Avengers vs X-Men #8

Writers: Aaron, Bendis, Brubaker, Fraction, Hickman

Artist: Adam Kubert

     

Covers by Jimmy Cheung and Jerome Opena

Namor flips out and destroys the Kingdom of Wakanda. As the Avengers reconvene to plan their next move, the Prince of Atlantis is instigated by Emma Frost to go after their enemies and do some serious damage. Just like last issue, this chapter is very focused and specific, which makes it much more entertaining than the first six books. The idea of dozens of Avengers fighting dozens of X-Men sounded great, but the execution was simply overwhelming and all over the place; with a relatively limited cast the story becomes more cohesive, but then again, at the cost of leaving many fan favorites out of the picture.

     

Covers by Adam Kubert and Alan Davis

The developments on this eighth round make it clear how things will go down from here, and more or less what the final confrontation will be about. The Scarlet Witch and Charles Xavier share the ominous moment award; as usual, Spider-Man gets the punch line award, and Red Hulk, the most painful moment trophy. With a solid script, intense dialog, and the clean, detailed artwork of Adam Kubert, issue #8 is an enjoyable read.

Ame-Comi Batgirl

Writers: Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray

Artist: Sanford Greene

Inspired by the successful line of action figures, Batgirl is the second mini leading to the ongoing Ame-Comi Girls title. In this alternate reality, Barbara Gordon and her cousin Carrie defend the streets of Gotham as Batgirl and Robin from villainesses like Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Harley Queen, and Duela Dent, the Joker's Daughter. Duela and her associates bridge the Wonder Woman mini to this one, and magnify the scope of the story to a major conspiracy. Palmiotti and Grey introduce many interesting elements to the plot, like the choice of sidekick for Batgirl; she and Robin remind me of Electrawoman and Dynagirl from The Krofft Supershow fame; that, along with the twists for Jim Gordon and another heroine who joins in, are examples of fun findings one comes across during the read. Sanford Greene's rough pencils are almost a complete opposite of Amanda Conner's smooth finishes, which makes for a somewhat brusque transition. Also, as opposed to Wonder Woman, Batgirl is not a self-contained adventure, but only the first half of a larger story that continues with Duela Dent's mini; still an entertaining three-issue series.

Batgirl by Sanford Greene

New Avengers #28

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Artist: Mike Deodato

This one is really messed up and freaky. Initially solicited to feature Luke Cage, Hawkeye, and Mockingbird, the story replaced the latter with Spider Woman as one of its point of view characters. After being captured by the X-Men and imprisoned in Utopia, these three Avengers find themselves forced to do things they wouldn't do to people they once called friends in order to escape. With all the elements of a psychological thriller, this AvX tie-in is perhaps the darkest tale told so far in the event. The most representative character of Bendis' run with the Avengers is Luke Cage, and this chapter has a sense of upcoming finality for him; will Bendis take Cage with him when he leaves the title? Mike Deodato relies heavily in shadows and dark tones to match the theme of the issue, successfully conveying that scary movie feel. Scott Summers: you are a bad, bad man and things cannot end up well for you. Fantastic issue!

Batgirl #11

Writer: Gail Simone

Artist: Ardian Syaf

Batgirl comes face to face with Knightfall for the first time. This is the issue that shows how much Babara has evolved since retaking the mantle. During the first months of The New 52 she was insecure, guilt-ridden, and even self-loathing; now she is confident and more comfortable in her own boots; one thing that has not changed is her spark, her compassion, and the fact that she has no problem admitting she makes mistakes, all of which allow for great characterization. Detective McKenna returns in a big way adding more complexity to Knightfall and her story, while the James Gordon Jr. subplot takes off with what will surely be some creepy and disturbing developments down the road. Ardyan Syaf, as always, delivers top-notch artwork, although some subtle changes in style can be observed. One last player is introduced to the story by the end of the issue, and there are not enough words to express how exciting that is. Enter: Batwoman!

Batwoman by Ardian Syaf, Vicente Cifuentes, and Ulises Arreola

Wolverine and the X-Men #13

Writer: Jason Aaron

Artist: Nick Bradshaw

Jason Aaron adds another hit to his résumé with "Born Warbird," featuring the origin of the deadly Shi'ar warrior, bodyguard, and astonishing X-Man. The timing for this tale could not have been more precise; the battle between the Shi'ar and the Phoenix Five is the catalyst to reveal the past of Ava'Dara, and her sad, cruel, and devoid upbringing. All three aspects of the character are gracefully penned to show her inner tumult. For anyone keeping track of things, Rachel Grey finally comes face to face with the Death Commandos, albeit only one panel depicts their fight, and Kid Gladiator shows a different side of him, but this display of emotion might come at a high price. It is hard to believe that Marvel has kept Wolverine on the sidelines since act II of AvX started, allowing everyone else to shine; let's hope creators realize he does not have to be on every team, on every book, on every page. Nick Bradshaw's art is A+.

VS #4

Writers: Rick Remender & Kaare Andrews

Artists: Brandon Peterson & Kaare Andrews

 

Red ninja vs Purple ninja. The best match thus far in the series, and what the whole thing should have been about. Great way to account for Psylocke's telepathy and bringing up her past as an assassin for The Hand. The dialog and inner monologue did wonders for the story. Unblemished art with fluid panels and popping colors. All in all, a fair outcome, and the first of its kind for the title. Will Psylocke become the third X-Man to question the madness of it all? Thor vs Emma Frost. Physically and verbally vicious, ruthless, and unrestrained; without any of the morals of the previous match, this one is about kill or be killed. The art is very unique, and makes the story seem as if taking place in the psychic plane or a dream realm. No characterization whatsoever, and truth be told, no rhyme or reason for the confrontation -unless it's tied to a yet unseen sequence in the main book; still, it was good.

Batman #11

Writer: Scott Snyder

Artist: Greg Capullo

This is it. The Court of Owls reaches its thrilling conclusion as Batman and Thomas Wayne Jr. go at it for the future of Gotham. Just because Batman chooses to believe things are a certain way, it does not mean they are, and this is the most important outcome of this amazing saga; a humbling lesson that will make him an even better hero and human being. The final confrontation with Thomas was loaded with action from start to finish, although the typical villain rant went on for a little too long, and the open ended conclusion was too reminiscent -as I feared- of Hush. Court has made of Greg Capullo a household name in comics; without a doubt, his work in this classic has elevated him to the status of a maestro; every single panel shows the dedication and love he put into the story. Eleven issues of uninterrupted, beautiful artwork is seldom found anymore; this guy is through and through, as much a hero as those he brings to life with his pencils. Best arc ever!

Thomas Wayne Jr. (Owlman?) by Greg Capullo

Avenging Spider-Man #9

Writer: Kelly Sue DeConnick

Artists: Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson

Spider-Man hangs out with Carol Danvers, who makes her debut as Captain Marvel a week before the start of her ongoing series. These two have been spending a lot of time together and could be that it's heading somewhere; it would be an interesting dynamic to be explored, not only because both are heroes and in the same team, also because he is younger than she is, and as far as I recall, we have not seen this in a high profile comics couple. The story itself is a breath of fresh air in the middle of the never ending event machine; just two friends hanging out and getting in trouble without it having to be the incident that changes things forever or the one that will make things never, ever to be the same again. The Dodsons do a good job with the art, although they have done better; the pencils seem a bit rushed. Edgar Delgado's colors really pop here, and visually, are the best part of the issue.

Worlds' Finest #3

Writer: Paul Levitz

Artists: George Perez & Kevin Maguire

Yesterday: Helena and Kara continue reacting to their new homeworld, and the existence of alternate versions of the wonders (as heroes were called on Earth-2). An interesting aspect revealed in this sequence is the fact that Helena trained all her life to become Robin, which effectively would make her more experienced than any of the Robins in the main Earth. The early role Terry Sloane may have played in Earth-2 is hinted at, and Power Girl's old continuity costume is reminisced. Today: After their first round against Hakkou -a villain that looks like the offspring of the Anti-Monitor and a Parademon- Huntress makes a strange remark regarding "we" being immune to poisons; let's hope there is more to that and not just some goofy explanation to their current conundrum. While the flashbacks are strong on character development, the present-day scenes are action oriented, bringing a balanced combination to the story.