I'll admit, the reveal at the end was a little contrived. It makes sense in a way, but that whole angle has been played out often in fiction. I fully expect that it's a swerve in some way, that Aaron is using some misdirection here. spoilers:end of spoilers.
I figure the Phoenix is playing head games with Thor. She's not really the mom, just some "spiritual" mom or some such, since she had some spiritual fling with Odin. Or some such
In any case, I support what others have said, at least to a degree. If the Phoenix is going to be used, the execution has to be pretty epic. It's got to feel epic and be used in an epic way. I admire Aaron wanting to use the Phoenix, but the way he uses it feels lackluster. As others have said, there's a "milking down" of the character. (I disagree that the Phoenix should strictly be used with the X-Men. Avengers are Earth's mightiest heroes and should handle whatever threatens the Earth.) Plus, there were other parts that confused me. So, what happens when someone loses? They leave the White Room and go back to normal? spoilers:end of spoilers
Is that what happened with Luke and the others who lost? And why did Shang-Chi lose again? Because he wasn't willing to kill? I mean, wouldn't that exclude Cap too?
Still, as watered down, trite, and illogical some parts may seem, I still liked the issue. At the end of the day, I like big fight scenes and comic characters kicking the crap out of one another. Plus, it's cool to see how characters are interacting. Moon Girl working together with Broo was a real treat.
I'm still invested in the storyline and the series. The fight scenes and action are good enough for me.