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    REVIEW: Uncanny Avengers #1

    George ChimplesBy 4 Comments3 Mins Read

    Marvel NOW! begins right now with the debut of Uncanny Avengers #1. You got your Avengers in my X-Men! No, you got your X-Men in my Avengers. And Major Spoilers has the review to let you know whether these two tastes work well together.

    UncannyAvengers1CoverUNCANNY AVENGERS #1
    Writer: Rick Remender
    Artist: John Cassaday
    Color Art: Laura Martin
    Letterer: VC’s Chris Eliopoulos
    Editor: Tom Brevoort
    Publisher: Marvel Comics
    Price: $3.99

    Previously, in the Marvel Universe: The Phoenix has come and gone from Earth, ending the events of Avengers vs. X-Men. In the resulting fallout, Professor X is dead, Cyclops is imprisoned, and mutants have begun reappearing around the world.

    STRANGE BEDFELLOWS

    The remit for Uncanny Avengers is established quickly. Captain America wants to show that the Avengers do indeed care about mutants by joining forces with a few select X-Men. As Wolverine gives the eulogy for Xavier, Havok establishes himself as a foil for Cyclops, espousing his allegiance to what he sees as the true legacy of Professor X. Offered a job with the Avengers, Havok proves he can fight together with the likes of Cap and Thor. At the same time, Rogue and Scarlet Witch prove they don’t like each other too much. This is a packed issue, and while the team never appears together all at once, I’m sold on the idea of these people serving together.

    Rick Remender’s scripts always have a wry sense of humor, and it is on display here. The most memorable bit is Thor’s predilection for lattes– some might quibble, but if you’re the God of Thunder, I think you can drink what you want. There is some unevenness in tone – Goat-Faced Girl isn’t the most straight-faced name for a credible antagonist and Rogue’s jump to fisticuffs with the Scarlet Witch is hurried – but the levity keeps the book from getting too heavy-handed. There’s a bit of Silver Age madness at play here (especially in the ambitious last page reveal) but with Remender’s signature punk edge. It will be interesting to see if this latter aspect is retained over the long run. I hope it is.

    ALMOST PERFECT

    The art is also successful, albeit with with a few caveats. At certain points, John Cassaday’s backgrounds unsuccessfully merge digital city backgrounds with more traditionally drawn foregrounds. It doesn’t look good. Havok’s outfit still looks entirely too much like Bullseye’s to me. And at times, Cassaday struggles with his character’s faces. But the problems are few and far between. The action is great, and the scene with the imprisoned Cyclops are delightfully creepy, in no small part to Cassaday’s drawing of Cyclops’ impassive face and disturbingly rendered head restraint. His use of angles in the opening pages is also particularly effective.

    BOTTOM LINE: IF THE REST ARE LIKE THIS, I WANT MORE NOW! NOW

    Uncanny Avengers #1 is a strong debut. When this comic was first solicited, I really was not sure if I wanted to read the adventures of Scarlet Witch (who I hate) and what I felt was a mashed together supersquad. But this is a very good creative team, and they’ve sold me with a solid, entertaining first issue which establishes itself immediately. Uncanny Avengers #1 rates a four out of five stars. Check it out.

    [rating:4/5]

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    George Chimples comes from the far future, where comics are outlawed and only outlaws read comics. In an effort to prevent that horrible dystopia from ever coming into being, he has bravely traveled to the past in an attempt to change the future by ensuring that comics are good. Please do not talk to him about grandfather paradoxes. He likes his comics to be witty, trashy fun with slightly less pulp than a freshly squeezed glass of OJ. George’s favorite comic writers are Warren Ellis and Grant Morrison, while his preferred artists are Guy Davis and Chris Bachalo, He loves superheroes, but also enjoys horror, science fiction, and war comics. You can follow him @TheChimples on Twitter for his ramblings regarding comics, Cleveland sports, and nonsense.

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    4 Comments

    1. Robert Hulshof-Schmidt on

      After years of (mostly) ignoring Marvel, I jumped on for AvX. It left me with a “thanks for the ride, I’m done” feeling, but I decided to give this a shot. It left me pleasantly surprised, setting up a team that might feel like MY Avengers (circa 1983).

      I’m a bit surprised at Rogue being cast as the voice of the X-Men and her reaction to Wanda, especially given the commonalities in their history. Wanda has always been one of may favorites, however, and her character really shines. She’s a mutant AND an Avenger; her crack about the X-people’s halos was one of the best lines in the book.

    4. Davis on

      Look forward to Havoc showing that he’s not just Cyclops’ little brother. I like the balance of the team and not real sure why Rogue is there. Anyone remember when she was older and stole Carol Danver’s powers? Ever since the first X movie she has been treated as a teen. That ain’t how it went down in the pages!
      Hope this does well, because cap is the only mortal that Thor will follow.