ALL AXIS PASS: Remender on Inverted Mutants, Doom, & Daredevil Vs. Tony Stark

[Sardorim]

There are far too many complaints to be levelled at this stupid book, but I'm going to stick with one:
Since when were "ALL" Marvel heroes shrunk to sub-atomic size?

Y'see, I remember something from ages ago, aka last issue, wherein reference was made to "all Avengers" being called in. Even though, y'know, only a couple dozen were shown and it didn't come close to matching the numbers shown in either Heroes Return or Disassembled, I accepted it for the plot device it was. But how did that turn into "ALL heroes" by issue #6? Come on, Remender, at least get your own lazy plotting straight.

The same was done with the X-Men.

All the X-Men not at the battle? They were now retconned to have been at the battle, despite no mention of it AT ALL, and were inverted off-panel.

RR clearly bit off more than he can chew when he wanted to make this into an "event" with how he's only focusing on a few characters and has all the other characters "conveniently" taken off the board (Even when they weren't there to be shrunk) or made into blind wallpaper sheep (Off-Panel Random Inversion).

[Sam Robards, Comic Fan]

...What really bothers me is the constant swapping of artists. One artist an Act makes sense and fits the demands of an event schedule but they haven't managed to even do that.

They've just been swapping artists on the fly and it feels like they're just using whatever artist is around at the time...

I think Brevoort even admitted in an interview (either a previous All-Axis Pass or an Axel-in-Charge) that which artists did which issues was based purely on availability.

It's a good thing I don't trade-wait because this trade'll be the most slapped together looking thing ever.

[vonfaustus]

Wow. I feel completely different about it. Between the first arc of both the Avengers and Xmen taking on an overpowered Onslaught Red Skull to the second arc of watching the all these personalities of heroes and villians swapped has been a fun read.

Issue 4 has been the best so far between Sam clocking Nick Fury, a returned Apocalypse and the Xmen as his followers, Tony Stark drinking again (uh oh that wasn't good), Carnage leaving his own "friendly neighborhood.." note to a gentle Hulk saying "you wouldn't like when Hulk sad.." comment and transforming into Kluh! Not to mention all of that with art from Leinil Francis Yu! How is that not entertaining?

[TonySnark]

RR clearly bit off more than he can chew when he wanted to make this into an "event" with how he's only focusing on a few characters and has all the other characters "conveniently" taken off the board (Even when they weren't there to be shrunk) or made into blind wallpaper sheep (Off-Panel Random Inversion).

Actually, blame everyone else at marvel for wanting to make it into an event. Remender intended this story simply as an arc of Uncanny Avengers, but the other writers liked the idea so much (and saw a convenient launching pad for arcs such as superior iron man) that they tailored it into more of an event. The rotating artists, ignored plot points, and overall "rushed" feel of the series pretty much directly stems from the fact that it wasn't an event til last minute.

Oh, and I hate nitpicking, but THAT IS NOT POLARIS, its the Enchantress. Edit that caption.

[Sam Robards, Comic Fan]

RR clearly bit off more than he can chew when he wanted to make this into an "event" with how he's only focusing on a few characters and has all the other characters "conveniently" taken off the board (Even when they weren't there to be shrunk) or made into blind wallpaper sheep (Off-Panel Random Inversion).

Unless he's said so in an interview somewhere, I'm not sure blowing this up into a big event was Remender's idea. The flat-out random and haphazard nature of the goings-on makes me think this was a smaller scale story that was forced to "go bigger" by editorial, with Remender struggling to properly do so as a result.

I could be wrong on that but I get that impression.

And if it was his idea, then, wow, what was he thinking when he wrote this? Seriously, did we need an four-page sequence about Thor smashing up a casino? I'd get it if it set up a tie-in (like the Kluh*/Nova stuff) or actually advanced the plot in a meaningful way, but it's totally meaningless.

*I still can't believe anyone thought that horrible name and character design for the inverted Hulk was a good idea. Freaking terrible.

[GenericUsername]

He said on an interview on Marvel.com that he proposed this as an event. It was turned down the first time, and then accepted the second time he brought it up.

[Sardorim]

Unless he's said so in an interview somewhere, I'm not sure blowing this up into a big event was Remender's idea. The flat-out random and haphazard nature of the goings-on makes me think this was a smaller scale story that was forced to "go bigger" by editorial, with Remender struggling to properly do so as a result.

I could be wrong on that but I get that impression.

And if it was his idea, then, wow, what was he thinking when he wrote this? Seriously, did we need an four-page sequence about Thor smashing up a casino? I'd get it if it set up a tie-in (like the Kluh*/Nova stuff) or actually advanced the plot in a meaningful way, but it's totally meaningless.

*I still can't believe anyone thought that horrible name and character design for the inverted Hulk was a good idea. Freaking terrible.

He still stepped up for it so he shares responsibility.

Heck, fans wanted to know where characters like Emma and Rachel were.

Well we know what happened to Rachel.

Off-Panel and Random Inversion, with no explanation, that has her reverted to a "snarling" and "mindless" Hound (With the 90s Suit/Hair-Style), despite her having long since gotten over her programming and accepted her past so that she conveniently wouldn't have been there to reveal the Inversions.

I would have rather they used the whole "Rachel is in space dealing with Shi'ar stuff so she missed AXIS completely" over her being turned into "that" so they can say "See, we didn't forget about her and that's why she isn't doing anything! She's Nightcrawler's "pet"! Now watch Zenpool beat up the 'Hound'!".

He said on an interview on Marvel.com that he proposed this as an event. It was turned down the first time, and then accepted the second time he brought it up.

I stand corrected, than he IS at fault. This event is so poorly planned and the Tie-Ins and Main Issues literally contradict each other. Where is the Quality Control? Where's the Oversight? Where's the Good Writing?

[RobinFan4880]

This looks and feels like a hot mess.

[kevinism]

Wow. I feel completely different about it. Between the first arc of both the Avengers and Xmen taking on an overpowered Onslaught Red Skull to the second arc of watching the all these personalities of heroes and villians swapped has been a fun read.

Issue 4 has been the best so far between Sam clocking Nick Fury, a returned Apocalypse and the Xmen as his followers, Tony Stark drinking again (uh oh that wasn't good), Carnage leaving his own "friendly neighborhood.." note to a gentle Hulk saying "you wouldn't like when Hulk sad.." comment and transforming into Kluh! Not to mention all of that with art from Leinil Francis Yu! How is that not entertaining?

I agree, this is a fun read.

[Prof. Warren]

This is the worst event Marvel has done in a while.

As someone else mentioned, this is said with every Marvel event. With Axis, the fact that it's written by Remender (who some fans automatically despise) and involving mutants (with which few things can be done that aren't greeted with outrage) means that it's automatically going to be torn apart by some fans. But as for the criticism, I really don't see how this is particularly "haphazard" as some have called it. Yes, not every character is serviced as much as some would like and it has to be taken for granted that some characters are off the board for whatever reason but every superhero plot in a shared comic universe can be unraveled by asking "why doesn't _______ do _________." or "Where's _________?" and Axis is no different in that regard.

For myself, I've been enjoying it. Quite a bit, actually.

[MagnetoWasRight]

I think the book is going quite fine now compared to the first issue. I like it and have no problem ever since. I like the idea of villains twisted to heroes. It's a fun to read and if ya don't like it... why buy it?

[vitruvian]

Mystique? Caring? Fat chance

I recall it mentioned by Xavier that Mystique's powers protect her from his and other forms of psychic influence (not that he would even want to read her mind), so I'm betting that she's not really inverted at all and is just faking niceness until she can make a power-play and backstab everybody in her usual fashion.

Except the inversions, as opposed to the hate wave, are magic rather than telepathy.

[Username taken]

*fake enthusiasm* Whoooo!!! Wanda and Pietro's parentage shall be retconned for movie rights!

Doesn't Marve have those rights already?

[Maniacal]

There are some ideas in this that are plain fantastic. But, the writing is off as I suspect Remender trying to be vague continuity wise for tie-in sake... but then the tie-ins aren't as generous and have it all out of sorts.

However... there are glaring issues for me...

Cyclops is still dealing with Original Sin, Shield, and Xavier's Will and Matthew Malloy... but Bendis is soooooo slow... this event takes place after?

Nightcrawler is dealing with Logan's death here... which just happened? So is Sabretooth... dealing with it elsewhere but not here.

Magneto's book has some story points off.

The most important part of the event... was so vague... the READER wasn't even sure the inversion happened?

At least we got Heroic Carnage out of this.

Spider-verse versus Axis: battle for most confusion.

Are the trapped Avengers just... sitting on their asses somewhere unknown?

[Maniacal]

Adding... what happened to Ahab?

What happened to Evan? Is Evan Apocalypse? Did Evan die? Where did all that Apocalypse Tech come from? Why do I need a message board to answer these questions for me?