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FEATURED REVIEW |
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“Tom Raney and Christos Gage have clearly separated themselves from the pack
with this latest issue...”
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-BOX O'CREDITS-
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Writer:
Christos Gage |
Artist:
Tom Raney |
Publisher:
Marvel Comics |
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Shipped On:
121411 |
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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 (122111)
My second review back at MyAlternateReality.com was originally going to be Matt
Fraction’s “Defenders”, but as I flipped through my stack investigating the
covers of each book, trying to see what looked interesting, I came across the
twenty-third issue of “Avengers Academy” which just so happens to coincide with
X-23 joining the cast. Twenty-third issue and X-23 joins the team…coincidence?
Probably not, but it makes for a neat hook…so let’s do it.
I’ve been following the “Avengers Academy” team since its inception going back
about two years or so now, and while this isn’t a PERFECT title, it certainly
does its best to separate it from the plethora of other teen-team related titles
on store shelves. Christos Gage somehow channels his inner-child, as his ability
to speak through the multiple cast members in a completely natural way is never
once called into question. He manages to display the multiple facets of the
teen-age emotional spectrum by way of each of the ‘Academy’ cast, without ever
losing sight of the main narrative.
So X-23 has departed the X-Mansion, or the X-Island nation of Utopia, whichever,
and has become the latest enrollee in Hank Pym’s fledgling school for future
Avengers. I’m going to have to go on the record and say that initially I was
skeptical of this decision, but now that I’ve read the issue I can understand
why Laura (X-23) is a perfect fit for the team. Despite the many heroic deeds of
the ‘Academy’ cast, they’re still at-risk teens that have the potential to go
either way in the future. Will they become the next generation of super-heroes,
or are they all villains waiting to discover their evil nature?
On the fringe of the issue is the reveal that Reptil is actually his future
self, transplanted into his teenage self’s body. Apparently there are specific
things that have to happen to maintain the future, or something, and Old-Reptil
has hijacked his younger counter-part as a means of making sure certain events
unfold the way they’re supposed to. As he goes about manipulating his teammates
without their knowledge, gathering info that he wasn’t privy to his first time
around, and basically being a low-life traitor, readers are also treated to a
glimpse of this future-Reptil’s timeline, one where apparently he and another
member of the team have a baby! It’s difficult to say at this point if the
machinations put into play by Future-Reptil are for the best or worst for this
team of super-kids, but I’m sure Gage is going to ramp up the mystery before we
find out.
Tom Raney’s pencils are without a doubt one of the best parts of this series.
Even though Mike McKone started the book, lasting about an arc or two at the
most, it is Raney’s pencils that seem to have given the book its identity. Every
page, every panel resonates with emotional imagery that effectively delivers the
mood in a way that too many artists are incapable of. Raney illustrates PEOPLE
in spectacular situations, never forgetting that these characters are very much
teens with a broad range of internal reactions to any given situation.
This is best illustrated by the conversation between Striker and Julie Power.
I’m not going to spoil the context of their talk, but its heavy subject matter
is handled masterfully by Raney, who effortlessly conveys the teenager’s
feelings with very little dialogue. Fear, confusion, gut-wrenching heartache are
all clearly visible in just a few panels, and yet Raney’s soft touch doesn’t
require readers to be hit over the head with an exposition dump to get the point
across. It’s this portrayal of these characters that’s kept me coming back for
more month in and month out.
Tom Raney and Christos Gage have clearly separated themselves from the pack with
this latest issue, and hopefully with the shift in direction this already
popular title will find its way into the hands of MORE comic book fans. That’s
not to mention the latest announcements regarding “Avengers VS X-Men” and how
THAT maxi-series may affect this new team dynamic…God, I love this book!
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"Sweet" Dan Sweet is a Chicago-based aspiring writer and long time
customer at Alternate Reality. |
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“Remender dodges a bullet by making each of these tried-and-true tricks of the
trade seem less tired than I’ve ever seen them before...”
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-BOX O'CREDITS-
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Writer:
Rick Remender |
Artist:
Jerome Opena |
Publisher:
Marvel Comics |
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Shipped On:
121411 |
Product Note:
This book shipped in a black sealed polybag |
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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(121411)
After a brief (HA!) absence I’ve returned to gush on and on about comic books
that I enjoy, and rag on books that I don’t. I don’t typically tackle the last
issue in a multi-part mini-epic such as this, but with the drastic changes
taking place in the X-corner of the Marvel bullpen I felt that this was a
turning point that may be worth your attention. While it isn’t an ideal
jumping-on point for new readers, I do believe the sheer ferocity of the massive
battle which spans pretty-much the entire issue would manage to ‘Wow’ even those
with minimal knowledge of X-lore. With that display of prowess, along with a
somewhat seamless transition to what will undoubtedly be “Regenesis”-era
X-Force, Remender cements his place amongst those who’ve written some of the
best stories these characters have to offer.
“The Dark Angel Saga” can be most easily summed up in this way: The X-Man known
as Angel/Archangel, the former Horseman Death essentially becomes Apocalypse and
then attempts to extinguish all life on Earth. Luckily for Earth the members of
Uncanny X-Force are prepared to travel to an alternate version of Earth and
fight alternate versions of the X-Men and then come back and save the day by
means of strong-arm tactics and subterfuge. I mean seriously, trying to describe
an X-Men story to anyone unfamiliar with the basic gist of the characters and
their history is like talking to walls, this is of course just a personal
opinion of mine, and it totally didn’t interfere with my enjoyment of the issue,
but it just seems like every one of these events involves time-travel, alternate
universes, clones, or Magneto.
I guess that’s what’s great about the characters and at the same time the one
thing that holds them back most from progressing. It’s not enough to expand the
mythos by moving the characters forward naturally, if you want a darker version
of Beast just create Universe 10838749-b and smuggle him over the border. How
many X-Men are dead in the regular Marvel Universe? No worries, there’s an
assortment of ready-made X-Men from any number of stories to just plug and play.
Remender manages to take those tropes and twist them into all new animals with
this eight-part mini-event. Sure, we get the obligatory visit to the
alternate-reality (no pun intended). We get the emotional half-reunion of
Wolverine and no less than three dead friends/teammates. We get the traitor in
the midst of the team, I mean the book is called “The Dark Angel Saga”, so that
should go without saying. We get to round the bases of X-Men storytelling, but
somehow Remender dodges a bullet by making each of these tried-and-true tricks
of the trade seem less tired than I’ve ever seen them before. I mean, never mind
the mind-blowing dynamic he’s created from group of cast-off X-Men (and Deadpool),
or the artwork of Jerome Opena (one of the most truly under-rated artists in
Marvel’s arsenal). Never mind the chance to revisit the “Age of Apocalypse”, one
of the highest selling X-Men’s miniseries of all time, not to mention one of the
most beloved stories that I can remember from my days as a young fan when I was
more easily fooled.
I think the thing about “Age of Apocalypse” that everyone really loved is that
it showed all of the characters that we’d come to love and appreciate in such
drastically different light than we’d been used to up until that time. When
Remender revisited that world within the context of this story it became clear
that it was still growing and changing, despite our lack of attention. This also
seems to have filled a few holes in the X-roster by way of stowaway stragglers
getting dragged into our world’s conflicts and finding themselves without a ride
home. Only time will tell how lucrative that decision proves to be for the
X-office.
I’m extremely interested in seeing where the “Uncanny X-Force” team goes from
here, there’s a whole new world at play now that Cyclops and Wolverine’s
philosophical differences have gotten the better of them. What place does a
secret, mutant, hit-squad have being led by the leader of a school? Where does
Psylocke fit in, as she appears to be on both sides of the internal conflict?
Does Deathlok get to stick around, because if he doesn’t I might have to jump
ship. Most importantly, (SPOILER) in the era of “Regenesis”, what’s to become of
Genesis, the young Apocalypse clone who fancies himself a hero (End SPOILER),
and just what is Fantomex up to? |
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"Sweet" Dan Sweet is a Chicago-based aspiring writer and long time
customer at Alternate Reality. |
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OTHER REVIEWS...
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RASSLIN' REVIEW
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Pay Per Views and House Shows, we layeth the Smaketh- Down on both!
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KIDS REVIEWS
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Dozen's of kid friendly titles arrive every week and we review the ones that
stand out.
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AT THE MOVIES
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Every week we give you our opinion on what's playing at the cinema.
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