This makes, what, three event comics in 2014 alone from Marvel? Jeez, they really like these crossover events. But this one was supposed to be the biggie. Several books have already been announced to spin out of it, and it's supposed to change the face of the Marvel Universe as we know it. And if you're a Spider-Man fan, then it's double the fun because you also get Spider-Verse.
So much is going on that the main question remains: is it worth reading? Well lucky for you...I'm reading it, so I'll review it and let you know how the first issue went. Before getting started, I'll go ahead and say it's pretty cool and has a decently interesting concept: Red Skull is a psychic giant that's able to turn heroes against each other. In a way, it's similar to Original Sin, and we'll see an example of that in a moment.
There is a problem here, though, as far as continuity and trying to grab new readers in with this event. First of all: this has apparently been building up since Rick Remender's start on Uncanny Avengers (Remender being the writer of this mini-series as well). So, there are years worth of information that has been building to this point. The X-Men have all but broken up and the Avengers aren't in the coziest of places either given the events of Original Sin. And certain characters are changed, or missing.
Steve Rogers is a frail old man and Sam Wilson is the new Captain America as of a few weeks before the start of the miniseries. It's never explained how or why it's like this, just assumed you'll go with it. Also, Thor no longer has possession of Mjolnir and instead using an axe (whose name I do not recall).
There is some exposition in the first two pages that give us some insight, but it really feels like the bare minimum. Basically, during the events of Avengers versus X-Men, Cyclops was forced to kill Professor X because he was overcome with Phoenix energy. Captain America reforms the Avengers to include some X-Men like Rogue and Havoc to combat the Red Skull who has attained Xavier's brain and psychic abilities. However, Red Skull continued his pursuit to force humans and mutants into war, brainwashing several mutants. Magneto sought to put an end to this and tried to kill the Red Skull, but the overwhelming assault only gave birth to a new creature: Red Onslaught.
The more you know!
Anyway, to open the comic:
At first, the borders are pretty cool. The way they're aligned on the page flows well. In a weird way, it made me feel like the event was important...because it had borders. In the opening page we also get our first look of what the team is like nowadays. Falcon still has his suit but has only gained the red, white and blue of Cap as well as his shield. Thor can't fly, and Hulk is still just as smart as Bruce Banner, as he was in Original Sin and in the Iron Man versus Hulk Original Sin miniseries.
The team is sent to Los Angeles to battle Plantman, a huge plant monster who is ravaging the city with evil...uh, weeds. Falcon and Iron Man try to take control of the situation but it becomes increasingly obvious that since the loss of Steve Rogers there is little leadership, as Thor question Sam Wilson Captain America on his order, even attacking him on the next page.
On the ensuing page, we see that the heroes have all turned against each other as small red dialogue blurbs seem to be whispering in each hero's ear. The dialogue comes out of nowhere but at least it's obvious that something is digging into the mind of all the hero's, including the android Vision. Iron Man seems to be unaffected, as he manages to take down Plantman...but another genius is affected.
As cool as this is to see Hulk and Iron Man fighting again, there was an entire four-part miniseries about this over the summer and how Bruce Banner got over the fact that Tony basically turned Bruce into the Hulk. That's what the whole point of the series was. So, to see Hulk fighting Iron Man over this, again, seems quite pointless.
Thankfully, Iron Man is able to reach into his utility, uh, technology, and reverse the telepathic effects as the team regroups to say sorry to one another. Seems a bit late for that...
Anyway, back at Avengers Mansion, Captain America realizes that Red Skull is the one behind it all, since these telepathic disruptions are appearing almost everywhere, causing several hate riots like the one that broke out within the team.
We cut away Havoc, who has a nightmare about his wife and daughter and wakes up in one of Red Skull's mutant reeducation camps. Knowing that the Red Skull has changed him and feeling he has failed both the Avengers and X-Men, he decides the only thing left to do is kill the man who put him there, Red Skull, and the man who led to it all, Magneto.
Turn the page and...
Holy guacamole!
Magneto's powers are pink?
Nah, I'm just kidding. Here we get to the giant that is Red Onslaught fighting against Magneto, Rogue, and Scarlet Witch. Basically, all this page serves to do is prove to us that Red Skull is a psycho Nazi who also happens to be a giant monster. So that's a thing. But hasn't always been?
Oh, right, forgot to talk about the cover for a second there. It's pretty cool, nothing major about it. It tells us that this is "Book One: The Red Supremacy" and just shows off Iron Man, a few Avengers, and some X-Men on the top half while Red Onslaught is alone, and just as big, as the Avengers are, to symbolize the giant threat he is. Also, AXIS is written in such a way that if you flip the book over, it looks the same. Which is neat.
Back to the story, and there is a tad bit of confusing dialogue and inner monologue as Scarlet Witch tries to take on Red Onslaught. In the end, though, it would seem that he has won over Scarlet Witch and has her possessed. Meanwhile, Magneto gets attacked by Havoc, and he bursts into a room where he sees Quentin Quire, Cyclops, and Genesis (or, nice baby Apocalypse...again, backstory that I don't know either).
Cyclops starts to snap at Magneto, asking for the Red Skull when Havoc sees this as a perfect opportunity to also take down Cyclops who murdered Xavier. Genesis tries to make Havoc back off but is impaled by a spear thrown by Ahab.
Back at Avengers Tower, Steve Rogers points out all the rioting going on and Wasp begins to question her being a super-hero when it has brought her and the world so much pain.
Scarlet Witch begins attacking Rogue who escapes and has had enough, deciding to dive into Red Onslaught and use her mutant psyche-absorbing abilities to peep into Red Skull. When inside, she actually finds a small shrivel of Xavier left within him, who tells Rogue it is all up to her now, that she alone has the power to defeat him. She manages to snap Scarlet Witch out of it, too, taking her down while Ahab continues his assault on Havoc and Cyclops.
Rogue manages to get Scarlet Witch back on her feet to fight against Red Onslaught just as the Avengers manage to show up and help their teammates, beginning to overwhelm the lone Red Onslaught with their super awesome powers. Heck yeah.
Just as Ahab is ready to finish off Havoc, though, Storm, Nightcrawler, and Colossus show up and bring down the beating, with Alex questioning if the X-Men are finally ready to come back together. To answer that question, we get the super awesome shot of members of both the Avengers and X-Men charging in to take down the Red Skull, with tons of fun banter and character thrown in the mix.
Before the teams can get the upperhand, though, Red Onslaught reveals he managed to steal some of Tony Stark's files on all his teammates and X-Men, revealing all of their weaknesses and vulnerabilities that Red Onslaught has now learned about.
Look's like Tony's Batman Plan backfired. Whoops. In this way, AXIS is looking like Justice League: Doom a little.
It's very strange that Tony shouldn't remember this because he was, obviously, caught in the Truth Bomb of Original Sin, which revealed to all heroes the things of their past they may never have realized or remembered. Why this HUGE thing was skipped over I have no idea. But, the point is, Red Onslaught has taken that, stolen it, and weaponized two gigantic Sentinels to kill the Avengers and X-Men, and they were apparently designed by Stark for this purpose.
Well, the stakes are certainly a lot higher than in the previous event comic, that's for sure. It's pretty sweet to see the teams coming together like this in such great peril, with all the fun banter that is thrown in. Still, though, the story itself is nothing groundbreaking. If it is just that Red Onslaught is a psychic beast using weapons created by Tony as a way to neutralize a threat then it's nothing we've never seen before and the outcome will be predictable. Plus it seems, so far, that the whole telepathy thing is done with considering how the Avengers are immune and the mutants too smart.
Still, though, that doesn't mean the rest of the Marvel Universe will be unaffected. This series is supposed to reintroduce villains in fun new ways, such as Sabretooth, Carnage, Hob Goblin, Doctor Doom, and I believe Apocalypse is supposed to show up. Given that Genesis just died, we shall see whether not his role extends to just fighting for/ against Red Onslaught or not.
There is certainly an intrigue to the way the way the story will play out, but I don't think it's quite the $4.99 pricetag it has. It's a big issue, of course since it's the first, and has a lot of information thrown at you all of a sudden. It's worth reading if you've been waiting for this event in the comics leading to it, but if you're a fan who has barely any idea what's going on (hey, I'm one of you), then I'm not too sure. But if you just want to see the Avengers and X-Men fight together rather than against each other, then it seems this is the comic for you. I just wish it were cheaper.
If you would like to stay up to date on when postings are coming out, or just some random stuff, follow me on Twitter @seanovan10 and Instagram @seanovan13. Thanks for reading!
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