Avengers Academy #37

Christos Gage has to wrap things up in a hurry; fortunately he’s got a large enough cast to get everything done. This Final Exam storyline had a lot of plates spinning, and when they start to drop, it takes almost everyone in the book to do their part. (Including the return of a missing faculty-member.)

The Alchemist’s powers suddenly work a lot more effectively in combat, but he has to when taking on this many heroes. By far, the best use of his powers is when he turns X-23’s sweat into acid. Ouch! Enchantress focuses on White Tiger and Reptil, leaving the bulk of the team to deal with the Alchemist. Finesse gets a nice moment, and its one that I’m not sure I blame her for.

Tom Grummett’s clean, cartoony style is great for most comics, but the big moment with X-23 and Finesse taking down the Alchemist is a bit less dramatic than I’d expect. Or perhaps that’s just because I’ve read so many modern DC comics where the guy would be eviscerated! In any case, Grummett excels at drawing teen characters. Also, someone’s going to need to do something about Mettle’s eyes. He looks too ridiculous with those big round eyeballs in his metal head.

Good