would've been nice to see what got her there.
But, all in all, for the advancement of several "Wolverine and the X-Men" and "Avengers vs. X-Men" storylines as well as the great moments of characterization for Kitty, this issue is one of the best of the bunch. To mention one last moment, one that really defined the issue for me, I thought Aaron got across his message loud and clear with the "X-Men" who confronted Colossus. Kitty, Deathlok, Doop, Husk, Toad, and Warbird. A-Team, it was not. But, there they were, drawing a line in the sand in front of the School, even when faced with a Phoenix-powered Colossonaut. It was perhaps one of the few moments when the X-Men felt like the X-Men of my youth, a misfit band of mutants trying to do the right thing, no matter how overpowering the opposition. Thanks, Jason Aaron, for giving me that.
X-Men Legacy #270: As expected, Rogue pulls up stakes here, realizing that the Phoenix Five have gone around the bend when she sees Magik's demonic prison. The rest of the story is a well-written standard prison-break tale, with some nice moments between Carol and Rogue that pretty definitively move them from the "adversary" to "friend" category. For those scenes alone, it's worth the read. Like Rulk in "Avengers" #28, the final disposition of Rogue seems a little difficult to believe, since, personally, if I were the Phoenix Five, I'd be a lot happier with Rogue and Rulk in Magik's prison. But, given that other authors are guilty of the same trick, I'm not going to blame Gage for it here. Overall, it's a strong issue and a good sequel to the previous one, bringing Carol and Rogue's story full-circle.
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