Showing posts with label AVX:VS (2012). Show all posts
Showing posts with label AVX:VS (2012). Show all posts
Thursday, October 4, 2012
AVX:VS #6 (HERE BE...well, not really, actually)
Once upon a time, Marvel made a book called "AVX:VS." It was fun. I liked reading it. People fought people. Sometimes they had emotions. Then it was less fun. Because I was confused. But then people fought people again and I was happy. The end.
Monday, September 17, 2012
New Comics!: The "Avengers vs. X-Men" Edition #13 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
AVX:VS #5: The problem with these "AVX:VX" issues at this point is that I'm having trouble remembering the circumstances surrounding each fight. When exactly was Hawkeye fighting Angel? Why was Black Panther fighting Storm? I know that the intro page wants us to believe that the fights depicted in these issues have no impact on the main storyline, but they clearly do, given that we watch Ororo and T'Challa's marriage collapse in this issue. At the very least, I feel like someone needed to let us know why Storm, of all people, would be chosen to fight the Black Panther. I don't think that anything about this overall conflict meant that, after it, Ororo and T'Challa couldn't have worked out their differences. But, here, we begin with Storm telling us what a terrible husband the Panther was. The end of the marriage is essentially a fait accompli. So, something other than the events of "Avengers vs. X-Men" was clearly driving that, but Aaron never actually tells us what that was. Needless to say, it makes for a fairly disappointing story. It would've been better if they had just stuck to fights like Angel and Hawkeye's, where you may not remember why they're fighting, but the why doesn't actually really matter.
Uncanny X-Men #17: My biggest question last issue was why the Phoenix Force would allow Sinister to strip it from the Phoenix Five and house it in the six Madeleine Pryor clones. It just didn't feel right. Emma didn't think so either, apparently: she addresses Phoenix directly in this issue, wondering why it would allow it to happen. I hadn't thought of Phoenix's original response, essentially that it exists merely to exist, making the identity of the host (or hosts) somewhat irrelevant. But, I had thought of its later comment, namely that we're dealing with a new and improved Phoenix, one who came here for a purpose. (Of course, we don't learn that that purpose is, but I'm resigned to that omission at this point.) As such, Gillen addresses the problem that I had with last issue by actually making the resolution of that problem the resolution of the arc: Phoenix takes back her powers and eliminates Mr. Sinister. (Although, I think that we all agree it's not the last that we're going to see of Mr. Sinister.) Although it could get easily lost in the shuffle, I also thought that it was interesting that the other team was merely there as a distraction. Danger, Magneto, Psylocke, and Storm don't actually accomplish anything. I thought that their presence might have led to them rescuing the Phoenix Five and, in the process, reminding them of their humanity somehow. Nope. Instead, the second team's failure to rescue the Phoenix Five and the Phoenix Five's ability to rescue themselves actually seem to separate the Five all the more from the rest of the X-Men, essentially making everyone else irrelevant.
Wolverine and the X-Men #15: This issue is truly, truly excellent. In fact, of all the existing tie-in issues, I think that it's the one that should most be most considered an integral part of the main event. I've mentioned previously that I though the X-books have done a much better job of showing the effects of the ongoing events on the X-Men than the Avengers' books have on the Avengers (even though I would still like some more insight into how some of the B-List and C-List X-Men were reacting to these events). This issue is a great example of the success that the X-books have had on this front. Aaron takes us on a tour of the mindset of the team on the eve of its war with Cyclops and Emma Frost and it's a revealing look at where we are.
The issue is a collection of moments and I'm not going to review all of them. Some of my favorites are as follows: Iron Man telling Broo that "Uncle Tony" will get him anything that he wants after Broo improved his calculations, Iceman telling Kitty that they can go to a strip joint for their first date after Kitty asked to go somewhere without teenagers, Professor X endorsing Quentin Quire for student-body president after he realizes that Quentin is just trying to be seen as a rebel, and, of course, Hank looking at the photo of the original X-Men before heading out the door. I was particularly happy that poor Broo is getting some attention, particularly after I felt like he was abandoned by the faculty after the events of issue #7. (I'm also hoping that Tony's response to his question that he knows Nova means that Rich is back with us!)
But, Aaron just didn't give us some fun moments. He also ones that hint at the post-"Avengers vs. X-Men" future. We see Wolverine forgive Bobby for his desertion and, in fact, thank him for disagreeing with him, because it was people who would disagree with him who he most wanted at the school. I was worried that "Avengers vs X-Men" would be portrayed as another "X-Men: Schism." After all, to be honest, it seems a stretch that Logan would be so quick to forgive Bobby, since Bobby's defection did, after all, increase the likelihood of the team that came closest to ending the world winning. (Though, maybe just the virtue of being right helped put Logan in a forgiving mood.) But, you can already see that some of the emotions that the characters were displaying earlier in Act Two have started to fade, so maybe it isn't as unlikely as it seemed like it would be back then. Logan isn't trying to kill Hope, Cap isn't mistrustful of all the X-Men, etc. It feels like a fairly natural evolution, given that everyone now agrees that they face a larger threat (something that they didn't when it was just about Hope).
Perhaps most of all, though, the moment that struck me the most is actually the cover. It's a pretty clear allusion to the original X-Men, with Logan replacing Scott and Rachel replacing Jean. Between that and Hank looking at the picture of the original team at the end of the issue, Aaron and Molina are sending a pretty clear message that the coming fight is going to go to the heart of who the X-Men are. I'm not sure how, but I'm excited to see where the authors take it.
Uncanny X-Men #17: My biggest question last issue was why the Phoenix Force would allow Sinister to strip it from the Phoenix Five and house it in the six Madeleine Pryor clones. It just didn't feel right. Emma didn't think so either, apparently: she addresses Phoenix directly in this issue, wondering why it would allow it to happen. I hadn't thought of Phoenix's original response, essentially that it exists merely to exist, making the identity of the host (or hosts) somewhat irrelevant. But, I had thought of its later comment, namely that we're dealing with a new and improved Phoenix, one who came here for a purpose. (Of course, we don't learn that that purpose is, but I'm resigned to that omission at this point.) As such, Gillen addresses the problem that I had with last issue by actually making the resolution of that problem the resolution of the arc: Phoenix takes back her powers and eliminates Mr. Sinister. (Although, I think that we all agree it's not the last that we're going to see of Mr. Sinister.) Although it could get easily lost in the shuffle, I also thought that it was interesting that the other team was merely there as a distraction. Danger, Magneto, Psylocke, and Storm don't actually accomplish anything. I thought that their presence might have led to them rescuing the Phoenix Five and, in the process, reminding them of their humanity somehow. Nope. Instead, the second team's failure to rescue the Phoenix Five and the Phoenix Five's ability to rescue themselves actually seem to separate the Five all the more from the rest of the X-Men, essentially making everyone else irrelevant.
Wolverine and the X-Men #15: This issue is truly, truly excellent. In fact, of all the existing tie-in issues, I think that it's the one that should most be most considered an integral part of the main event. I've mentioned previously that I though the X-books have done a much better job of showing the effects of the ongoing events on the X-Men than the Avengers' books have on the Avengers (even though I would still like some more insight into how some of the B-List and C-List X-Men were reacting to these events). This issue is a great example of the success that the X-books have had on this front. Aaron takes us on a tour of the mindset of the team on the eve of its war with Cyclops and Emma Frost and it's a revealing look at where we are.
The issue is a collection of moments and I'm not going to review all of them. Some of my favorites are as follows: Iron Man telling Broo that "Uncle Tony" will get him anything that he wants after Broo improved his calculations, Iceman telling Kitty that they can go to a strip joint for their first date after Kitty asked to go somewhere without teenagers, Professor X endorsing Quentin Quire for student-body president after he realizes that Quentin is just trying to be seen as a rebel, and, of course, Hank looking at the photo of the original X-Men before heading out the door. I was particularly happy that poor Broo is getting some attention, particularly after I felt like he was abandoned by the faculty after the events of issue #7. (I'm also hoping that Tony's response to his question that he knows Nova means that Rich is back with us!)
But, Aaron just didn't give us some fun moments. He also ones that hint at the post-"Avengers vs. X-Men" future. We see Wolverine forgive Bobby for his desertion and, in fact, thank him for disagreeing with him, because it was people who would disagree with him who he most wanted at the school. I was worried that "Avengers vs X-Men" would be portrayed as another "X-Men: Schism." After all, to be honest, it seems a stretch that Logan would be so quick to forgive Bobby, since Bobby's defection did, after all, increase the likelihood of the team that came closest to ending the world winning. (Though, maybe just the virtue of being right helped put Logan in a forgiving mood.) But, you can already see that some of the emotions that the characters were displaying earlier in Act Two have started to fade, so maybe it isn't as unlikely as it seemed like it would be back then. Logan isn't trying to kill Hope, Cap isn't mistrustful of all the X-Men, etc. It feels like a fairly natural evolution, given that everyone now agrees that they face a larger threat (something that they didn't when it was just about Hope).
Perhaps most of all, though, the moment that struck me the most is actually the cover. It's a pretty clear allusion to the original X-Men, with Logan replacing Scott and Rachel replacing Jean. Between that and Hank looking at the picture of the original team at the end of the issue, Aaron and Molina are sending a pretty clear message that the coming fight is going to go to the heart of who the X-Men are. I'm not sure how, but I'm excited to see where the authors take it.
Monday, August 13, 2012
New(-ish) Comics!: The "Avengers vs. X-Men" Edition #9 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
OK, to preface this review, I will say that these issues related to "Avengers vs. X-Men" #7 were a little less thrilling than the ones related to "Avengers vs. X-Men" #6. But, overall, it was still a pretty good showing.
Avengers vs. X-Men #7: To be honest, this issue serves mostly as a transition issue, showing us the Avengers as they move from place to place to flee the X-Men.
Avengers vs. X-Men #7: To be honest, this issue serves mostly as a transition issue, showing us the Avengers as they move from place to place to flee the X-Men.
Before we start, I will note that, for the first time, the chronology of the main mini-series and the tie-in issues is getting muddled. Several of the tie-in issues related to "Avengers vs. X-Men" #6 showed the Avengers on the run, and, after reading this issue, I was somewhat confused by the order in which they happened. For example, Hope was with Iron Fist in K'un Lun in "New Avengers" #27, but she was also in Indonesia with Wolverine and the Avengers in "Wolverine and (ironically) the X-Men" #12. Here, it becomes apparent that "New Avengers" #27 happened after this issue, but I'm still not sure where "Wolverine and the X-Men" #12 falls. I initially thought that it happened before this issue, since it makes no sense that Hope appears in K'un Lun while also appearing in Indonesia. But, Giant Man and Quicksilver are in play in this issue, despite getting captured in "Wolverine and the X-Men" #12, implying that "Wolverine and the X-Men" #12 also happens after the events of this issue. But, unless Hope leaves K'un Lun to go to Indonesia and then returns to K'un Lun, all off panel, (doubtful), I just don't see where "Wolverine and the X-Men" #12 fits. Overall, though, although I tend to get obsessed with these continuity questions, I have to say that the authors are still doing a pretty good job of keeping the stories straight. This discrepancy is possibly the only one that I've really noticed throughout the cross-over event, which is pretty good, particularly for Marvel.
From the X-Men side, the most notable development in this issue, to me, was the signs that the Phoenix Five are starting to behave exactly how we all thought that they'd behave. In addition to Magik throwing Carol Danvers into Limbo in "X-Men Legacy" #269, in this issue Emma Frost incinerates (literally) Hawkeye and Namor drowns Wakanda. Cyclops might be pretending that he's in charge of a "rescue mission" but it's pretty clear that he's neither in charge nor is it really a "rescue mission." I think that this reality is most evident when you consider the Five's inability to conduct any sort of critical analysis of what they're doing. Rogue convincingly posited in "X-Men Legacy" #269 that the Avengers liked the world the way it was because they ran it. But, look at how quickly Scott branded the Avengers "terrorists" for failing to comply with the X-Men's vision of how the world should work. (Daredevil strikes a similar theme in "AVX:VS" #4, when he tells Psylocke that he figures the X-Men will pretty quickly have the Avengers on their own island.) I don't think you need any better example of a lack of self-awareness than Emma referring disapprovingly to the Avengers' "militarized children." Did she forget that the X-Men split into two camps exactly because she and Cyclops supported the militarization of children? I don't think these moments are mistakes on Hickman's part, but intentional displays of the fact that the Phoenix Five have lost all perspective (and are losing their grip on reality).
Overall, Fraction did a good job of keeping you engaged as he moves us to the next phase. One thing that I would note is that I think we should probably be seeing more in the way of the world reacting to the mutants taking control. We've heard Cyclops say several times that they're beloved, but we really haven't seen that. The only mutant so far who's had any interaction with regular people is Rogue in "X-Men Legacy" #269, and, although it's a friendly exchange, it's not exactly worshipful. I mean, I have to think that someone other the Avengers is concerned about the consequences of the mutants so easily changing the world "for the better." Have the governments of the world merely abdicated? We saw the Stepford Cuckoos using their powers to re-write minds in "X-Men Legacy" #268. Have the X-Men just brainwashed world leaders? I feel like some context would really help here. Also, if I'm continuing to be nitpicky, I keep finding this assertion that Hope was trained her whole life to become Phoenix to be super ret-conny. I mean, I know that she's always been associated with Phoenix, but I don't remember anyone training her to use its power. In fact, had her connection to Phoenix been more fully explored, you probably could've had the Avengers and X-Men talk about it (and how to train her to handle it) before it appeared and cause them to quickly take sides.
But, all in all, seven issues into the mini-series, I'm really not disappointed, and, really, I'm just so surprised by that fact that I feel like any real complaints are pretty minor at this point.
AVX:VS #4: "Our backs against the wall -- time and time again -- no Avengers ever came." Um, really, Psylocke? How about when they all sacrificed their lives to take down Onslaught? I guess that we're just conveniently overlooking that point.
New Avengers #28: Whoa. This issue is intense. Unlike most Bendis stories, I've got absolutely nothing about which to complain. Just when I raised an eyebrow that Luke Cage, Hawkeye, and Spider-Woman could take down Colossus, Cyclops, and Emma Frost, we learn that they didn't, actually, take down 3/5th of the Phoenix Five. Instead, Bendis reveals that it's Danger programming them to think they did, as a way to torture them: they awaken full of hope, realize that they didn't escape, and are then subjected to the loop again. If you need proof that maybe the X-Men aren't exactly upholding the highest standards that Cyclops likes to think they are, you've got it here. However, given that Danger is also under the sway of Unit, it's hard to tell on whose orders she's working. At the very least, it again shows that Cyclops' control over the X-Men isn't complete, something we also saw in "Avengers vs. X-Men" #7 when Emma sent Namor against Wakanda.
On an anal-retentive note, we get confirmation here that Spider-Woman did get taken prisoner as did, apparently, Luke Cage. By my reckoning, we've got Luke Cage, Giant Man, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Spider-Woman, and now Thor in the X-Brig. (I wonder when Luke got caught. I feel like I missed that somewhere.) I'm not liking those odds for the Avengers.
Uncanny X-Men #15: I don't have much to say about this issue other than the fact that it sets up the coming battle with Sinister. As expected, Scott decides that the world would be a better place without Sinister and he and the rest of the Phoenix Five make their way to Sinister London to make that wish a reality. In the meantime, Gillen shows how the Phoenix Five are increasingly separated from the rest of the X-Men. I loved Acuna showing us the distance shot of Danger, Magneto, Psylocke, and Storm just staring after the Phoenix Five as they departed for Sinister London. Gillen also addresses a moment that I thought would come, namely Colossus (unsucessfully) trying to break free from Cytorrak's hold. All in all, though, it's the promise of the coming battle with Sinister that drove this issue. I will say that, although I like Acuna, I'm disappointed that we don't get Weaver and Charalampidis on this issue. Their Sinister London was so completely defined that Acuna's muted lines feel horribly inadequate to really capture the grandeur Weaver conveyed last issue.
Wolverine and the X-Men #13: Aaron goes a little Gillen with this issue, telling the story of a minor character rather than addressing issues related to the main event. Whereas Gillen's use of Sinister in "Uncanny X-Men" as the lens through which we've been seeing "Avengers vs. X-Men" has been nothing short of brilliant, Aaron's use of Warbird in a similar fashion doesn't work so well. Gillen is using Sinister because his scheme deals directly with the arrival of Phoenix on Earth; however, Warbird finds herself involved on a tertiary level -- to collect Kid Gladiator because his father appeared to rescue him from Earth before the Phoenix destroys it. Aaron certainly makes her back story compelling, emphasizing the hardships that she endured in the process of going from an orphaned child who liked to draw to a Deathbird-class Shi'Aar warrior. She's actually exactly the type of student who should be at Logan's school, even if she isn't technically a student. However, given everything happening (and still unclear) in "Avengers vs. X-Men," it seems weird to waste time delving into Warbird's back story, given that nothing we saw here couldn't have been told in any other story where she was forced to fight or follow orders that were hard to follow. It didn't need to be during "Avengers vs. X-Men." You could argue the same for Sinister, but given his connection to Madeleine Pryor, who he has re-cloned, it's pretty clear that his storyline will have some sort of impact on the main event. Again, Aaron tells a decent story, but I think I would've preferred a look into Wolverine's whereabouts (since he's largely absent from "Avengers vs. X-Men" #7) or an exploration of humanity's response to the mutants suddenly running the world.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
New(-ish) Comics: The "Avengers vs. X-Men" Edition #7 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Avengers vs. X-Men #5: I saw an advertisement that billed this issue as the end of Act One, and it's a pretty apt description. The storyline so far has revolved around Cap and Cyclops' dueling views of Hope, with Cap maybe taking overly aggressive steps to address the danger that he felt that a Phoenix-empowered Hope posed to the world and Cyclops pretty much proving that he had lost his mind by constantly asserting that a so-empowered Hope would save the mutant race. A reckoning between these two visions has been coming, and we get one (to an extent) in this issue.
Last issue, we saw that Hope herself didn't really necessarily believe that Cap or Cyke had any idea what they were doing, a pretty reasonable conclusion given that, as I mentioned in my last review, Cap had no real plan to protect her from Phoenix and Cyclops didn't seem to have any idea how she would control it. She convinced Logan to let her try to control Phoenix, but got him to agree to kill her if it looked like she couldn't. They then went to the Moon to greet Phoenix. (It was like Burning Man, but with less acid.)
We start this issue with the Avengers having located Hope, thanks to a tip from Logan, and the X-Men arriving right on their heels, as a result of Emma successfully plucking her location from someone's mind. The Phoenix Force has also arrived and Hope quickly realizes that she can't control it while the Avengers and the X-Men resume pounding on one another. I thought Fraction did a great job of using Hope's narration to explain that the war between the two sides had gone beyond the rational and, in fact, seemed no longer to have anything to do with her. Even with this pretty reasonable explanation why years of emotions meant that neither side seemed capable of putting together a workable plan, it was getting hard to believe that the two sides would just continue to wail on each other for the next seven issues given that it really wasn't doing anything to resolve the issue of Hope.
Here, Fraction resolves that issue, in a way. We finally see the device that Tony Stark has been building over the last few issues, some sort of giant robot that reminded me of Tranzor Z from the '80s. Stark and Hank Pym fly said robot straight at the Phoenix Force, detonating some sort of energy field that disrupts her. Fraction isn't entirely clear how the robot manages to do that, but I'm willing to concede that Stark and Pym are capable of finding some way to do it without me needing to understand all the mechanics. The Phoenix Force, rejected by Hope and attacked by Stark, splits itself five ways, imbuing Colossus, Cyclops, Emma, Magic, and Namor with its power. They then inform the Avengers that they're taking Hope with them and that they plan on helping Phoenix heal so that it can remake the world.
The good news is that I don't necessarily hate this development. When I first heard about it, I rolled my eyes and figured that it would be the moment when this whole endeavor jumped the shark. I mean, it's pretty obviously a stalling tactic to help justify a 12-issue mini-series. But, it's a stalling tactic that at least works in terms of the story. It makes sense that Tony and Hank could damage, but not destroy, Phoenix, so I'm willing to concede that the actual effect of their attack was to split her power between the five X-Men. In fact, Hope herself comments that Phoenix didn't want her any more after she initially rejected it. I'm waiting to see where Fraction goes with that. After all, the obvious question is why Phoenix didn't just give Hope its powers. If it was able to empower the five X-Men mentioned above here, then it seems like that it could also have just gone ahead and empowered Hope. Fraction seems to be implying that Hope's realization that she couldn't handle the power somehow affected Phoenix's view of her, and I'm wondering if the point of imbuing the five X-men was to give them the ability to convince her to play host.
In other words, Fraction does really bring us to a solid end of Act One. It's no longer about Cap and Cyke's dueling visions about Hope's potential future. We're now waiting to see what Cyclops et al. meant about the need for Phoenix to heal itself before it can "evolve tomorrow itself." I'm glad to say that I'm excited to see what the answer to that question is.
Finally, Fraction does a good job of making Hope a little more likable here. After all, she realizes that she can't handle the Phoenix Force and asks Wolverine to kill her. As grim as that sounds, it shows that Hope is trying to do the right thing and allows us to have empathy for her, something that has always been hard to have given how obnoxious she's been. All in all, despite my doubts, it was a pretty strong issue.
AVX:VS #3: This title's previous issues have been fun, but I can honestly say this one is totally skipable. The Colossus/Thing fight is totally formulaic and the Black Widow/Magik fight is rendered almost unintelligible by Marvel's decision to put half of it in Russian, hoping we'll download its AR app. I'm specifically NOT downloading the AR app as a result. So there.
Avengers #27: OK, I've pretty well documented the fact that the "Avengers" and "Secret Avengers" coordination problem has been my least favorite thing about "Avengers vs. X-Men." The problem is, unfortunately, all the more stark after my six-week hiatus, because I spent most of this issue trying to remember what happened in the last issue versus what happened in the last issue of "Secret Avengers." If I'm not mistaken, we ended "Secret Avengers" with Ms. Marvel and the Protector supporting a reborn Captain Marvel and I had more or less ascertained that the upcoming fight was contained between panels in "Avengers" #26. I think that hunch is more or less supported by this issue, given that Marvel isn't even mentioned and Carol is clearly no longer under his sway. I don't remember the exact details of the Protector's attack on his teammates last issue, but he appears to have stolen something that will help the Supreme Intelligence gain control over the Phoenix Force.
Unfortunately, he assumed that the Supreme Intelligence would then help save Earth. He is clearly an idiot. (I mean, really? I actually liked this plot line better when he was merely traitorous, not naive.) He was wrong (obviously) and I give credit to Bendis that the sequence where he's deserted by his teammates is heartbreaking to read. Or, at least, it would be heartbreaking if I believed it. Bendis makes it seem like the Protector staked Captain America through the heart given the vitriol that the team spews at him. I mean, Hank gets so angry about singed fur that he threatens to kill the Protector? I get that they're upset, but, honestly, something about the team members' reaction just seemed totally over the top to me, given that any number of Avengers have done much, much worse but are still welcomed with open arms. I'm not saying that he didn't do a terrible thing, but I don't know if I believe that they would've reacted the way that they did. In the end, it wasn't a terrible issue. In fact, it's pretty damn good for Bendis, But, I still find myself scratching my head why we're dedicating two titles to the Space Team when one would've definitely sufficed. But, at least it seems like the dueling Space Team stories are coming to an end, so I'm happy that we'll presumably be seeing something else next issue.
Unfortunately, he assumed that the Supreme Intelligence would then help save Earth. He is clearly an idiot. (I mean, really? I actually liked this plot line better when he was merely traitorous, not naive.) He was wrong (obviously) and I give credit to Bendis that the sequence where he's deserted by his teammates is heartbreaking to read. Or, at least, it would be heartbreaking if I believed it. Bendis makes it seem like the Protector staked Captain America through the heart given the vitriol that the team spews at him. I mean, Hank gets so angry about singed fur that he threatens to kill the Protector? I get that they're upset, but, honestly, something about the team members' reaction just seemed totally over the top to me, given that any number of Avengers have done much, much worse but are still welcomed with open arms. I'm not saying that he didn't do a terrible thing, but I don't know if I believe that they would've reacted the way that they did. In the end, it wasn't a terrible issue. In fact, it's pretty damn good for Bendis, But, I still find myself scratching my head why we're dedicating two titles to the Space Team when one would've definitely sufficed. But, at least it seems like the dueling Space Team stories are coming to an end, so I'm happy that we'll presumably be seeing something else next issue.
Uncanny X-Men #13: Despite the fact that "Uncanny X-Men" is just a tie-in issue, Gillen makes two fairly major revelations here. First, he has Unit reveal that the Phoenix Force has, in fact, come to Earth specifically because it felt "pushed" by Wanda's decimation of the mutant race, implying that it's here to correct it. Second, he reveals the existence of another messiah who previously used the Phoenix Force to save her race.
Needless to say, I'm pretty surprised that we didn't see the reveal about Phoenix's intentions in the main title. After all, it pretty much proves that Scott is right (to an extent). Given how insane Scott has seemed lately, I think this revelation makes him seem significantly less crazy. I mean, he still seems somewhat crazy, since I'm pretty sure that Unit didn't tell Scott about Phoenix's intentions and he's just basing his belief in its redemptive abilities on some sort of instinct. One theory about his erratic behavior has been that Hope or Phoenix has been manipulating him, so it makes sense that, if Phoenix has been manipulating him, his connection to it would probably given him some insight into its intentions. Now, Gillen doesn't actually draw that line here, so it's entirely possible that Cyclops is really just on a limb in his belief in Phoenix as the mutants' savior. Moreover, even if he's right that it's come to Earth to recreate the mutant race, it doesn't mean that a lot of people aren't going to die in the process. (In other words, Cap isn't necessarily wrong that Hope and Phoenix are threats, even if Cyclops is right that it's here to undo Wanda's spell.) But, at the very least, it does make me feel like Scott's not as insane as I think, even if he is only basing his opinion on instinct that may or may not come from a connection to the Phoenix Force.
Morever, Gillen address one of my questions from "Avengers vs. X-Men" #5, namely, why Phoenix decided to empower the five X-Men on the Moon. Here, we learn that it parallels an event that happened a billion years ago, when a messiah was born to a race who found itself evolutionarily halted by a group of demons who had enslaved it. The messiah built up a group of five acolytes and called to Phoenix for help. Phoenix answered, and the messiah and her acolytes worked with Phoenix to undo the spell and reform their world. So, Phoenix not only has come to Earth to save the mutant race, but it's essentially done the same thing previously. Gillen draws an implicit parallel between Hope and her original Lights from "Generation Hope." We've never really gotten an explanation of how Hope exerted the influence over the Lights that she did, since it's not her mutant power to do so, but Gillen seems to be implying that it was due to her link to Phoenix, given the previous messiah's experience. In the present, with Hope discarded and her acolytes scattered, it's clear that Phoenix is willing to use a different set of acolytes to further its goals. We'll see where that goes.
Again, it seems odd to me that the editors at Marvel would shunt these revelations -- that the Phoenix Force IS here to recreate the mutant race and that Hope isn't the first messiah surrounded by five acolytes to call on the Phoenix Force to save her people -- to a tie-in issue. But, I'm certainly glad that these stories got told, regardless of where they were told, because it does help address two nagging questions I had, namely Cyclops' insistence that he was right about Hope and Hope being able to control the Lights. On the down side, the use of Unit as the source of this information remains deus ex machina-y, and I found myself rolling my eyes at his revelation that he's trying to prevent Hope from saving the mutants since he has nothing to learn from such a scenario, given that he's already witnessed a messiah achieving her goal. Plus, I might be giving Gillen a little too much credit here, given that, as I've noted, I'm connecting some dots that Gillen doesn't specifically connect himself. But, all in all, I'll take any sort of clarity that I can get.
The other focus of this issue is Magneto, Psylocke, and Storm regrouping at a pre-designated location after the battles that we've seen occur throughout Earth over the last few issues. It's a great series of scenes, because it gives the event the quiet time that it's been missing, allowing the characters to consider the events of the last few days. Again, we're moving into Act Two here, so I thought it was a nice touch for Gillen to use this issue to spend some time reflecting on the events of Act One. All in all, I probably enjoyed this issue of "Uncanny X-Men" more than any since the re-launch.
X-Men Legacy #268: OK, first, I was confused by where we start this issue, because I thought that, when we last left Rogue and her team, they were still in the middle of a fight with Falcon and his team. I guess I'll have to check. Anyway, this issue is the first one to deal directly with the aftermath of "Avengers vs. X-Men" #5, informing us that the five X-Men empowered by the Phoenix Force are remaking the world in their image. For starters, they've outlawed war and we start the issue with Cyclops disarming both sides of a conflict somewhere in Africa. Enter Frenzy, who's tasked with keeping the peace for a few hours until the Stepford Cuckoos can come and re-write everyone's memory. (They're a little busy at the moment disarming Iran's nuclear program.) I was also a little confused by this moment, since I was pretty sure that only Bobby, Rachel, and Warren defected to Cyclops' side. Have Rogue et al. followed? I guess that they have, but it would've been nice to see that. Instead, I was left feeling like I missed an issue.
I was worried from the get-go with this story, because I find that authors often fail miserably when they engage in these foreign-intervention tales. They usually greatly oversimplify the complicated dynamics that tend to create these sorts of internal conflicts and fail to write a story that provides a believable role for the costumed hero who finds herself suddenly thrust in the middle of one. As someone who works in foreign affairs, these stories generally require too significant of a willful suspension of disbelief for me, particularly when it comes to the reality that the victims will face once the heroes leave.
I will say that Gage mostly (though not totally) avoids all these traps. By using Frenzy, he gives us a protagonist who completely understands that the X-Men are not going to keep two sides who've been fighting each other for decades from attacking each other, even if they have been disarmed. Gage somewhat wisely has the conflict itself take a backstage, since the issue is really about Frenzy and the abuse that she suffered at the hands of her father, a history that inspires her to intervene when she comes across a guy abusing his child bride. My only real criticism of the issue is this moment, since Gage has the guy spout off way too many theories about international relations while telling Frenzy to take a hike. Gage also falls into the oversimplification trap as Frenzy decides that she's going to solve this girl's problems by just stopping the guy from hitting her. (Gage actually somewhat sidesteps the question entirely by killing off said husband at the end of the issue, so that we don't have to wonder what's going to happen to the girl once Frenzy leaves. I'm not entirely sure why the guy was killed, though. Did another guerrilla group stumble across the rebel camp and kill everyone there? Gage isn't really clear on that. If the husband was a member of the group at the camp, why would they kill him?) But, leaving this scene aside, the rest of the issues flows pretty smoothly (though sadly) as Frenzy tells her story to the man's wife, who's barely a teenager, as she leads Frenzy to the rebel's camp.
The most interesting part of this issue comes at the end, with Frenzy successfully convincing the Stepford Cuckoos not to wipe the traumatic memories from the minds of the villagers, since they need those memories to protect themselves from the next warlord. If Cyclops and his crew are really having the Cuckoos rewrite the memories of everyone on Earth to conform to their vision of the world, I'm wondering what nightmare Utopia we're going to be seeing in "Avengers vs. X-Men" #6. Plus, shouldn't they be re-sparking the mutant race? I mean, why are they bothering with political conflicts when they could be going to every de-powered mutant and reviving their powers? Overall, I'm a little worried, because these sorts of stories about free will have been done many, many times before (and probably most successfully by the "Squadron Supreme" mini-series in the '80s) and I think that this entire endeavor could get really derivative really quickly. Fingers crossed that it doesn't. In the meantime, Gage gives us a decent character study here that managed to miss all the pitfalls that this sort of issue usually carries with it. Frenzy continues to grow as a character and Gage clearly enjoys writing her. You don't necessarily need to read this issue in terms of the larger event, but if you like Frenzy and you're looking for a good character study, you should think about getting it.
Friday, May 25, 2012
New Comics!: The "Avengers vs. X-Men" Edition #5 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Avengers vs. X-Men #4: OMG, I love the fact that Hope, too, decided that Logan was the only person thinking straight! I mentioned in a comment on X-Man75's blog that I thought that Logan is the only person, at this point, with a plan. Cyclops has yet to articulate a way to help Hope handle the Phoenix Force and Cap doesn't seem to have any idea how to protect her from it. I might not agree with Logan that killing Hope is the only option, but he's the only one with a plan that addresses the issue. It seems that Hope herself acknowledges that here.
At first, I was furious with the idea that Logan would just give up his position that Hope was too dangerous to live and agree to help her see if she could control the Phoenix Force. I mean, Logan knows that the minute that the Phoenix touches Hope, she's going to be WAY too powerful for him to do anything if she loses control. So, I was thrilled when Hickman reveals that Logan, in fact, contacted the Avengers. I mean, I still raised an eyebrow that he decided not to kill her immediately, because I'm pretty sure that Logan's position on the threat that she poses hasn't changed. Hickman seems to be arguing that he has just backed off his position that she has to die and instead embraced Cap's view that she might be saved. To be honest, I think it would've been helpful for Hickman to explain why he changed his mind, particularly since we see that he still strongly believes that no one can control the Phoenix Force. But, overall, I concede that it makes it a little easier that we're now only dealing with two teams and not three (even if Logan was in and of himself a team).
My only real problem with this issue is that the events involving the Space Team don't match the events of "Secret Avengers" #26. In that issue, Thor recovers in the Avengers' ship while Phoenix redirects to the Kree's homeworld. So, either we've got a major continuity problem here when we see Thor crash into the moon with Phoenix hot on his heels, or we're seeing events that have yet to transpire in "Secret Avengers." Either way, it's really an unnecessary distraction. If it's the former, it makes you lose some suspension of disbelief, since both events can't happen at once. If it's the latter, it makes you wonder why bother getting the remaining issues of "Secret Avengers" since nothing particularly ground-breaking appears to happen.
On the plus side, Hickman addresses an issue that I mentioned last time, resolving the location of some of the missing Avengers and X-Men. Quake and Venom are now the only unassigned Avengers (as far as I can tell), and we seem to have a full accounting of the X-Men. (However, some members of the New Mutants and "X-Men" roster are missing. We see Nate briefly in this issue, but, as far as I'm aware, we haven't see Cypher, Dani, or Moonstar. In terms of the "X-Men" roster, I don't think we've seen Pixie yet.)
In terms of where we are in the story, I'm surprised that the Phoenix has presented itself so early. When Iron Man mentions that it was an estimated ten hours from Earth, I figured we'd have another five or six issues before it actually arrived. With eight issues left in the main mini-series, I wonder where we're going. Cyclops himself noted that the X-Men's only goal was to keep Hope free until the Phoenix arrived, which they manage to do. So, what happens now? I'm guessing Logan doesn't kill Hope next issue, so either Hope becomes the host for the Phoenix Force or we learn that it always intended to find another host (such as the Scarlet Witch, as numerous people have surmised). Either way, we still have a lot of issues left!
AVX:VS #2: I don't really know how to recap this issue. Cap and Gambit fight. Colossus and Spidey fight. It's awesome. 'Nuff said. Again, it's your call as to whether it's worth $3.99 a month, but I can't say that it isn't fun.
Avengers #26: OK, I have to say, so far, I've been impressed with how well the various books are connecting with the main event. "AVX:VS," "Uncanny X-Men," "Wolverine and the X-Men," and "X-Men Legacy" have all managed to flesh out moments that we briefly saw in the main mini-series in a way that gives you a deeper understanding of the overall story. These stories might not have been essential to understand the main plot, but they definitely give you a better sense of the event as a whole. For example, both "Wolverine and the X-Men" and "X-Men Legacy" fleshed out Bobby and Rachel's motivations for taking Scott's side; if you were just reading the main title, you'd probably be a little surprised by their sudden defection. Moreover, "AVX:VS" and "Uncanny X-Men" have given some more "screen-time" to the fights between iconic characters, given a better sense of just how deep the divide between both sides is. In so doing, no one has tripped on continuity; they've perfectly filled in the events happening between panels, going so far as taking the dialogue verbatim and expanding on it.
Then, we have "Avengers" and "Secret Avengers."
As I mentioned above, I think the scene that we see at the end of "Avengers vs. X-Men" #4 actually happens AFTER the entire "Secret Avengers" arc, a supposition that seems to be supported by the editor's note in this issue to see "Secret Avengers" #26-#28...despite the fact that we're only on #26. However, now, I'm not so sure. For example, the scenes inside the Avengers' ship seem to take place concurrent to, and shortly after, the scenes in "Secret Avengers" #26. We start "Avengers" #26 with Thor and War Machine recovering from the confrontation with the Phoenix in "Secret Avengers" #26, but end "Avengers" #26 with Thor taking on the Phoenix Force again, something that hasn't yet happened in "Secret Avengers" (but may happen in issue #27). Fine. That part could work, since it's not too much of a stretch to assume that Thor eventually heals sufficiently to take on Phoenix again. But, it's the Protector aspects of this story that make no sense. We ended "Secret Avengers" #26 with Ms. Marvel and the Protector encountering a resurrected Captain Marvel. So, unless the events of "Secret Avengers" #27 happen entirely between panels in this issue, it didn't make sense to me that the Protector appears on the ship examining Thor's hammer when, last I knew, he was sitting on a rock conspiring with Ms. Marvel. In fact, it seems like all of "Secret Avengers" #26-#28 happens within this issue, not before it.
As such, it seems bizarre that we're dedicating ANOTHER issue to the Space Team. After all, we only briefly saw the various Avengers teams confronting the various X-Men teams in the five locations where Hope might've been in "Avengers vs. X-Men" #4. "AVX:VS" #2 expands on some of these fights, as I think "Uncanny X-Men" #12 will. But, I feel like we had enough story there to get the "Avengers" title involved as well, particularly since "New Avengers" is in its own little world at this moment. "Secret Avengers" seemed to be adequately dealing with the Space Team; its inclusion in this series seems to muddy the waters unnecessarily, particularly since they were already muddied in "Avengers vs. X-Men" #4.
Uncanny X-Men #12: OK, right away, Gillen address one of my issues with "Avengers vs. X-Men" #3, which is that we weren't really shown how the X-Men not on the Extinction Team escaped. Here, we learn that they escaped one by one, rendezvousing with the Extinction Team at a set location. Cyclops gives a similar set of assignments as Captain America did in "Avengers vs. X-Men" #4, and we fully transition to the second round of fights between the two sides. It's not seamless, however. For example, how is She-Hulk at Tabula Rasa and Wolverine's school at the same time? According to the title page of "Avengers vs. X-Men" #4, only Luke and Thing should be in Tabula Rasa. Also, Boom Boom is sent to Wundagore Mountain with Magneto and Psylocke, but, in "Avengers vs. X-Men" #4, we don't actually see her there, in the intro roster or the issue itself. Instead, she's replaced by Angel and Iceman, and, I have to say, I hope we don't just move right past them joining Scott's side. We had two issues dedicated to their defection ("Wolverine and the X-Men" #11 and "X-Men Legacy" #266), but we so far haven't seen them joining the X-Men side. They, and Rachel, just suddenly appear in this issue. Given the number of tie-in issues, you think someone at some point would've taken the chance to show us that moment, because I think one of Scott's oldest friends and his future daughter re-joining his side has at least some potential to be a decent story. At this point, though, "Uncanny X-Men" continues to serve the same role as "AVX:VS," giving us some more details on the fights that we briefly see in the main mini-series. Unfortunately, It lacks the fun of "AVX:VS" and some of the drama of "Wolverine and the X-Men" and "X-Men Legacy," so I can't really say it's indispensable. But, it's not as random as "New Avengers" or as confusing as "Avengers" and "Secret Avengers," so I guess that's a plus.
At first, I was furious with the idea that Logan would just give up his position that Hope was too dangerous to live and agree to help her see if she could control the Phoenix Force. I mean, Logan knows that the minute that the Phoenix touches Hope, she's going to be WAY too powerful for him to do anything if she loses control. So, I was thrilled when Hickman reveals that Logan, in fact, contacted the Avengers. I mean, I still raised an eyebrow that he decided not to kill her immediately, because I'm pretty sure that Logan's position on the threat that she poses hasn't changed. Hickman seems to be arguing that he has just backed off his position that she has to die and instead embraced Cap's view that she might be saved. To be honest, I think it would've been helpful for Hickman to explain why he changed his mind, particularly since we see that he still strongly believes that no one can control the Phoenix Force. But, overall, I concede that it makes it a little easier that we're now only dealing with two teams and not three (even if Logan was in and of himself a team).
My only real problem with this issue is that the events involving the Space Team don't match the events of "Secret Avengers" #26. In that issue, Thor recovers in the Avengers' ship while Phoenix redirects to the Kree's homeworld. So, either we've got a major continuity problem here when we see Thor crash into the moon with Phoenix hot on his heels, or we're seeing events that have yet to transpire in "Secret Avengers." Either way, it's really an unnecessary distraction. If it's the former, it makes you lose some suspension of disbelief, since both events can't happen at once. If it's the latter, it makes you wonder why bother getting the remaining issues of "Secret Avengers" since nothing particularly ground-breaking appears to happen.
On the plus side, Hickman addresses an issue that I mentioned last time, resolving the location of some of the missing Avengers and X-Men. Quake and Venom are now the only unassigned Avengers (as far as I can tell), and we seem to have a full accounting of the X-Men. (However, some members of the New Mutants and "X-Men" roster are missing. We see Nate briefly in this issue, but, as far as I'm aware, we haven't see Cypher, Dani, or Moonstar. In terms of the "X-Men" roster, I don't think we've seen Pixie yet.)
In terms of where we are in the story, I'm surprised that the Phoenix has presented itself so early. When Iron Man mentions that it was an estimated ten hours from Earth, I figured we'd have another five or six issues before it actually arrived. With eight issues left in the main mini-series, I wonder where we're going. Cyclops himself noted that the X-Men's only goal was to keep Hope free until the Phoenix arrived, which they manage to do. So, what happens now? I'm guessing Logan doesn't kill Hope next issue, so either Hope becomes the host for the Phoenix Force or we learn that it always intended to find another host (such as the Scarlet Witch, as numerous people have surmised). Either way, we still have a lot of issues left!
AVX:VS #2: I don't really know how to recap this issue. Cap and Gambit fight. Colossus and Spidey fight. It's awesome. 'Nuff said. Again, it's your call as to whether it's worth $3.99 a month, but I can't say that it isn't fun.
Avengers #26: OK, I have to say, so far, I've been impressed with how well the various books are connecting with the main event. "AVX:VS," "Uncanny X-Men," "Wolverine and the X-Men," and "X-Men Legacy" have all managed to flesh out moments that we briefly saw in the main mini-series in a way that gives you a deeper understanding of the overall story. These stories might not have been essential to understand the main plot, but they definitely give you a better sense of the event as a whole. For example, both "Wolverine and the X-Men" and "X-Men Legacy" fleshed out Bobby and Rachel's motivations for taking Scott's side; if you were just reading the main title, you'd probably be a little surprised by their sudden defection. Moreover, "AVX:VS" and "Uncanny X-Men" have given some more "screen-time" to the fights between iconic characters, given a better sense of just how deep the divide between both sides is. In so doing, no one has tripped on continuity; they've perfectly filled in the events happening between panels, going so far as taking the dialogue verbatim and expanding on it.
Then, we have "Avengers" and "Secret Avengers."
As I mentioned above, I think the scene that we see at the end of "Avengers vs. X-Men" #4 actually happens AFTER the entire "Secret Avengers" arc, a supposition that seems to be supported by the editor's note in this issue to see "Secret Avengers" #26-#28...despite the fact that we're only on #26. However, now, I'm not so sure. For example, the scenes inside the Avengers' ship seem to take place concurrent to, and shortly after, the scenes in "Secret Avengers" #26. We start "Avengers" #26 with Thor and War Machine recovering from the confrontation with the Phoenix in "Secret Avengers" #26, but end "Avengers" #26 with Thor taking on the Phoenix Force again, something that hasn't yet happened in "Secret Avengers" (but may happen in issue #27). Fine. That part could work, since it's not too much of a stretch to assume that Thor eventually heals sufficiently to take on Phoenix again. But, it's the Protector aspects of this story that make no sense. We ended "Secret Avengers" #26 with Ms. Marvel and the Protector encountering a resurrected Captain Marvel. So, unless the events of "Secret Avengers" #27 happen entirely between panels in this issue, it didn't make sense to me that the Protector appears on the ship examining Thor's hammer when, last I knew, he was sitting on a rock conspiring with Ms. Marvel. In fact, it seems like all of "Secret Avengers" #26-#28 happens within this issue, not before it.
As such, it seems bizarre that we're dedicating ANOTHER issue to the Space Team. After all, we only briefly saw the various Avengers teams confronting the various X-Men teams in the five locations where Hope might've been in "Avengers vs. X-Men" #4. "AVX:VS" #2 expands on some of these fights, as I think "Uncanny X-Men" #12 will. But, I feel like we had enough story there to get the "Avengers" title involved as well, particularly since "New Avengers" is in its own little world at this moment. "Secret Avengers" seemed to be adequately dealing with the Space Team; its inclusion in this series seems to muddy the waters unnecessarily, particularly since they were already muddied in "Avengers vs. X-Men" #4.
Uncanny X-Men #12: OK, right away, Gillen address one of my issues with "Avengers vs. X-Men" #3, which is that we weren't really shown how the X-Men not on the Extinction Team escaped. Here, we learn that they escaped one by one, rendezvousing with the Extinction Team at a set location. Cyclops gives a similar set of assignments as Captain America did in "Avengers vs. X-Men" #4, and we fully transition to the second round of fights between the two sides. It's not seamless, however. For example, how is She-Hulk at Tabula Rasa and Wolverine's school at the same time? According to the title page of "Avengers vs. X-Men" #4, only Luke and Thing should be in Tabula Rasa. Also, Boom Boom is sent to Wundagore Mountain with Magneto and Psylocke, but, in "Avengers vs. X-Men" #4, we don't actually see her there, in the intro roster or the issue itself. Instead, she's replaced by Angel and Iceman, and, I have to say, I hope we don't just move right past them joining Scott's side. We had two issues dedicated to their defection ("Wolverine and the X-Men" #11 and "X-Men Legacy" #266), but we so far haven't seen them joining the X-Men side. They, and Rachel, just suddenly appear in this issue. Given the number of tie-in issues, you think someone at some point would've taken the chance to show us that moment, because I think one of Scott's oldest friends and his future daughter re-joining his side has at least some potential to be a decent story. At this point, though, "Uncanny X-Men" continues to serve the same role as "AVX:VS," giving us some more details on the fights that we briefly see in the main mini-series. Unfortunately, It lacks the fun of "AVX:VS" and some of the drama of "Wolverine and the X-Men" and "X-Men Legacy," so I can't really say it's indispensable. But, it's not as random as "New Avengers" or as confusing as "Avengers" and "Secret Avengers," so I guess that's a plus.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
New Comics!: The "Avengers vs. X-Men" Edition #3 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
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.
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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