Comic Vine News

211 Comments

Who Will Survive the AVENGERS ARENA?

Marvel is showing that becoming an Avenger won't be as easy as it used to be.

Marvel has always had numerous titles featuring the younger characters in the Marvel Universe. We've had titles such as NEW MUTANTS, NEW X-MEN and recently AVENGERS ACADEMY. While it wasn't always a walk in the park for the younger characters, it was safe for the most part. Some have seen their share of violence but that will be nothing compared to what's coming up.

Last week we saw the mysterious teaser with blood splattered letters but no clue what it was about. Today, Marvel has revealed what that means.

No Caption Provided

Dennis Hopeless and Kev Walker will be giving us AVENGERS ARENA. What the heck is that about? It's going to be about death.

Arcade, the funny guy with a bowtie that previously was responsible for kidnapping people and putting them in his Murderworld will be targeting 16 young heroes. Murderworld is moving to its own island. According to Marvel:

There’s only one item on the itinerary for this nightmarish getaway: Kill or be killed.
== TEASER ==
No Caption Provided

Sounds a little like...The Hunger Games but I'm actually okay with that.

In an interview with Hopeless, he points out that in the past, there weren't really a lot of murders happening in Arcade's Murderworld.

I don't want to give too much away, but I can promise a lot of murder in this new Murder World.

Who will the contestants be? You can see from the image above that we will finally see the return of Darkhawk! Hopefully he'll be able to survive. We'll also be seeing X-23, Hazmat, Mettle, Reptil from AVENGERS ACADEMY and Nico and Chase from RUNAWAYS among others.

Maybe it's not such a good thing that these characters are returning in this series. This will definitely be an interesting read. Let's hope we don't see too many senseless killings of our favorite characters.

Read more over at Marvel.

211 Comments

Avatar image for rokusan23
rokusan23

147

Forum Posts

1

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By rokusan23

Nico and Chase... LIVE!! And you too Laura...

Avatar image for jhazzroucher
jhazzroucher

25150

Forum Posts

395

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 9

Edited By jhazzroucher

where is Hollow/Penance?

No Caption Provided
Avengers Academy #31
Avengers Academy #31
Avatar image for blood1991
Blood1991

8115

Forum Posts

5

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 4

Edited By Blood1991

So they kill off some and then fuse the survivors into a team. Where are the Avengers/X-Men/Fantastic Four when sh!t like this happens?

Avatar image for countershock
CounterShock

30

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By CounterShock

It's like people don't know what Battle Royale is...

Avatar image for mapacherise22
Mapacherise22

24

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

Edited By Mapacherise22

Really digging the idea for this comic, I might add it to my pull list.

Avatar image for sifighter
Sifighter

107

Forum Posts

534

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 19

User Lists: 0

Edited By Sifighter

Ok, well Ill have to see where the comic will go

Avatar image for the_mast
The Mast

793

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: -1

User Lists: 2

Edited By The Mast

1. Hazmat's new helmet sucks. She WAS one of the coolest looking new characters.

2. If they kill her...final straw.

3. This is derivative. Even for Marvel.

Avatar image for darth_brendroid
darth_brendroid

1725

Forum Posts

13037

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 3

Edited By darth_brendroid

@Ravager4 said:

@darth_brendroid said:

NO NO NO NO NO I was wondering where Runaways was in Marvel Now and this is NOT where I want to see them :( seriously the only way to pull something like this off is to actually kill characters and piss off fans and as much as I love the idea of stories ending the stories of Nico and Chase should not risk ending here :(

Hopefully, Marvel will have enough sense to not kill them off, or at the very least not Nico (she's my favorite). I mean, the Runaways is the only Marvel book I've ever read, and I really love its characters. I have been on the edge about really jumping into Marvel lately, but if they start killing off Runaways characters, I will kick Marvel into my rear view mirror and never look back.

It's kinda unsettling though that the first series they seem to be starring in after a hiatus is effectively a pruning series. I'm morbidly curious if it will be written well and if any inevitable deaths are handled poignantly (this isn't Hunger Games with new characters; these are characters going on ten years old with entrenched fanbases, however much smaller than Iron Man or Spiderman they are), but it seems like the idea behind it was to generate as much negative buzz as possible from terrified fans and see the sales skyrocket from all the people wondering 'what's all the horror about?'. Apparently it worked with some of DC's New52 #1's.

Avatar image for adriell2124
Adriell2124

76

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By Adriell2124

IGN said one of 'em is Cammi! Cammi! From Annihilation! Where in the hell has she been ?

Avatar image for they_killed_cap_
They Killed Cap!

2268

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By They Killed Cap!

Im alittle undecided on this.

Avatar image for nj06
nj06

327

Forum Posts

1156

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By nj06

I just hope that Reptil survives. He is a great character and I don't want him to die in this.

Avatar image for deactivated-5c1d15b8899b0
deactivated-5c1d15b8899b0

11360

Forum Posts

8851

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 2

How original is that?? His ressembles something? But What?

Avenger Arena = Teen Titans/Superboy?Legion Lost -The Culling

There will be a Harvest for Marvel??

Avatar image for rumble_man
Rumble Man

11195

Forum Posts

28

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 6

Edited By Rumble Man

Gross

Avatar image for alittletooraph
ALittleTooRaph

91

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By ALittleTooRaph

This is troubling. Marvel undoubtedly believes the only thing that gets people reading are comics where characters are getting killed off. Good, well-written, character stories are always welcome instead! There's enough senseless killing going around in the Marvel universe already. We don't need a whole monthly series dedicated to it. If even one of our favorite characters gets killed off in this series, it'll be for shame.

Avatar image for jesusdisciple001
jesusdisciple001

622

Forum Posts

2811

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By jesusdisciple001

Not liking it.

Avatar image for rav4
rav4

1688

Forum Posts

3306

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 7

Edited By rav4

@darth_brendroid said:

NO NO NO NO NO I was wondering where Runaways was in Marvel Now and this is NOT where I want to see them :( seriously the only way to pull something like this off is to actually kill characters and piss off fans and as much as I love the idea of stories ending the stories of Nico and Chase should not risk ending here :(

Hopefully, Marvel will have enough sense to not kill them off, or at the very least not Nico (she's my favorite). I mean, the Runaways is the only Marvel book I've ever read, and I really love its characters. I have been on the edge about really jumping into Marvel lately, but if they start killing off Runaways characters, I will kick Marvel into my rear view mirror and never look back.

Avatar image for clemj
clemj

849

Forum Posts

264

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 2

Edited By clemj

...... oh man, bloddy mess in fact

Avatar image for x_29
x_29

2375

Forum Posts

4

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 33

User Lists: 0

Edited By x_29

Oh Marvel, ever so trying to attach to something that is widely popular.

Avatar image for darth_brendroid
darth_brendroid

1725

Forum Posts

13037

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 3

Edited By darth_brendroid

NO NO NO NO NO I was wondering where Runaways was in Marvel Now and this is NOT where I want to see them :( seriously the only way to pull something like this off is to actually kill characters and piss off fans and as much as I love the idea of stories ending the stories of Nico and Chase should not risk ending here :(

Avatar image for brezej
BreZeJ

49

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 2

Edited By BreZeJ

I see all these characters and I like X-23 and need to ream more Runaways to understand Nico and Chase, but where is Cloud 9, Spider-Girl, or Molly Hayes? Those are the ones I really wanted to see.

Avatar image for isummers
iSummers

98

Forum Posts

1

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 8

Edited By iSummers

i dont read avengers academy the name of the guy with the axe?is like ares axe :D:

Avatar image for kagato
kagato

263

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 9

User Lists: 2

Edited By kagato

@Chaos Burn said:

Un-impressed that G-Man missed the massive Battle Royale reference but compared it to Hunger Games.... never mind eh

Yeah, i was thinking this myself, there still seems to be a huge group of people who wont watch Japanese movies because they are unable/unwilling to read subtitles. I guess it could just be that it was banned from the US until last year though, most people who have seen it are likely from Europe like myself.

Avatar image for butters911
butters911

615

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By butters911
@DJ1107: He's practically never in it though. He just pops up to give the team some gadget or something. He's like the Avemgers Q.
Avatar image for rolvtd
rolvtd

3

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By rolvtd

@Dedpool said:

What i don't get is when did Darkhawk return from space?

Darkhawk was on Earth when he got taken out by the Quasar from the Cancerverse in the The Thanos Imperative . It was said in that series that he was hurt so badly, he could not manifest his suit.

Call me disappointed in seeing him in this series. Darkhawk goes from being a major player in the Cosmic Marvel Universe to this series? If this is what they mean by Cosmic Marvel having a large presence after Marvel Now, I think I can keep Thanos Imperative and Annihilators as the last Marvel books I have bought.

Avatar image for rumble_man
Rumble Man

11195

Forum Posts

28

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 6

Edited By Rumble Man

They ripped off battle royale

dude what the F*ck

Avatar image for shirepanjshir
ShirEPanjshir

605

Forum Posts

2320

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 13

User Lists: 1

Edited By ShirEPanjshir

Wow. Just... wow. It'd seem like Hopeless, who seems to be a newbie writer, just walked up to the Marvel office right after watching The Hunger Games/Battle Royal/... and said: "Hey guys! Let me use that, but with your young comic book characters! It'll be fun, I'll be able to pointlessly kill off at least half these characters and afterwards give it an ending just like The Hunger Games where they decide it's better to work together to escape, rather than to play along with the game."

"Oh yeah, that seems really unoriginal, but since it's based off The Hunger Games, I'm sure it'll be a big hit."

Hopeless indeed. Ah well, perhaps they'll surprise us and it'll be awesome. The jury 's still out.

Avatar image for nappystr8
nappystr8

1548

Forum Posts

859

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 19

User Lists: 5

Edited By nappystr8

This is literally the stupidest thing I have ever seen. Here I was thinking AVX was the least inspired crap Marvel could possibly come up with. I don't even know what about this is worst; that it is a blatant ripoff of The Hunger Games (yes I'm aware that the Hunger Games didn't do it first either, but it is the only thing popular enough in American culture for Marvel to ape), the fact that it makes killing a central theme for a book with Avengers in the title, the fact that it makes killing a central theme for a book staring teen characters, or the fact that this crap that obviously no thought went into is replacing Avengers Academy which was one of the best Marvel books being published.

Even though I won't even peak inside the pages of this series, it will still negatively effect me as characters I have grown to love in Avengers Academy will most surely be killed off as part of this travesty. And I will not be able to see them pop up in other books where good writers with original ideas could have brought something new to the character.

I've never heard of Dennis Hopeless, for all I know he could be a terrific writer, and this book could somehow despite all odds be great. Even in that unlikely event, I still wouldn't read it, because the main premise is so deplorable. I'm sure it's an editorial decision and not an idea by Hopeless, but the fact that he would even agree to be a part of this nonsense leaves me with no respect for him. I will even intentionally avoid anything else his name is on.

The only solace I get is that it will be cancelled after three or four issues, because even though Marvel somehow tricked people into buying AVX in unprecedented numbers, there is no way on earth that comic fans are stupid enough to pay for this book.

Avatar image for wowylied
wowylied

238

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By wowylied

And all the dead will be alive 2 issues after...

Marvel should seriously stop playing with "death" in the 616 universe. All their story are beginning to be boring as hell because we know all can be retconned everytime ( like daken being alive...)

Avatar image for _zombie_
_Zombie_

10572

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 2

Edited By _Zombie_

You'd think that if they wanted to cash in on Hunger Games and Battle Royale, they would of done it closer to when the movies came out.

Avatar image for dj1107
DJ1107

247

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By DJ1107

@butters911 said:

I wonder what title Hank Pym will be in now? I figured Avengers Academy would be getting relaunched, but it looks like I was wrong.

He still go Secret Avengers. I hope he will be in the Avenger relaunch (Johnathan Hickman+Hank Pym=F%&K YEAH!!)

Avatar image for butters911
butters911

615

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By butters911

I wonder what title Hank Pym will be in now? I figured Avengers Academy would be getting relaunched, but it looks like I was wrong. 

Avatar image for obscurefan
obscurefan

297

Forum Posts

3967

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 9

User Lists: 4

Edited By obscurefan

@Rixec said:

@Ironhawk22 said:

Oh no. I have a bad feeling about this. Nico and Chase better not die.

I hear ya. I want them and X-23 to make it out alive. Damn, I was excited about them all having a place in Marvel Now! and they're put on death row. Always a catch.

My thoughts exactly. I remember that one of the first articles I read about Marvel Now was basically saying "So this means that there might finally be a chance for the Runaways to come back." Well here they are, being forced to kill or be killed against each other. I'm starting to think some comic book characters are safer in limbo.

Avatar image for redheadedatrocitus
RedheadedAtrocitus

6958

Forum Posts

8982

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 4

User Lists: 3

Smacks too much of Hunger Games like you said as well as DC's The Culling. But that's okay, its what's popular right now, and with Arcade and Murderworld as part of this, it could be great. Good stuff.

Avatar image for ramier
Ramier

80

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By Ramier

this is dumb they wouldn't just kill these characters, its gonna be in a dream world or something

Avatar image for mezmero
Mezmero

1005

Forum Posts

532

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 3

Edited By Mezmero

Marvel should do everyone a favor and kill off Dark Hawk as soon as possible. What a useless hero.

Avatar image for lorex
lorex

1000

Forum Posts

5

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 17

User Lists: 0

Edited By lorex

Another piece of X-Men history used to support an Avengers storyline, what a surprise. For those of you that do not know what I am talking about look up Arcade in this site. Marvels not being very creatrive here ripping off Battle Royaale and trying to cash in on the theme of teens fighting each other. Didn't the Teen Titans do this a few months ago?

Avatar image for powerherc
PowerHerc

86191

Forum Posts

211478

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 11

Edited By PowerHerc

Mettle.

Avatar image for kingoftheworld
kingoftheworld

349

Forum Posts

148

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 7

User Lists: 1

Edited By kingoftheworld

Love the battle royale cover. But marvel has lost their damn minds.

Avatar image for britishmonkey
BritishMonkey

359

Forum Posts

574

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 3

User Lists: 3

Edited By BritishMonkey

Apart from Battle Royale I think Megatron in the pits of Kaon. First thing that came to mind...

Avatar image for the_soverighn
The_Soverighn

2116

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 6

Edited By The_Soverighn

wheres finesse

Avatar image for monochrome0088
monochrome0088

26

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By monochrome0088

Seems like a way to cash in on the popularity of the Hunger Games.

But should Marvel really end the year 2012 with the death of young heroes

Avatar image for teerack
Teerack

10703

Forum Posts

1614

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 64

Edited By Teerack

This is stupid. And Battle Royal wasn't even that good of a movie 5 out of 10 tops.

Avatar image for chaos_burn
Chaos Burn

1898

Forum Posts

919

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 3

User Lists: 3

Edited By Chaos Burn

Un-impressed that G-Man missed the massive Battle Royale reference but compared it to Hunger Games.... never mind eh

Avatar image for carnivalofsins00
carnivalofsins00

1224

Forum Posts

53

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 155

User Lists: 8

Edited By carnivalofsins00

NNNNNNNOPE!

Avatar image for titantempest
TitanTempest

351

Forum Posts

1358

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 3

Edited By TitanTempest

@Ravager4: Im already not a big fan of Marvel.... So IF they do, Im right there with you, I will not read Marvel agian. Runaways is one of those titles that is a part of the Marvel universe but has its own style too, they better respect it :P

Avatar image for bluelantern1995
BlueLantern1995

3237

Forum Posts

7086

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 2

User Lists: 26

Edited By BlueLantern1995

@haydenclaireheroes said:

I might get this comic, but I am leaning more on not getting it

Avatar image for lorrie
Lorrie

27

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By Lorrie

Teen snuff comics. Marvel is scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Avatar image for johnnygat
JohnnyGat

1592

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By JohnnyGat

First thing I saw was Battle Royale, I miss watching that film back in high school.

Avatar image for shrimpdino
ShrimpDino

886

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 8

User Lists: 18

Edited By ShrimpDino

Nice to see Darkhawk in a comic again i hope he and the Nico,Chase,Avengers Academy characters don't die

Avatar image for amp___seeker_of_lost_knowledge
AMP - Seeker of Lost Knowledge

1363

Forum Posts

48694

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 45

User Lists: 14

Can't wait for this one...along with a trade paperback of DC's THE CULLING: THE RISE OF RAVAGERS.

Also guys, BATTLE ROYALE is also a MANGA:

No Caption Provided