Still Burning
Recommended!
This issue was better than the prologue. Still not perfect, but getting there. My hope for this 12 issue event is rising. At this point, I have decided to declare my allegiance with the Avengers. I know it may seem like I am jumping on the "hate Cyclops" bandwagon, but I just feel a greater affinity for the Avengers - and it is not because I am a big Steve Rogers fan. In fact, I am not a big fan of either side's leader. It is the more "family" and "team oriented" feel to the Avengers that encourages my alignment. It is the same feeling I get when reading Fantastic Four or FF.
Enough about picking sides, even though it has been made clear that Marvel's social media arm is pushing hard on this "us vs. them" theme for this event - I guess it makes for lively forum debates and twitter traffic, so at least there is that. Anyway, back to the story... The Phoenix Force is tearing through space, burning anything that happens to be in its path. Even simple alien farm folk. In fact, it was the imagery on the first couple pages that stuck with me more than all the petty squabbling between and among the two superhero teams throughout the issue... it still haunts me, several days after reading the book - And it is not because these simple alien farm folk are creepy to look at, it is because the Phoenix Force, in its raw form, is decimating everything in its path to get to Earth. Where apparently it needs a physical host to cause destruction and really mess up family relationships and friendly alliances.
All this destruction - planets destroyed, a comatose Nova, and a worried US President - just so two forces for good can battle it out for twelve issues, round after round. It feels a bit forced, but I am going to go with it. I am going to see where it takes me. The fact that part of the issue still haunts me is reason enough for me to continue reading.
The Avengers part of the story was pretty great. We get to see them do what they do best, work together to save some people. The panels where Tony and Cap brief the US President has been previewed numerous times, so there was nothing new there, and though the newest installment of "Teen Angst in Utopia" hasn't been previewed for weeks, it is the same old story, again and again. They are really making Cyclops out to be the fall guy for this event. Finally, even though the initial confrontation between Cyclops and Cap has been previewed to death, the question still remains - Who started the fire? Cyclops' optic blast? Cap's strong arming? The giant firey bird shape tearing its way through space? Or that creepy hay face kid on some planet far far away?
It is up to us to decide, pick a side, and hold on for the next eleven issues and umpteen tie-ins. Or I guess we can bail and go read something else... that is, if you can find something else that isn't obscured with a giant AvsX on the title. I choose to stick with it.
Go Avengers.
I have a bunch of variant covers, I am supporting the cause. If for no other reason that to pay homage to that poor little hay face kid still burning on some far away planet. Sorry little hay kid, Hope's got surrogate grand-daddy issues, better luck next time.
