REVIEW: Avengers Academy #39 (of 39)

Or – “I Am Going To Miss This Book…”

Of all the things to launch out of Dark Reign, I think Avengers Academy was my favorite, featuring an interesting array of characters (albeit all with really boring costumes) and a premise that worked.  Even the use of Avengers with their own history of problems (Giant-Man, Tigra, Justice, Speedball and Quicksilver are like a laundry list of bad decisions) was compelling, but things in the Marvel Universe change with speed and ferocity, with a new day dawning on the Avengers Academy.  Your Major Spoilers review awaits!

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MARVEL NOW! Marvel reveals title behind Survive teaser, and it’s Battle Royale

Marvel has revealed the book behind the Survive teaser that ran last week, and that I jokingly said would be a zombie title.  Instead of going the obvious route, Marvel is looking overseas and borrowing heavily from the movie and manga series Battle Royale, all the way down to the cover for the first issue.

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REVIEW: Avengers Academy #35

After Avengers Academy is shut down due to the events of AvX, the Avengers-in-Training find themselves lured to the arms of Jeremy Briggs, who promises safe harbor for the heroes and a cure for those students who no longer want their powers. Such promises rarely come without a cost, as we are reminded in this issue. Hit the jump for more!

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REVIEW: Avengers Academy #31

Or – “Unfortunate Implications On Parade!”

The kids of the Avengers Academy have been, essentially, imprisoned against their will to keep them from getting involved in the Avengers Vs. X-Men conflict, stuffed in a crowded area with the students from Wolverine’s school and a mass-murdering mutant madman with no memory…

Good.  That’ll work.

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REVIEW: Avengers Academy #21

Or – “Is Lightspeed At Least Still Bi-Curious?”

There are a lot of vaguely bothersome trends in comics these days (weird numbering, strange book titles that mean nothing, covers that are nothin’ more than interchangable glamour shots) but one of the most annoying is the endlessly repeated mantra of “a great jumping-on point!”  For a book like Avengers Academy, which I’ve been enjoying, a rejiggered jumping-on point could easily serve double duty as a jumping-off point.  Can even Julie Power’s midriff save the day?

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REVIEW: Avengers Academy #11

Or – “In My Head, Thor Talks Somewhat Like The Swedish Chef…”


Chosen by the Green Goblin for their destructive potential, the kids of Avengers Academy seem determined to live up (or is that down) to expectations.  After attacking the Hood in revenge for Brian Bendis’ writing, one of them has brought a cosmic-level menace down on their heads with a single thoughtless act.  Good thing Hank Pym has friends…

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REVIEW: Avengers Academy #9

Family reunions can be a drag, especially when your father may be a guy who has incorporated the fighting styles of everyone he’s ever witnessed in action. But what if you seem to share this skill set? Perhaps it’s time to go Maury Povich on his #@@ and determine if Taskmaster *IS* the father! The DNA tests show…ah, take the jump already!

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Marvel announces Avengers Academy Giant-Size #1

Lately, whenever I see a book advertised as an 80-page Giant issue, I’m pretty skeptical as there have been a lot of story reprints in those collections.  Marvel claims that the upcoming Avengers Academy Giant Size #1 features an all new story that looks at the next generation of Marvel heroes.

“This story brings together our most popular teen heroes and fan favorite creators for a truly giant-size story set right in the thick of the Marvel Universe at an incredibly affordable price.” said David Gabriel, Marvel’s SVP of Sales & Circulation. “There’s simply no publisher today putting out this amount of all-new material for such a great value.”

That value price? $7.99, something Marvel takes pride in pointing out that the cover price is still better than buying four of their competitor’s books.

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REVIEW: Avengers Academy #6

Or – “You Bet Jurassic!”

Norman Osborn’s run at the top was brief, but you have to admire what all he accomplished in a few months.  Nearly destroying the ancient Asgardians, blowing up half the Eastern Seaboard, going up and down the crazy charts like a whore’s drawers and torturing a bunch of rotten teenagers, all presumably before breakfast.  As the instructors at Avengers Academy try to turn his one-time charges into respectable soopaheroes, the growing worry is that somehow, Norm-O has even managed to transfer his Wacky In The Wicky Woo to the next generation.

Which would be BAD…

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