I’m sort of conflicted on this one. There are a lot of good
things about Rick Remender’s massive crossover, but there are some fairly
glaring problems too.
First of all, this really feels like an epic Marvel
crossover. This story clearly picks up after months of Uncanny Avengers issues,
but I’d hope that the context is enough to catch everyone up on what is
happening. (I read this with my 9-year old and she picked it up OK.) There are
numerous great moments scattered through the book; from the use of Plantman
(looking way more plant-y than I remember) all the way the surprise ending.
Along the way, Remender has a great moment between the Summers brothers and a
wonderful, timely arrival from the X-Men. Actually, that X-Men moment really
struck me at how perfect that Uncanny line-up has always been. With Colossus,
Storm, and especially Nightcrawler, man, that team just looks like it belongs
front and center in the Marvel U.
I appreciate the use of Scarlet Witch and Rogue as such
central characters, but man, having both them fail to fight off Red Onslaught’s
power does make them seem a bit weak. Scarlet Witch in particular came off as
too big of a threat to be walking around. After House of M and “No More Mutants,”
maybe she shouldn’t just be walking around with her powers any more after all.
Rogue comes off a tad better, especially after the talking up she gets from
Professor X. I understand why Remender held off from explaining her current
Wonder Man situation too; there were enough status quo changes in the book
already!
Now for main problem. The smart-ass quipping. Remender does
a great job with Iron Man. Iron Man is supposed to be clever, overconfident,
and somewhat jokey. The character sounds like he could have Robert Downey Jr.
inside that armor. And Hawkeye has always had that sarcastic tone too. But
Vision? Odinson/Thor? The new Captain America? Every single one of them sounds
the same, smarting off and being smart asses. It is hard to hear different
voices for the Avengers when they are all this…sit-comy.
That said, I LOVED Red Onslaught’s dialogue. He used “scum”
and “trash” enough to really have me hankering for a beat down. I can’t wait
for him to get what he deserves! Remender also does a wonderful job with Magneto.
Magneto calls someone a “cur,” instantly proving Mags’ superiority on the
battlefield. Ahab gets some great smack talk in too. Remender is pretty great
at getting the reader anxious to see the villains get served.
Adam Kubert has a big order here. There are a TON of heroes
involved, and they all look pretty great. I mentioned how dynamic the X-Men
looked, but the Avengers are just as nicely done. I’m a bit confused on a few
things (doesn’t Thor have one arm?) but they are minor. I LOVE the look and
feel of Red Onslaught. He dominates every page he appears on, as an
event-central villain should. The design on the surprise foes at the close of the
issue seem to have a nice, sleek look too. It’s too bad Kubert can’t do a book
regularly any more.
This is a GOOD event that feels like the high-octane battles
I remember from my youth. Remender has always channeled the 80’s in a good way,
and he’s still doing so here.
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