Avengers vs. X-Men #7 Review

Marvel Comics
Avengers vs. X-Men #7 Review
By Andy Frisk
July 6, 2012 - 01:03

Marvel Comics
Writer(s): Jason Aaron, Brian Michael Bendis, Matt Fraction and Jonathan Hickman
Penciller(s): Oliver Coipel
Inker(s): Mark Morales
Colourist(s): Laura Martin
Letterer(s): Chris Eliopoulos
Cover Artist(s): Jim Cheung and Justin Ponsor
$3.99 US

The Avengers and Hope are beaten and on the run from The Phoenix Five, some of whom are beginning to show signs of succumbing to the dark side of the Phoenix Force. Magik, Emma Frost, and Namor engage in murderous assaults upon the remaining Avengers. It appears that only Colossus and Cyclops still refuse to engage in such activities, and Cyclops even scolds Magik for her actions. Emma and Namor though, perhaps the most morally ambiguous and corrupt of The Five begin to plot on their own to destroy the remaining Avengers. Captain America, Black Panther, and Tony Stark though might have just received help from an unconsidered source in their battle to rid the earth of the Phoenix’s pawns…

The second half of Marvel Comics’ soon to be Marvel U changing mini-series Avengers Vs. X-Men is shaping up to be much more engaging than the first half was. Now that things are getting down to the wire, so to speak, with The Avengers running out of time and facing daunting odds, they might just be on the verge of a solution to the Phoenix Force by way of Kun Lun, Iron Fist, and The Thunderer. Also, a connection between Wanda Maximoff/The Scarlet Witch’s power and the Phoenix Force is hinted at. The strange connections between Kun Lun, Maximoff’s powers, and the Phoenix hints of Hickman’s storytelling influence on the tale now. He’s dealt with cosmic themes of destruction, rebirth, and unlikely connections before in the pages of Fantastic Four and these new developments in the story of AvX bear his thematic touch.

Coipel’s work is as brilliant as ever and it’s a great joy to see him interpret nearly every major superhero of the Marvel U here in the pages of AvX #7. If there’s any artist right now who bears the title of “genre defining artist” it’s Coipel. He’s the Jim Lee and Steve Ditko of the 21st Century in terms of immediate recognizability and excellence of style.

After a pretty slow start, AvX is really starting to pick up the pace and tell a good story. The best thing about this story is that it will still have resonance after it ends since Marvel NOW!, the event following AvX isn’t a reboot unlike The New 52 was.

Rating: 8/10