Marvel's annual 'big summer event' is like that ex boy/girlfriend that you always keep going back to, knowing full well that nothing will change and it will be a waste of time for everyone involved. But you still go back, time after time.....
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| look at it, so seductive...but i know you will break my heart |
I spoke, at length, before here about Marvel's previous successes and failures in the big summer crossover blockbuster department. After last years great on paper but in reality a bt dull Fear Itself event I felt let down. So it was with apprehension I purchased the first issue of Avengers VS X-Men (from here on; AVX). I read it, I read it again. I liked what I read.
Much has been made of AVX as a 'great jumping on point' for new readers, hoping to cash in on the release of the upcoming Avengers movie this month. Marvel say this a lot, mainly to sell comics, but this time they have at least successful created an issue with minimal backstory that, in theory at least, anyone could pick up and genuinely enjoy.
The kernel of the story is thus: The Phoenix Force is carving a bloody path toward earth, devouring any planet in its path. It is searching for a host and has selected young mutant Hope Summers. The Avengers decide to take Hope into custody to prevent planet-wide destruction, the X-Men object and a fight ensues. Its hardly Watchmen, it's basically an excuse for some fighting.
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| that is one angry, destructive cosmic entity... |
Big dumb plot, all locked and loaded and ready to go right there!
AVX is written by, deep breath, Jason Aaron, Brian Michael Bendis, Ed Brubaker, Jonathan Hickman and Matt Fraction and is illustrated by John Romita Jr, Olivier Copiel and Adam Kubert. There is some seriously hefty talent involved in this. I am a huge fan of all the writers non-Marvel work (Powers, Fatale, Casanova etc). Each writer will be scripting a three issue 'act' of the twelve issue series and pencils will be handled by a different artist on each act.
This issue starts as I hope the rest of the series will will go on. Within the first few pages a member of the cosmic gaurdians, The Nova Force crash lands in NYC, taking out a plane and a skyscraper in the process. The Avengers a forced into action, showcasing why the are 'The Earths Mightiest Heroes'. They are also The Worlds Wittiest Heroes, Bendis knows his way around dialogue and has been writing the Avengers for the last decade. The dialogue in the wholes Nova crashing to earth scene in textbook Bendis, Spider-man is jokey, Cap is super serious, Iron Man is arrogant and jovial....But far from feeling phoned in the writing in this scene and the whole issue is terse but deft, progressing the story at a snappy pace.
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| could be Obama... |
The Avengers are very much 'the good guys' in this scrap. Captain America and Iron Man are seen briefing the President of the USA on the arrival of the Phoenix Force and are working alongside the Government to protect the planet. The X-Men, however, are painted as the kinda bad guys in the first issue (only really because of Cyclops' attitude but i'll get to that in a bit). As a species, the mutants have not had much luck of late. With their numbers reduced to a couple of hundred due to a cataclysm that depowered 85% of the mutant population the remaining mutants moved to their island home, Utopia and then suffered a schism which divided the X camp down the middle. Wolverine decided to open a school for mutants, Cyclops decided to stay on Utopia and go all weird and a bit crazy...
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| ...cos, you know, he IS a dick.. |
Cyclops believes the Phoenix Force can bring 'rebirth' to the mutant species and is not willing to let The Avengers compromise his species salvation.
The X-Men half of this comic should be called 'What's Eating Scott Summers?' The last few years have been tough on Cyclops and it's nice to have a ringside seat in his nervous breakdown, dude zaps Captain America so best believe he is crazy with a capital MENTAL!
My friend Tom said that this comic is like 'the locker room script to a wrestling match'...it SO is...and it is brilliant!
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| where's Jake 'The Snake' Roberts when you need him?... |
The art in this comics is just stunning, I'm really excited to see Romita drawing the X-Men again, he makes every character so unique. Cyclops is tall and thin, I swear he is looking more and more like Black Bolt these days....which is kinda appropriate if you think about it.
there is not a lots else to say really....its a big, dumb, cool fight comic written and drawn by some amazing talent. I really, really hope Marvel don't fuck it up.....
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