REVIEW: Avengers & X-Men: AXIS, #3

[CBR News]

Magneto and other villains arrive to save the day in "Avengers & X-Men: AXIS" #3 by Rick Remender and Leinil Yu.


Full review here.

[thehumandivine]

so in the blink of an eye, genesis/evan turns from a kid to full on apocalypse? off panel? this is something that should be huge and its just, like, the 4th most important thing going on.

this book has way too many things happening. i know remender is good. i feel like this is marvel telling him what to do, forcing it and rushing it.

ive loved the character of evan/genesis and apocalypse is one of my fav villians, he deserves better.

[Of Atlantis]

so in the blink of an eye, genesis/evan turns from a kid to full on apocalypse? off panel? this is something that should be huge and its just, like, the 4th most important thing going on.

this book has way too many things happening. i know remender is good. i feel like this is marvel telling him what to do, forcing it and rushing it.

ive loved the character of evan/genesis and apocalypse is one of my fav villians, he deserves better.

There's a side title that explains what's going on while the big battle is happening. I'm not reading it, but maybe there's something about Evan in there. I too am interested in that development. I feel like it'll be hugely important at some point.

[rukkis]

Evan/Apocalypse is a shape shifter and can take any form he projects. When the inversion spell was cast it effected his personality which now projects a new form. That's my understanding of it, although it has not been clarified to date.

[DantonR]

There are still six parts of the main title left -- plus various tie-ins -- to go.

I have to believe that there will be an explanation for the sudden Evan transformation.

You know people, this is one of the ways that skilful writers get readers to read on: they get the reader to ask questions so they keep reading.

[Rosebunse]

so in the blink of an eye, genesis/evan turns from a kid to full on apocalypse? off panel? this is something that should be huge and its just, like, the 4th most important thing going on.

this book has way too many things happening. i know remender is good. i feel like this is marvel telling him what to do, forcing it and rushing it.

ive loved the character of evan/genesis and apocalypse is one of my fav villians, he deserves better.

Actually, I think Evan and Deadpool have probably fared the best in this event. Evan comes off as a tragic, just plain good kid who in no way really wants to be anything but a true, good superhero, and here he is being made into the last person he wants to be because of the stupidity of people who should no better. Deadpool comes off as a pathetic but genuinely good person who loves his friends, but who just can't always handle the pressure that comes with being a good person. One thing that worked in #3 and the Deadpool tie-in was seeing them side by side, and seeing how Evan is one of the few people to see that Wade is a good person no matter what he does.

While it was weird and seriously why did no one else seem to notice, it was cute to see while Wade freaked out by Evan's transformation, he was also accepting of him and just wanted to hug his friend, even though he now looks like the famously ugly Apocalypse.

I will say the tie-ins for this event have mostly been scheduled very well with the main event issues, at least so far. We saw how Loki and Doom were recruited the other week just in time to see the lovely villain battle, and we see here Deadpool and how he came to be on Genosha. The tie-ins really add a lot of the overall event.

Evan/Apocalypse is a shape shifter and can take any form he projects. When the inversion spell was cast it effected his personality which now projects a new form. That's my understanding of it, although it has not been clarified to date.

He really was the only shape-shifter there other than Mystique, but her inversion wouldn't affect her choice of appearance. She doesn't have another personality, and we still don't really know if this is THE Apocalypse, or just Evan with a more En Sabah Nur personality.

[Gladiator7117]

Just because Evan got inverted doesn't make him Apocalypse. The synopsis was misleading. It's an inverted Evan...Not En Sabah Nur. Not the real deal. Remender usually writes more exciting stuff. I don't know about this arc.

[Rosebunse]

Just because Evan got inverted doesn't make him Apocalypse. The synopsis was misleading. It's an inverted Evan...Not En Sabah Nur. Not the real deal. Remender usually writes more exciting stuff. I don't know about this arc.

Doesn't that make it better? It's not a rehash of Uncanny X-Force because this time, they don't HAVE to kill Kid Apocalypse. And now that we have confirmation Evan survives this event, it means that the obvious outcome-him getting killed-is off the table. But who takes his place? Who dies or stays a villain? And how does he live? It also tells us that Axis may have a happier outcome than we originally thought, for both Evan, Deadpool, Loki...and really probably no one else, but those are like the only three characters I care about in this event, so I really don't care if the rest of them turn out OK.

[Gladiator7117]

Doesn't that make it better? It's not a rehash of Uncanny X-Force because this time, they don't HAVE to kill Kid Apocalypse. And now that we have confirmation Evan survives this event, it means that the obvious outcome-him getting killed-is off the table. But who takes his place? Who dies or stays a villain? And how does he live? It also tells us that Axis may have a happier outcome than we originally thought, for both Evan, Deadpool, Loki...and really probably no one else, but those are like the only three characters I care about in this event, so I really don't care if the rest of them turn out OK.

Oh I'm fine with Evan and changes. The point is, he's not Apocalypse. I'm curious about where/how he'll get his armor and what characterization he'll have. They should have let him keep the hair

[Jamil]

There are still six parts of the main title left -- plus various tie-ins -- to go.

I have to believe that there will be an explanation for the sudden Evan transformation.

You know people, this is one of the ways that skilful writers get readers to read on: they get the reader to ask questions so they keep reading.

I never question people's enjoyment of art; to each, their own, and all that, but I'm having such a hard time with this pacing issue people are complaining about.

This is how Remender plots. He throws a lot of small bits of plot at you then expounds on them down the line. Seriously, everything he's written follows this formula.

However, I do agree that the exposition in this issue was too heavy. Most people know what Carnage is about. Meanwhile poor Jack O'Lantern gets one line and I think most of are left wondering why this D-lister is hanging with the upperclassmen.

[Frank_Castle]

I never question people's enjoyment of art; to each, their own, and all that, but I'm having such a hard time with this pacing issue people are complaining about.

This is how Remender plots. He throws a lot of small bits of plot at you then expounds on them down the line. Seriously, everything he's written follows this formula.

However, I do agree that the exposition in this issue was too heavy. Most people know what Carnage is about. Meanwhile poor Jack O'Lantern gets one line and I think most of are left wondering why this D-lister is hanging with the upperclassmen.

I agree on both points. The pacing didn't ruin this comic for me. I am confident that things such as the transformation of Evan will be explored more later. Not giving enough focus to each character and development is something that all "event" comics suffer from. I wouldn't mind seeing an "event" that had a plot that was less ambitious and more character-driven.

This comic had it's moments though. The Enchantress controlling Red Onslaught momentarily for one, and I thought Evan showing up looking like a full-on Apocalypse clone was an interesting development even if it did occur off-panel. Doom and the Scarlet Witch taking down Red Onslaught together was also satisfying.

The fly in the ointment for me though was that there was a bit too much banter and exposition, especially since some of the villain banter definitely fell flat. Although I will admit that Deadpool stabbing Sabretooth while singing "I'm an Avenger I couldn't avenge less if I tried" had me smiling.

The main thing is I am interested in where things will go in the next issue - the cover alone has me intrigued.

[Rosebunse]

Oh I'm fine with Evan and changes. The point is, he's not Apocalypse. I'm curious about where/how he'll get his armor and what characterization he'll have. They should have let him keep the hair

Why did one panel have Evan/Apocalypse having hair, and in another he was bald?

[berserkerclaw]

Be ause, when he got inverted he lost his, hair be ause now evan looks like apocalypse with the armor.

It's funny that people expect that there should be more info on evan, but it's a 9 issue mini and Evan takes center stage and is on the cover to #4 it's a tease that will be explored in 4-6 the inversion act of axis.

[Rosebunse]

Be ause, when he got inverted he lost his, hair be ause now evan looks like apocalypse with the armor.

It's funny that people expect that there should be more info on evan, but it's a 9 issue mini and Evan takes center stage and is on the cover to #4 it's a tease that will be explored in 4-6 the inversion act of axis.

I think it's pretty obvious what happened. He can change the shape of his body, so his body changed shape to a form Apocalypse prefers.

[Gladiator7117]

I think it's pretty obvious what happened. He can change the shape of his body, so his body changed shape to a form Apocalypse prefers.

Actually when Havok was walking away with the X-Men it looks like Genesis is shown with hair. Also, why would Evan changing to a form Apocalypse prefers be obvious? He's not Apocalypse. He did not grow up cast away by his parents, end of a slave, get trained by Tut, get worshipped as a god, get chosen by the celestials, etc. Apocalypse did that; not Evan so that statement doesn't hold too much weight.

Unless En Sabah Nur took over Evan's mind, then Evan has his own experiences to draw from and would pick a form inverted Evan prefers.