Marvel Now/ReEvolution Ongoing Discussion (Spoilers)

[Turtletrekker]

UPS once again misplaced one of my LCS's boxes this week, so I won't be able to read Defenders 5 until it arrives.

Avengers 25-- Wow. This issue was worth it for the Walt Simonson art alone. As Simonson is one of my ATF favorite Marvel artists, and I consider his Thor run to be genuinely EPIC, I had an absolute nerdgasm when Thor arrived as drawn by Simonson in this issue.

As with New Avengers 24, the connection to AvX here is tenuous as the main part of the story deals with the Avengers doing clean-up from the Osborn arc. The final page, however, promises some intrigue involving AvX as one Avenger receives an agenda that will soon put him at odds with his team-mates.

Punisher 10-- the "Omega Effect" crossover continues to impress as our heroes lure all of the bad-guys out into the open in pursuit of the Omega Drive.

Wolverine and the X-Men 9-- This AvX crossover deals more directly with the AvX story as we see Cap coming to the Jean Grey school to recruit Logan and Beast for the Phoenix mission and Logan pondering what it means to go up against his former teammates. An OK chapter of the AvX saga, but nothing spectacular.

AvX 2-- Yet to be impressed with this event. The road getting here was filled with so many contrived occurances and OOC behavior (especially on the X-side) that the characters have been near unrecognizable, and such continues in the 2nd issue of the event. Who is a bigger jerk-- Cyclops for his tunnel-vision regarding Hope? Cap for his home invasion (the only word for it) of Utopia based on Wolverine's word alone? Or Wolverine, for his obvious bias against Cyclops that clouds his own judgement and decisions? I find it hard to root for anyone here except Hope, who was the only one smart enough to bail on these idiots and take off on her own.

The disconnect with Storm contiues as she questions T'Challa as to why he didn't warn her about this when she was there when they were planning it! WTF? A little coordination here, please. I really hope this title improves soon.

[Praetor_Shinzon]

Kill happy Wolverine irritates me.

Have a problem with Scarlet Witch? Wolverine: I'll kill her!
Have a problem with Wiccan? Wolverine: I'll kill him!
Have a problem with Hope? Wolverine: I'll kill her!

[Admiral_Young]

Logan hasn't exactly been Hope's number one fan in a long time, and Kurt's death made their relationship worse. "Kill Happy" Wolverine must be from another book because Jason Aaron hasn't really written him that way in Wolverine in the X-Men. He's still the best at what he does, don't get me wrong, but he's not exactly as how Praetor Shinzon described either...which was kind of the reason for the Schism in the first place.

The Incredible Hulk #7: This continues to be...well incredible. Jason Aaron is writing the hell out of this book. Marc Silvestri's art has been really good as well. This has been the most interesting Hulk arc since Greg Pak's Planet Hulk. The conversation between Doom and Hulk is interesting. Banner is obviously alive by the tease at the end of the book and looks like we're going to get Betty Vs Hulk again. Didn't they face each other when he was possessed in Fear It's Self? Anyway I'm really digging this book a lot.

[Turtletrekker]

I may just have to pick up the first trade of Aaron's The Incredible Hulk.

[DAYoung]

I downloaded Avengers v. X-Men 2 this morning. Very odd.

Scott Summers has suddenly become a paranoid, foolhardy sort. And Wolverine seems to lack human feeling: all claws and no pause. (Yes, he has a shocking temper. And berzerker and all. But always alongside some reflection and moments of kindness.)

Not sure if I'll continue.

[Praetor_Shinzon]

Admiral_Young wrote:

---

Logan hasn't exactly been Hope's number one fan in a long time, and Kurt's death made their relationship worse. "Kill Happy" Wolverine must be from another book because Jason Aaron hasn't really written him that way in Wolverine in the X-Men. He's still the best at what he does, don't get me wrong, but he's not exactly as how Praetor Shinzon described either...which was kind of the reason for the Schism in the first place.

for real? did you read Children's Crusade? nevermind that Wolverine's motivation in Schism made no sense. this is the same Wolverine who trained Kitty how to defeat ninjas.

[Admiral_Young]

I have not read Children's Crusade. I'm aware of Logan's past views on children in the field and yes I was one of the people who felt that the reasons for the Schism were extremely forced and a little convoluted. Especially after all the trouble Marvel went to building Utopia and uniting the mutants under Scott's leadership as well. I still enjoyed it and was very impressed with Aaron's writing and am very much enjoying Wolverine and the X-Men. Is it forced? Sure. Does there appear to be a lack of coordination between the books and the event it's self? Oh yeah. This always happens and is a major pet peeve of mine. Logan's point though in Schism was that Scott has changed, and not for the better. He's become the General and nothing else. The events of M-Day basically hardened him. As Turtletrekker pointed out earlier there are a lot of "villains" and people being portrayed in poor lights in this series. This though as I keep repeating is the culmination of several years worth of stories. Shit's finally going down.

[Praetor_Shinzon]

ah. you need to check out Children's Crusade. i'd be curious to hear your thoughts on that series. i totally agree that several characters are being portrayed poorly with AvX. Cyclops comes across as being out of his mind. Its similar to Tony Stark in Civil War. he seemed like a fascist in the Spidey books, but you read Civil War or Iron Man and its a whole different view.

[Admiral_Young]

Yeah I can see the analogy between Tony and Scott. Fans were pissed at how Millar and the other writers were writing Tony at the time (I was one of those fans) and I really do understand why fans are pissed about Scott too...especially those who have not read X-Men in a very long time lol. He's been this way for a long time though...really since Morrison's run, and has evolved and become comfortable in his new leadership role. He's embraced finally what Xavier trained him to be, unfortunately though Hope has really blinded him though. Desperate times create desperate men and all that stuff. The thing is though as well (I might have mentioned this already) is that I believe Scott is the "messiah" or at least he is their leader. He though is so wrapped up about a single notion that he doesn't think about anything else.

[Guy Gardener]

So the stress of the attack started by Captain America turned Hope into the Phoenix, or if Cyclops had just submitted to the Avengers Authority, Hope wouldn't have metamorphosed into the Phoenix?

[DAYoung]

I did like seeing Cyclops hit in the head with Captain America's shield.

That was a plus.

[Turtletrekker]

DAYoung wrote:

---

I did like seeing Cyclops hit in the head with Captain America's shield.

That was a plus.

And it just bounced off!

Sure, he received a concussion according to the text, but that shot should have took his head off and he kept fighting.:


Symbolism?

[Guy Gardener]

keeping that visor buckeled to his head while he's force blasting?

Imagine how much duct tape you'd need to keep a few lit skyrockets adhered to your face?

Dudes wearing armour.

[Admiral_Young]

I liked that shot to the head because once again it showed Scott being distracted. Didn't he just ask for a status report on Hope? Captain America's shield almost proves my point.

@Guy Gardner...Hope has tapped into the Phoenix Force before. Not the Phoenix Entity. As was shown at the end of the book the away team Avengers encountered the Phoenix Entity which is still making it's way to Earth and Marvel has stated it will choose a new host. I think the obvious belief is that it will choose Hope.

I wonder if the writers have forgotten that Jean Grey is supposed to be regenerating in the White Hot Room and became the White Phoenix at the end of Greg Pax's Phoenix End Song?

[Guy Gardener]

It's called brevity Young.

Brevity wins out over precision most days.

Jean Grey Dark/Phoenix in the 70s was a fake. An Avatar. The real one was asleep under Hudson Bay.

What about Rachel from Excalibur in the 90s?

If she was an Avatar that means that the "real" Rachel Summers is in stasis some where in an alternate time line having never played out any of the adventures we saw her in...

The First line to the wikipedia entry

The Phoenix Force is an entity in the Marvel Comics fictional universe which has bonded with other characters, who often used the alias Phoenix.

Did you ever read the issues of Quasar from around that time of the infinity gauntlet where Quasar was shown that the posers that control the universe have "abstract constructs" which we perceive we physical beings, becuase they are physical beings who 'Take care of business.

Hope is a bucket soaking up the dribble over from the Phoenix entity pissing suns worth of Phoenix Force in every direction.