Ignoring that fact that the new six-issue mini spinning out of the twelve-issue mini Avengers vs. X-Men is called AvX:Versus, making the full title of the comic Avengers Versus X-Men Versus (It’s just like “DC Comics” actually being “Detective Comics Comics” if you think about it too much), I have to admit kind of loving the idea behind the series, which seems to be “Avengers vs. X-Men might not have enough fights in it, so here’re six more issues of fights so that no-one feels like they’ve missed out.”It simultaneously makes me wonder what is going to be in the twelve issues of Avengers vs. X-Men if there isn’t going to be enough space for fighting, and reminds me of the awesome structure of Steve Englehart’s Avengers/Defenders War, which took great pains to show each member of each team squaring off against their counterpart so that everyone got to see their favorite in action (I can but hope that each chapter starts with the logo for the starring characters).
For years, comics have seemed to be moving away from what used to be called “slugfests,” in favor of more complex stories and a somewhat nervous attempt at literate legitimacy, so Versus seems both a surprise and a welcome blast from the past. Is it too much to hope that Englehart himself will be rescued from relative comics obscurity for a chapter within this anthology series…? Probably. I’m still somewhat on the fence on the main series – I mean, it’s really Civil War 2: This Time It’s Schism, isn’t it? – but this seemingly gratuitous, punch-happy spin-off? Potential guilty pleasure of the year.
January 6th, 2012 at 4:38 pm
So, if I understand this correctly, if you buy a comic called Avengers versus X-Men, you don’t actually get to see the Avengers fight the X-Men unless you buy a second comic called Avengers Versus the X-Men: Versus. But that second comic won’t actually have the fights in it– that’ll be more about the trash talk preceding and following the fights. For the fights, you have to buy a third comic called Avengers versus X-Men: Versus: Confrontation. Which won’t actually have the Avengers fighting the X-Men in it– no, the fights are in a fourth comic called Avengers versus X-Men: Versus: Confrontation: Tempestuous Relationship… which is really more of a prelude/sketchbook for the fights which are contained in the fifth comic called Avengers versus X-men: Versus: Confrontation: Tempestuous Relationship: Ornery Fist-talk, which contain all of the fights except for the panels involving punching, which is contained in a sixth comic called Cherry Poptart: The Panels Involving Punching: Dance.
$900 well spent.
January 6th, 2012 at 4:59 pm
This worked so well when it was called Countdown: Arena after all.
January 6th, 2012 at 9:40 pm
Sounds awesome to me.
January 7th, 2012 at 4:10 am
“Civil War 2: This Time It’s Schism”
Lol! Don’t be giving them ideas.
January 7th, 2012 at 8:12 am
Don’t forget the inevitable; Avengers versus X-men versus: Frontline, as well as solo Avengers versus X-men versus spin-offs for whatever character they think can support the added weight on store shelves. All double and triple shipping for the month. Marvel Zombies increasing need to be part of the top 1% financially just to be completists these days. They need to be among the bottom 1% mentally to bother.
January 7th, 2012 at 3:13 pm
This made me realize that comics are now just a nostalgia act, like Paul McCartney or the Rolling Stones. Sure, the fans will tolerate some new, yet highly derivative stuff, so long as they continue to crank out “Band on the Run” and “Satisfaction”. As the Stones say, you can’t always get what you want, but if you try some time, you get what you need.
We may want this. But is this something we really need?
January 11th, 2012 at 10:45 am
They’re out of ideas. Recycle some old ones. The usual hardcore lemmings will bite. Its like Star Wars fans. They never go away