Created on April 20, 2012 and written by MQuannBoyd
Category: Comic Book Reviews, Marvel Reviews

AvX #2 (Marvel Comics)

Rating: 4/5
Publisher Name: Marvel Comics
Publisher Website: http://www.marvelcomics.com

Writer: Jason Aaron

Pencils: John Romita Jr.

Colorist: Laura Martin

Number of Pages: 22
Price: 3.99

Safety Content Label: T+ TEENS AND UP – Appropriate for most readers 13 and up, parents are advised that they might want to read before or with younger children.

“Round Two”

Publisher’s Blurb:
As the opening shot is fired, The Avengers storm the beach of Utopia, and the Phoenix draws ever nearer to Earth! But which side will Wolverine fight on? And what choice will Hope make that will change the direction and scope of the conflict dramatically?

Reviewer Comments:
Although issue #1 was titled “Round One,” this is the issue where the fight truly begins. Red Hulk vs. Colossus. Namor vs. Thing. Black Panther vs. Storm. Iron Man vs. Emma Frost. Cyclops vs. Captain America. It’s like being a kid pitting your favorite toys against one another in a make believe Battle Royale. If you’re a fan of the punching and kicking than this is the place to be.

Jason Aaron takes the reigns of the writing chores for this issue, and like Brian Michael Bendis in the issue before him, he has many characters to juggle. Aaron maintains the balance of characterization and plot with the use of a third-person narrator that captures the essence of the collective Avengers and X-Men on hand (with a few hiccups here and there) while allowing his own voice to shine through. Besides the macro story—the Phoenix Force steamrolling towards Earth—Aaron displays a wherewithal to allow for several micro stories to develop, which may be picked up in following issues of this series or the Versus book that will be released in conjunction with AvX. One such plot thread that arose in this issue relates to a scene between the Wakandan King and his Queen. Without giving away the details of their encounter there’s certainly a story that needs further exploration.

Now, as far as the macro story is concerned, the team of Aaron and John Romita Jr. do an exceptional, no, an impeccable job of making the battle between the X-Men and Avenger appear larger than life. With mutants  magicians, web-slingers and Prince of the Sea all in conflict, there is a relative balance in terms of the major players in this brew-ha-ha and minor players. That in no way means that some of the lesser characters don’t get their moments in AvX, it’s just the bulk of page (and panel) space is reserved for the big boys, so to speak.

One thing that as a reviewer and fanboy that I must wonder aloud: okay, if Hope’s mutant ability is to mimic any mutant’s power and the Phoenix Force isn’t a mutant but in fact an entity; however, a mutant once bonded to that entity’s raw power, wouldn’t it imply that the Phoenix Force coming towards Earth is attached to a mutant, say maybe uh, Jean Grey? Guess that’s one of a thousands of inquiries that will continue to come out of AvX as each issue rolls off the presses.

Marvel’s marketing campaign for AvX has hinged upon fans choosing a side, be it the Mighty Avengers or the Uncanny X-Men. However, unlike Civil War, where the battle line was drawn based on who was pro- or anti-(hero) registration, the line is a bit more convoluted in regards to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and the Children of the Atom. (Besides, I gravitated to the X-Men when I first got into comics and it wasn’t until my teenage years (and with the help of Kurt Busiek) that I became an Avengers fan.) So, instead of going to bat for a particular side I find myself rooting for certain characters. Overall, I think that’s the true genius of AvX and I eagerly look forward to the next issue in this enormous clash. 

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About the Writer: MQuannBoyd (35 Posts) M. Quann Boyd has published two fiction short stories, “The Love Movement” and “Hate... Reasons to be Happy,” and a non-fiction research article, “Hip-Hop of the Gods: the Five Percent Nation's Influence on Rap Music.” Recently, M. Quann Boyd has been a contributor to XboxExclusive.com with reviews including: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Spider-Man: Edge of Time and LA Noire. Currently he writes the blog, 3hree's Man Cave and the soon to be released Blossoming Bushido.

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