REVIEW: Avengers & X-Men: AXIS, #1

[TonySnark]

I actually liked it. It was fun. Last big event I read was Avengers vs X-Men. I pretty much only bought Superior/Amazing Spider-Man and Deadpool. I had some cash and was a bit curious and wanted to get more than 2 comics.

Will every issue be $4.99 though? Looking at some Avengers books... scared me. Like 40% of the books were $4.99.

Usually most books will be 3.99 from Marvel, if it is more than 22 pages they go to 4.99. Though to be honest, they have been going overboard with 4.99 issues the last 3 or 4 weeks, at least on my pull list. (don't get me started on the death of wolverine "bonus" material)

[TonySnark]

For people expecting more crossover from this event, keep in mind it was originally just going to be an arc of Uncanny Avengers, until a retreat where everyone thought the story could be so big it needed to be an event, and saw it as a good launching point for some storylines and new series and character developments. But it was highly optional to participate and the main Avengers and X books were already locked in to some big arcs and were never pressured to participate either. Remender also wrote the arc way before Death of Wolverine was announced (it was always his UA endgame), so he had to change a bunch of roles around after removing Wolverine from the event.

[klinton]

Wish Remender would get onboard with what the other books besides Uncanny Avengers are doing, that would help this story a lot. The editor should start pulling the reins in a little, enough is enough.

Couldn't help but think I've read this story already in "Onslaught Unleashed", which so far, is a much better read. Check it out.

It's actually Hickman's Avengers and New Avengers that's completely ignored the developments in the books around it. It has completely failed to reflect the goings on in Iron man, Fantastic Four, Invaders, Captain America, Black Widow...everything.

Remender's Uncanny Avengers and AXIS have respected the devlopments of the characters involved meticulously, right down to having Logan go off on a solo mission last month (so he can go and die in his own 'Death of' book).

Hickman's the one who needs to pay more attention to the larger Marvel Universe.

[Icefanatic]

For people expecting more crossover from this event, keep in mind it was originally just going to be an arc of Uncanny Avengers, until a retreat where everyone thought the story could be so big it needed to be an event, and saw it as a good launching point for some storylines and new series and character developments. But it was highly optional to participate and the main Avengers and X books were already locked in to some big arcs and were never pressured to participate either. Remender also wrote the arc way before Death of Wolverine was announced (it was always his UA endgame), so he had to change a bunch of roles around after removing Wolverine from the event.

Very good point. Remender said in an interview that he kept rewriting the series as different characters/teams became available or unavailable, and adjusting for what other writers want to be able to build off of. How many times can you rewrite something like that, making those kinds of changes, before it becomes something of a mess. At some point you have multiple variations of the story in your head, and it's not always clear what's actually on the page and what's only in your head. At that point you either need fresh eyes on the project, or enough of a break to be able to come back to it with fresh eyes yourself, and if anything it seems like this was rushed to the point that wasn't possible.

[heliophoenix]

Will every issue be $4.99 though? Looking at some Avengers books... scared me. Like 40% of the books were $4.99.

The others are $3.99 each. Except the last issue.

[vitruvian]

It's actually Hickman's Avengers and New Avengers that's completely ignored the developments in the books around it. It has completely failed to reflect the goings on in Iron man, Fantastic Four, Invaders, Captain America, Black Widow...everything.

Remender's Uncanny Avengers and AXIS have respected the devlopments of the characters involved meticulously, right down to having Logan go off on a solo mission last month (so he can go and die in his own 'Death of' book).

Hickman's the one who needs to pay more attention to the larger Marvel Universe.

That's a fair point, except for Hickman's books and the events like Infinity that have sprung from them being part of that larger universe as well. Part of the problem with trying to do a really long-running storyline like the ones Hickman tends towards, something is always happening in other titles with the same characters that could mess up the plot if you acknowledge it, screw continuity if you don't.

So, while Remender has been better at acknowledging stuff in individual characters' titles (especially individual characters whose titles he also writes ;-), they both could have done a better job of discussing their respective plans for characters that both of them are writing, Steve and Tony especially. I mean, there was a great opportunity that was totally missed there, between the time travel shenanigans in the Planet X storyline and the time jaunt over in Avengers, for them to coordinate so that everything with Kang(s) and Immortus and their perspective on the events of the present lined up nicely once you read both stories, even if you didn't get the whole picture at once in either one. Instead, they seem to be in conflict... why is Kang trying to suck up Exitar's power to rule the universe if the universe is going to go bye bye before he's even born no matter what he and his counterparts try? Would have been neater if the whole Doom-Beyonder gambit he was trying there turned out to actually be in service to trying to save the universe himself using Celestial powers.

[fin5]

I just read number 1 and I was somewhat Disaponted.When and how did Cyclops come in.This felt a little Rushed.My hope is the rest of this Event and the tie-ins will tell when the X-men came inWe need some Backstory on this

[fin5]

I hope number 2 is better .I got it but haven't read it yet

[klinton]

I just read number 1 and I was somewhat Disaponted.When and how did Cyclops come in.This felt a little Rushed.My hope is the rest of this Event and the tie-ins will tell when the X-men came inWe need some Backstory on this

While it wasn't dealt with at length, Cyclops and company were previously addressed in Captain America. Skull had singled all three out for aquisition.

[klinton]

That's a fair point, except for Hickman's books and the events like Infinity that have sprung from them being part of that larger universe as well. Part of the problem with trying to do a really long-running storyline like the ones Hickman tends towards, something is always happening in other titles with the same characters that could mess up the plot if you acknowledge it, screw continuity if you don't.

So, while Remender has been better at acknowledging stuff in individual characters' titles (especially individual characters whose titles he also writes ;-), they both could have done a better job of discussing their respective plans for characters that both of them are writing, Steve and Tony especially. I mean, there was a great opportunity that was totally missed there, between the time travel shenanigans in the Planet X storyline and the time jaunt over in Avengers, for them to coordinate so that everything with Kang(s) and Immortus and their perspective on the events of the present lined up nicely once you read both stories, even if you didn't get the whole picture at once in either one. Instead, they seem to be in conflict... why is Kang trying to suck up Exitar's power to rule the universe if the universe is going to go bye bye before he's even born no matter what he and his counterparts try? Would have been neater if the whole Doom-Beyonder gambit he was trying there turned out to actually be in service to trying to save the universe himself using Celestial powers.

They should have colaborated, for sure. That would have been amazing!

As it stands now, I kind of half disregard Hickman's stories in the larger Marvel Universe. They're almost a 'What If...' tale in my head.

That's not to speak to the quality of the stories. They're fine reading. They just don't mesh all that well with the rest of the Marvel Universe.

I'm half convinced he deliberately veered off of a paralell course when he overlaid a 'second' earth with earth 616.

[fin5]

While it wasn't dealt with at length, Cyclops and company were previously addressed in Captain America. Skull had singled all three out for aquisition.

So it was Addressed How Cyclops got there in Captain America.Im still trying to get the run of Reminder

[jackolover]

They should have colaborated, for sure. That would have been amazing!

As it stands now, I kind of half disregard Hickman's stories in the larger Marvel Universe. They're almost a 'What If...' tale in my head.

That's not to speak to the quality of the stories. They're fine reading. They just don't mesh all that well with the rest of the Marvel Universe.

I'm half convinced he deliberately veered off of a paralell course when he overlaid a 'second' earth with earth 616.

I like that idea that the Rogue Planet out of Phase with Earth, is another Earth.

[Hellion]

Great opening chapter to the latest bullet in the Marvel Event salvo. More happened in this one issue than happened in the first 2/3 of AvX and the entirety of Battle of the Atom. Regardless of where you stand on Remender, you can't deny the man's talent for pacing a story. He doesn't decompress his hobo piss before he drowns you with it. And honestly, with the frequency with which Marvel keeps spanking out events, I prefer to have them at least feel like things are happening during their duration. Remender accomplishes this. He also makes Magneto shine. I enjoyed it.

[jackolover]

Where are the Henchmen? Did the Red Skull and the S-Men make the mutant concentration camps with their bare hands, or, did they teleport Damage Control or Henchmen in to do that?

[klinton]

Where are the Henchmen? Did the Red Skull and the S-Men make the mutant concentration camps with their bare hands, or, did they teleport Damage Control or Henchmen in to do that?

Whatever help he required Skull could have with his newfound mental powers. It's entirely possible that he used an army of brainwashed zombies to build the camps.

An explaination is kind of irrelevant and unnecessary though. This is comics, where 'super sekret bases' are readily avilable to heroes and villains alike.