Review: Avengers vs. X-Men

With the cosmic entity known as the Phoenix Force hurtling towards the Earth, the world's most powerful superheroes find themselves at odds. Captain America and the Avengers seek to eradicate the Phoenix, while Cyclops and the X-Men welcome its arrival. Tempers flare as these superheroes do battle against one another, but which side will win?

Avengers vs. X-Men collects Avengers vs. X-Men #0-12, written by Brian Michael Bendis, Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, and Jonathan Hickman, with illustrations by John Romita Jr., Oliver Coipel, and Adam Kubert. This all-star cast promises to bring one of Marvel's most epic events to date. 

Much like Marvel's Civil War, Avengers vs. X-Men pits hero against hero. This time around, Marvel's two biggest franchise duke it out for supremacy. The source of this conflict comes in the form of the Avengers' and the X-Men's differing opinions on the Phoenix Force. The premise is promising as the Phoenix Force is ambiguous enough to create a schism between the two factions. The problem, however, is in the execution. For the most part, the majority of the characters come across as unlikable due to their Kanye West-sized egos. The Avengers especially come across as pig-headed and are in fact the instigators of the war between Earth's Mighest Heroes and Marvel's Merry Mutants. It's quite clear that they have limited experience with the Phoenix Force and, to make matters worse, they have shown a history of not getting involved with so-called "mutant issues." This makes them seem like they should step aside and allow the X-Men to handle the situation.

Despite the fact that each issue is attributed to a different writer, there is a remarkable consistency between each issue and it would be difficult to discern which writer wrote each issue. That said, the issues written by Brian Michael Bendis and Jason Aaron do tend to have a surplus of jokes in them. This creates an uneven tone that contrasts with the serious nature of the subject matter. 

Additionally, the combined efforts of these writers was not enough to save them from continuity errors. For long-time X-Men fans, this event is sure to make your blood boil with a rather glaring plot flaw. The entire conflict hinges upon the Phoenix Force and the fact that the Avengers believe it to be evil due to Jean Grey's supposed inability to control it. The Dark Phoenix Saga is referenced as an example of this. However, the real Jean Grey was NOT present during the Dark Phoenix Saga. That was a replica of the character and the real Jean was elsewhere at the time. As such, she did not commit suicide trying to save the world from the Phoenix Force. That was her replica. On top of that, Jean was able to control the Phoenix flawlessly in her later appearances. Did any of you guys read Grant Morrison's New X-Men run?!

Another issue Avengers vs. X-Men faces is in its art. The first handful of issues are taken care of by John Romita Jr. While his art works fantastically in non-event comics, the epic scale of this collection isn't suited to his talents. Similarly, Adam Kubert's art is plain and lazily drawn. It's especially frustrating since his art closes the collection. In this middle of all of this is Oliver Coipel's art. Coipel is honestly one of the greatest artists currently working in the industry and it would have been wise to have him draw the entire series. His pencils are crisp and expressive, and he knows how to set a scene in a way that is creative and dynamic.

In general, Avengers vs. X-Men is an admirable event title that features some of the best writers Marvel has to offer. The overall plot is strong, Coipel's art is gorgeous, and the action is thrilling. If that weren't enough, Jim Cheung's covers are breathtakingly beautiful. That said, the conflict is fairly superficial and the Avengers come across uniformly as a bunch of jerks. Essentially, the Avengers are the popular kids at school who are bullying the outcasts. Overall, not a good look for the Avengers. Lastly, there are a lot of characters present in this event and many go underused. Bendis and company would have done well to focus on the characters who have connections between the two teams. For example, rather than do an issue from Spider-Man's perspective it would have been more interesting to explore the story from Storm, Black Panther or Scarlet Witch's perspective. As one of Marvel's more divisive events, both X-Men and Avengers fans alike will find issues with this collection. Thankfully, the pulse-pounding action and colourful art should be enough to sway your opinion.

Rating: B+