Avengers Academy #28 REVIEW

[starfoxxx]

Well, I haven't done a review of AV:Academy in a long time, mostly because it's just not very good anymore.....I knew as soon as I saw this arc (the last few issues) had the Runaways for guest-stars, I was in for a crappy story. I'm sorry, I just never got on the Runaways or Young Avengers bandwagons. I like more action, less talk and melodrama----leave that for the X-books. But it seems Cristos Gage has drifted from a super-hero comic which included teens and social issues to a comic about social issues and teenage angst that just happens to have some super-heros involved. Boooooring!

SPOILER ALERT! Gage really phones it in on this issue; a "spell" is casted so both teams can see into each other's back stories to get a better understanding of their differences, therefore avoiding a battle or any hard feelings. Then they argue over who should be in charge of the youngest Runaways. Yaaaaaawn!
End of SPOILER.....

The downward slide of a great title like ACADEMY only reinforces my opinion that the AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES cartoon blows anything happening in the Avengers comic books (or comics in general) away. MARVEL WRITERS, PLEASE WATCH THAT CARTOON!

And now it looks like the next arc will center around the Avengers vs X-men "event" ugggh.... at least maybe the "action" will increase. Gee, I wonder who would win in a fight between Mettle and Wolverine?

Right now, I'm enjoying Remender's take on the SECRET AVENGERS waaaay more than ACADEMY. But the art in both has been pretty sub-par, too.

And to address a question from another thread, I'm pretty sure Iron Man/War Machine is not in the Secret Avengers anymore. Capt Britain has joined to provide some muscle.

I give the last few months of Avengers:Academy a D.
I give the last few months of Secret Avengers a B.
I miss Guardians of the Galaxy and Heroes/Villains for Hire.

[tomspasic]

It's a shame that you didn't enjoy the last few issues of AA.
Personally, I did.

More Spoilers Ahoy!!


I do understand that some people felt the Runaways issues were too "talky", but if you think about it, in the first Runaways issue we get a four page fight twixt AA and the Runaways, stopped by Pym.
Then in the next issue it opens with Devil Dinosaur eating Reptil and a six page AA/Runaways battle.
For a done-in-two story featuring a lot of characters and some moderately complex issues, we got a fair bit of fighting, I thought.
I thought the spell was a better way to get to a resolution than just stopping fighting, or one side winning.
If it was the fact that it was a "spell", leaving aside that Magic is pretty regularly used in the MU (Reptils whole powerset is based on a Magic Stone), Pym could probably have whipped up a "back-story-encephalogram" to accomplish the same thing.

The point was to resolve a conflict without violence, by listening to and understanding the "opposition's" point of view.
Y'know, the exact opposite of the crap-fest that is AvX where everybody is a massive bullying jerk for no reason other than to shift comics to the gullible.

AA is and remains a breath of fresh air, consistently well written, intelligent and not mired in the "tough guy"/"snark" cliches which seem to plague too much of Marvel's out put these days.
It's funny, moving, has heart and is not afraid to stand up for minorities.
I do enjoy Secret Avengers too, but if I had to choose it would be Secret which got dropped.

I also don't quite understand how you get to complain that the Runaways resolution was boring because of too much talking, but the AvX crossover that we haven't even seen yet will be boring because it will be "action"?
Presumably there is a middle ground of "just right" that will satisfy you?
I'm dubious about another crossover myself, but since the AA Fear Itself crossover issues were the best thing about that event, I trust Gage to write an engaging, intelligent, funny crossover that will make me feel something (other than boredom or irritation, which the main AvX stuff already has, in abundance).

But ultimately if you aren't enjoying it anymore, I hope that you can find a replacement book.
I'd recommend trying the new Daredevil, or Hickmans Fantastic Four, or at DC Flash or Action. All good stuff, imo.

[spiderwasp]

I have to side with Tom on this one. I wasn't too sure about the Runaways crossover when I saw it was coming up because I'm not overly familiar with them but I did enjoy it. I don't mind a little talkitiveness as long as it is honest character building. I do get annoyed by a lot of talking that serves no purpose but this didn't feel that way to me. I liked it better than the issues with Absorbing Man which, to me, were the worst that this book has gotten. (Granted, that's still better than most of what Marvel currently puts out.) I do agree that AA isn't quite as exciting as it started out but I am still a big fan.

Regarding, Secret Avengers, I have just started back buying it and find myself torn. I enjoy parts of it but there are parts where I really just don't know what's happening. There's something about this book that makes me feel dumb. There always seems to be some big important mission but I never really follow exactly what it is. It's confusing to me, but I do like the character interactions, for the most part.

[starfoxxx]

Thanks for the responses, tomspasic and spiderwasp. I've been reviewing new Marvel comics for years now, but either most of the AA posters aren't reading new Marvel stuff---or my reviews suck. Either way, it's nice to have feedback. If you check out the Avengers Initiative/Avengers Academy threads, you'll see this is the first arc in a while I've had a negative response to---it just didn't do it for me. But Gage is definitely one of the very few current Marvel writers that I have lots of respect for (Abnett and Lanning are too).
One thing i've got to admit. poor Gage seems to get stuck with whatever "mega-event" the other Avengers titles are involved in, and it's a shame he can't just do his own stories.

And tomspasic, that's what I meant by my "uggggh" comment about the upcoming Avengers vs. X-men storyline----I never said it would be boring. I just wish Gage could do his own thing without an "event" banner on the cover. And I've got to admit, since I'm not reading anything by Bendis anymore, Avengers Academy is the closest thing to how I remember an Avengers comic book should be out there. Secret Avengers still doesn't have that Avengers "feel' to it. And I've got to agree with spiderwasp, the big important missions are never really addressed or completed, and Secret Avengers gets pretty confusing. Maybe that's the "SECRET"?

And tomspasic, I just might have to break down and pick up a DAREDEVIL....I've been hearing soooo much good stuff, and now that DnA aren't writing a regular Marvel comic I like, I need a replacement. (I know....New Mutants...but I picked one up and it was just so bad, and horrible art to boot, IMHO.)

But I truly hope we can get some dialogue on the AA boards about NEW comics. Right now I'm only reading AV:Academy, Secret Avengers, and LOSH (DC), but I'd love more info on current titles I SHOULD be reading. And I'm sure Cristos Gage has some more great AVengers:Academy stories up his sleeve.