WARNING. SPOILER WARNING FOR THE ENTIRE EVENT

It would have been easy for Marvel to quickly end the event and have the majority of this issue be about the future. It’s what Fear Itself did, and it somewhat worked. But AvX spends all but a couple of pages in the present. The time shifts between 72 hours ago and now work well, allowing Jason Aaron to give equals part action and debate. The debating between characters have been the best parts of this book, giving some great insight to these big event comics. The conversation between Cap and Cyclops worked really well. Aaron jumps the line between making the reader think this was Cyclops plan all along, or he’s really a mad man. Unlike most comic events though, AvX #12 has a sense of completion. With one of the pages dealing with next week’s Uncanny Avengers, the feeling isn’t as great as it could have been. From the first page it feels like something is going to end. Between the bleakness of the dialogue or the

It’s not perfect though. Nova comes out of nowhere to save the day. I’d be fine with this if Nova had popped up a few times between #1 and #12, but he was gone the entire time. Has he been healing the entire time? It rings of forcing a character into the forefront of the Marvel Universe so that he can get his own book. I’m a huge Nova fan, so I’m somewhat happy. Also, having Hope fix all the problems and bring the mutants back tidied up all the lose ends to easily. Let us see some of the ramifications around the world instead of having Hope fix everything in the blink of an eye. But with a relaunch only a week away, it’s no surprise that Aaron decided to do this.

Adam Kubert does a phenomenal job on pencils. The battle scenes have the epic feel that are necessary in an event comic, but doesn’t miss a beat when switching to calmer scenes. The air of despair that Aaron’s script gives comes across well in the fight scenes. When the battle scenes start to get cluttered, Kubert doesn’t lose detail. Every character looks great, even when in the background of a crowded scene. The fire properties of the Phoenix look great, giving off an otherworldly look. Credit should also be given to Laura Martin and Justin Ponsor. The only problem that I could see was the change in inkers. The density in lines changes once the Phoenix leaves Hope. Kubert’s pencils have always looked better when the ink is heavier, giving his pencils more of a comic book look instead of realistic feel. This is a small gripe in what has been an amazing few issues by Kubert.

Avengers vs X-Men as a whole has been a fun event. Having the issue double ship each month helped, as there were a few issues that were less than favorable. But I’ll remember this event fondly, something I can’t say about Fear Itself. The only thing that could have been changed was the magnitude of writers. A great idea when trying to build the event, but bad when going from issue to issue. Many of them, mainly Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction, have their distinctive voice that comes out when the write. The rest of the writers, can mold their writing style enough to work with others. The big thing is having all the mutants come back. Some aren’t going to be happy with this, and some will. I fall into the “happy” category, as it opens up a lot of new stories. It gives Bendis and other X-writers new characters to work with.

MrComicBook, Avengers vs X-Men #12 Review

Mr. Sinister, while not being used as much as he could, has been one of the highlights since the relaunch.  He’s egotistical, and Gillen writes him in a way that makes the reader want to see more of him each month.  Some of his plans finally come to fruition, and it’s very entertaining.  With Avengers vs X-Men going on, it would have been easy for Gillen to forget about Sinister for a few months and focus on the event, but Gillen balances both well.  We get a clear sense of why Sinister is a threat, and why it needs to happen now and not after the event.  Gillen then goes on to show off his writing abilities by giving us plenty of smaller character moments while not sacrificing plot.  While the Extinction Team seemed non existent (or extinct if you are into bad puns) since Avengers vs X-Men started, it’s good to see them back together.  It shows readers that Gillen is still committed to the premise that warranted the relaunch, and that his direction wasn’t completely thrown out the window for the sake of an event.

What has become very apparent in the past couple of issues, is that Kieron Gillen should have been on the writing team of Avengers vs X-Men.  It was a great idea to bring in people like Ed Brubaker and Jonathan Hickman to think outside of the Marvel event box, and Gillen would have been a great choice.  He has been knee deep in Cyclops’ side of the fight, going back to Generation Hope.  With Cyclops becoming more of an a douche in Avengers vs X-Men, Gillen could have brought him back from the dark side.  He has been able to keep Cyclops an army leader while keeping him grounded.  The reader feels like these hard decisions are justifiable, which keeps Cyclops from becoming unlikable.

David Acuña has been one of the unsung heroes of superhero comics.  His work is suited for the spandex wearing heroes, with his colorist style artwork.  Acuña has the same problems that have been in his artwork before: characters have zero facial features once they enter the background, which makes it impossible to tell how they the inflection behind their dialogue.  But his pencils have improved in the past few months.  Backgrounds are much more detailed, and characters expressions are better than ever.  The backgrounds in particular, have improved vastly.  Sinister London looks fantastic, and rivals Dustin Weaver’s on scale.  While Weaver didn’t separate each of the Sinisters well, Acuña gives each Sinster slight variations.  If Uncanny didn’t ship so often, I’d say Acuña should join on as the main artist.  With Marvel NOW! coming in a few months, Marvel needs to put this guy on a high profile book regularly.

Uncanny X-Men #15 gets 4/5.

MrComicBook, Uncanny X-Men #15 Review

The all-powerful Phoenix Force has found not one, but FIVE hosts and in Avengers VS. X-Men #6 – their mission is clear, remake the Marvel Universe in their image. Kicking off the world changing second act of the comic book event of the year, the blockbuster team of Jonathan Hickman and Olivier Coipel show fans just what Pax Utopia looks like through the eyes of Cyclops, Emma Frost, Namor, Colossus & Magik! How will Earths Mightiest and the other X-Men respond to this new development? And what role will the Scarlet Witch play once she enters the conflict? Find out in Avengers vs. X-Men #6!

Here comes the pain as all your favorite super heroes enter the battle—and only one team will emerge victorious! Don’t miss out on this once in a lifetime comic event in, Avengers VS X-Men #6, on sale now in comic shops everywhere, on the Marvel Comics app, and the all-new Marvel Comics Webstore!

Which team will reign supreme? Join the conversation on Twitter with #AvX!

For more on Avengers VS X-Men, please visit http://avx.marvel.com

AVENGERS VS X-MEN #6 (MAY120637)
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Penciled by OLIVIER COIPEL
Cover by JIM CHEUNG
Variant covers by NICK BRADSHAW & OLIVIER COIPEL
FOC – 6/11/12, On-Sale – 7/4/12

Agent Burgos, SPOILERS: Welcome to Pax Utopia In AVENGERS VS X-MEN #6!

Enjoy!

Fresh from the press:

This April, prepare for the biggest super hero war in comics history as Marvel is pleased to present your first look at Avengers Vs. X-Men #1! From the powerhouse creative team of Brian Michael Bendis, Jason Aaron, Matt Fraction, Jonathan Hickman, Ed Brubaker, John Romita Jr., Adam Kubert and Olivier Copiel comes a groundbreaking event pitting Earth’s Mightiest against the X-Men with the entire Marvel Universe at stake. Cyclops and his team believe the arrival of the Phoenix Force will save mutantkind, but Captain America is convinced it will destroy the world! But who is right? Don’t miss out on all the action in Avengers Vs. X-Men #1 in comic shops worldwide and on the Marvel Comics app this April!

Which team will reign supreme? Join the conversation on Twitter with #AvX!

For more on Avengers VS X-Men, please visit http://avx.marvel.com

AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #1 (JAN120625)
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS, JASON AARON, MATT FRACTION, JONATHAN HICKMAN, ED BRUBAKER
Art by JOHN ROMITA JR.
Colors by LAURA MARTIN
Cover by JIM CHEUNG
FOC – 2/27/12, ON SALE – 4/3/12

Will you side with the renegade mutants? Or join Earths Mightiest Heroes, The Avengers?

Get ready, Avengers vs X-Men hits your local comic shop this April!

Agent Burgos, 7 Page Preview: AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #1

Welcome to the return of View2View! This tme around we have some surprises and a new view to join the fray! The new member of this column, Wilt, will be going head-to-head with me next week about an issue that will stir some folks up! This week though, the original two, Chris and myself, are going to focus on a comic theme that has been brought up hundreds, maybe even thousands of times.

Is the return of the Phoenix Foce in X-Men vs. Avengers: Phoenix Force Returns really all that great?

As it goes for me I think it’s a solid storyline, now wait a second before you start throwing bottles at my face just hear me out. The Phoenix Force, IF used intelligently this time around could cause such a grave disturbance in what is already a delicate balance within the Marvel Universe that it could change the face of everything. Now I know comic book industries always, and I mean ALWAYS state that such and such will “change the *insert comic universe here* forever, but this time if they are smart and know their audience like they claim they do it could. If it switched off from a mutant to an Avenger permanntly that would be an amazing take.

We as fans do feel a little taken advantage of by the bigger comic publishers, Marvel and DC, but I hope this time things change for the better, maybe I’m just the eternal comic book optimist, but I really do hold that hope.

So Yes I give Marvel the benefit of the doubt here and feel that the Phoenix Force could be something of a great foil for Marvel, for the Avengers vs. the X-Men, and for many stories to come. Now, let’s see what my counter part Chris (aka Comic Canuck) has to say.

I have seen many story lines involving the Phoenix Force over the years and while each event was enjoyable, I felt let down at the end of each run because no matter what happened, I knew the Phoenix Force would eventually return. It always felt like a non-event. Don’t get me wrong, it was sad the last time the beloved X-Man Jean Grey was killed, however, I have a feeling she’ll rise from the dead again in 2012. Admittedly,this upcoming event has a nice spin to it: Phoenix is returning to Earth insearch of a new host. Cool. I like the concept.

It’s exciting to have some of Marvel’s best writers at the helm of AvX, but I’m extremely skeptical about how it will end. Past events, such as Civil War and Fear Itself, didn’t live up to what I had hoped. I know I will enjoy AvX, but I am not expecting the aftermath of this event to drastically alter the Marvel U. And, there’s the rub. I know“big events” make comics fun and I am on board with that, but too many times fans are told this will change things forever. In reality, things only change for a while and then they revert to the status quo. I’d like to see Marvel end this event with a well-known, non-mutant Avenger as the new host of the Phoenix Force. My fingers are crossed.

Michael Worthan, View2View: The Return

This April, as the flames of war are stoked by the impending arrival of the Phoenix Force, the New Avengers have received the call to arms by Captain America to go to war against the X-Men. Except where does the loyalty of Wolverine lie? Find out in New Avengers #24 from the blockbuster creative team of Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato!

NEW AVENGERS #24
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils & Cover by MIKE DEODATO
ON SALE THIS APRIL!

Agent Burgos, Marvel Unveils The Cover to NEW AVENGERS #24 – An Avengers Vs. X-Men Tie-in!

Which team will reign supreme? Join the conversation on Twitter with #AvX!

For more on Avengers VS X-Men, please visit http://avx.marvel.com

AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #1 (JAN120625)
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS, JASON AARON, MATT FRACTION, JONATHAN HICKMAN, ED BRUBAKER
Art by JOHN ROMITA JR.
Cover by JIM CHEUNG
FOC – 2/27/12, ON SALE – 4/3/12

Agent Burgos, AVENGERS VS X-MEN: ROUND 1!

The Biggest Comic Book Event In History Begins In April 2012

New York, NY—December 7, 2011— Marvel is proud to announce Avengers VS X-Men, a landmark twelve-issue pop culture event bringing together the world’s greatest super heroes—Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, Magneto and more—for an unforgettable battle beginning in April 2012.

Avengers VS X-Men is written by a team of the top-selling authors in the comic book industry today: Brian Michael Bendis (Avengers, Ultimate Comics Spider-Man); Jason Aaron (Wolverine & The X-Men, Wolverine); Jonathan Hickman (Fantastic Four, Ultimate Comics Ultimates); Ed Brubaker (Captain America, Winter Soldier); Matt Fraction (Invincible Iron Man, The Mighty Thor). This unprecedented assembly of acclaimed writers is joined by a trio of the industry’s superstar artists: John Romita Jr (Avengers); Olivier Coipel (The Mighty Thor); Adam Kubert (X-Men: Schism).

The Avengers and X-Men have learned that the all-powerful embodiment of both death and rebirth known as the Phoenix Force is on a crash course for Earth…and it needs a new host to unleash its immeasurable power. But what is the shocking decision tied to the Phoenix’s return that will pit the Avengers against the X-Men? And when good friends become bitter enemies, what does this mean for the future of the Marvel Universe? .

Shipping twice monthly, this epic twelve-issue limited series will be available in comic stores and on the Marvel Comics app on the same day—additionally, each print issue of Avengers VS X-Men includes a code for a FREE digital copy of the issue on the Marvel Comics app at no additional cost to fans or retailers.

“Avengers VS X-Men brings together the most powerful forces in comics for a super hero war like you’ve never seen before and will never see again. We all want to see the best of the best go against each other—Lakers & Celtics; Ali & Frazier; Yankees & Red Sox; and in comics it’s the Avengers fighting the X-Men, ”

said Axel Alonso, Editor in Chief, Marvel Entertainment.

“We’ve brought together the biggest writers, biggest artists and biggest characters for the biggest story we’ve ever told. This is the kind of high-octane action-packed story that fans demand while also having a profound effect on every character involved—and reshaping the Marvel Universe in its wake.”

You’ve heard It’s Coming—and this April The War Is Here in Avengers VS X-Men #1! All your favorite super heroes enter—and only one team will emerge victorious!

For more on Avengers VS X-Men, please visit http://avx.marvel.com

Agent Burgos, Marvel Announces AVENGERS VS X-MEN!

X-MEN: SCHISM #5 (AUG110649)
Written by JASON AARON

Art and Cover by ADAM KUBERT

FOC – 9/12/11, ON SALE – 10/5/11

Join the Forum discussion on this post

Comic Book Therapy, Marvel Teases X-Men Regenesis In X-MEN: SCHISM #5!