Right off the bat, it's jarring to read an Avengers story written with such a gritty overtone. After years of Bendis' faux hilarity, Remender's brutal realism is a welcome relief, bringing a seriousness to the topic that it deserves. Not a single quip is uttered in this issue (other than Thor's lame latte joke). How could one be? After all, Logan delivers the eulogy for Charles Xavier, Alex accuses Scott of forgetting everything Professor X taught him before killing him, Rogue places blame for the Phoenix Five's actions squarely on the shoulders of the Scarlet Witch who responds by shoving the blame right in her face, and Cap tries to find a way to appease his guilt over failing to do more to help mutantkind. Bendis would've played these interactions like a quick montage of bad dates in a poorly written romantic comedy. Remdner, on the other hand, presents them in a way that you feel like they would've actually gone, full of awkward pauses and heated exchanges. By the end of the issue, you see the world that Marvel does indeed want you to see: both the Avengers and the X-Men are struggling to find their way in a changed and hostile world.
Of all the developments in this issue, I though that the new approach to Havok is the most revolutionary. With all the people who have led the X-Men at some point, it seemed odd at first that Cap would ask Alex to lead a combined Avengers and X-Men team, one that would represent Professor X's dream of cooperation between human and mutant. But, Remender really sells it, having Cap frame the decision in terms of putting forward someone that both the human and mutant publics could trust. If you look at the former leaders left standing, Alex is the only one with a clean record. Logan has a "checkered past," as Cap put it, Rogue is a former criminal, and Storm was part of the Extinction Team. They're not exactly ready to sit on the couch next to Ellen. Alex is the last man standing, essentially. In that way, it's consistent with the way Alex has always approached his responsibilities, the reluctant leader who wonders why someone else can't do it for him. Now, he really has no choice and I can't wait to see where Remender goes with that.
Moreover, Wanda also gets a reboot here as she moves past the events of M-Day. I loved her rolling her eyes at Rogue and declaring that she was tired of the X-Men and their martyr complex. Remender makes you really feel Wanda's exasperation with the X-Men trying to keep the focus on her rather than accept the blame that they deserve for the destruction that the Phoenix Five wrought. Even if Wanda opened the door to Cyclops' actions with M-Day, Cyclops and the Phoenix Five clearly went beyond her in their response. I'm not sure that I buy Rogue's assertion that Cyclops was merely trying to undo what Wanda did, but I do buy Rogue struggling with the realization that the X-Men are now viewed by the world at large as the bad guys. Cyclops clearly wrecked havok when he set the world on fire and Namor destroyed the nation of Wakanda. For the first time, humans have a reason to fear the X-Men, not simply as a team of mutants, but as agents of destruction themselves. Rogue is looking for someone other than an X-Men to blame for that and Wanda makes it clear that she's no longer willing to take on that blame. She accepts responsibility for M-Day; everything that came after it is on the X-Men. I'm glad that Remender uses this moment to shift the blame off Wanda onto the X-Men. It serves to underscore an important point: the X-Men have always viewed themselves as victims of humankind and they are clearly struggling to adapt to a world where humankind was a victim of them. You can almost feel Rogue struggling with her outdated talking points.
The decision to use the Red Skull as the first villain is a genius move, because it really blends the Avengers and the X-Men together. It makes sense that a racist like the Red Skull would conveniently embrace mutantkind as a race to be exterminated, viewing the events of "Avengers vs. X-Men" as a declaration of war against humankind. Of course, at some point, Remender is going to need to explain why he's not dead, but I trust that we'll get to that. But, for the time being, the involvement of the Red Skull reminds us how much mutantkind has become Public Enemy #1 for some members of the human race and why it needs someone like Captain America vouching for it. Taking an iconic villain like the Red Skull and moving him from Captain America's lane to the "Uncanny Avengers'" lane really helps focus your mind on the blending of the two sides.
For the first time in a long time, I'm actually excited to read a comic with "Avengers" in the title. It's clear, from Wanda's comments to Rogue and Cap's offer to Havok, that Remender believes that it's time for the X-Men to put aside childish things and embrace their role in the outside world. If they're going to convince the world that they're not a threat, they now need to be active in it. I can't wait to see where it goes.
Nice review! I was not too sure on this issue. Interesting to see Havok's development as you say, but I just was too invested in the issue as a whole. Will pick it up next month, but that maybe be the last time.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm definitely here for Havok. I feel like the real test is going to be where Remender goes after this initial arc, if he can keep finding interesting ways to have the team members interact and explore their differences. Otherwise, I could see it rapidly descending into just throwing Avengers and X-Men villains at the team, which would essentially make it a team-up series. "Acts of Vengeance" was cool once, but it could get old quick. But, given my investment in Havok, I'm definitely committed.
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