Guardians of the Galaxy #6 Review

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Artists: Sara Pichelli & Olivier Coipel

I've fallen behind on my Guardians of the Galaxy reviews as of late, but I've finally gotten round to catching up on them. The series as a whole has been amazing as although it's not always been brilliant, having had the odd poor issue, it has always been fun and enjoyable to read.

Plot

As Star-Lord (Peter Quill) talks with Thanos the Guardians of the Galaxy continue their fight with Angela.

Review

This was an amazing issue and a brilliant continuation from the last issue. Brian Michael Bendis did a tremendous job of making this issue relatively new reader friendly whilst also continuing from the explosive events of the last issue. Bendis would also add a lot of excitement to this issue itself, as every sequence would be exciting to a certain extent, with the main fight being the most explosive of these. Besides that the issue would flow very smoothly also keeping the fun tone that I've enjoyed so much, with the dialogue once again being simply wonderful, with Iron Man (Tony Stark) and Rocker Raccoon adding a lot of humour.

The artwork in this issue would also be fantastic, with both Sara Pichelli and Olivier Coipel both doing an amazing job. The detail in this issue was simply outstanding, being very consistent throughout. What I loved most about the artwork however was the smooth transition between the two artists, as although I could easily tell the difference between both artists, the styles worked well next to each other, and although I prefer Coipel's art in general, it was nice that Pichelli's managed to stand out as the star of this issue. On top of that the layouts from both artists would also be spectacular adding a lot of tone and depth to the issue, with the two main encounters being very intense and exciting.

This issue would start with the Watcher being surprised about Angela's presence in the Marvel Universe. Now although the Watcher is sometimes used unnecessarily, it is always interesting to see him make an appearance, as it usually means that something interesting will happen. I especially enjoyed his appearance in this issue, and loved the reaction that he had to Angela, as it's not often that you see the Watcher shocked. I also felt that his presence in this issue helped to make it more new reader friendly for anyone that missed the previous issue.

This issue would also feature the continuation of Gamora's battle with Angela, with the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy getting involved as well. Now this was easily the best part of the issue, as although the start of the fight in the last issue was exciting, it would be even more so now that the other members of the Guardians of the Galaxy were involved. The sequence would also be made even more entertaining with the amazing dialogue, with Rocket Raccoon once again adding a lot of humour to the series, with Tony and Groot adding some humour themselves.

Besides the fight I was mostly looking forward to seeing the encounter between Peter and Thanos that was teased at the very end of the last issue. Now although this sequence was overshadowed slightly by the amazing fight that I just talked about, it would still be very exciting, having a very intense tone throughout. Bendis would also do a brilliant job with Thanos himself, as although he has been the focused heavily in the Infinity event, Bendis would do a good job of utilising him in this story as well, with the interaction flowing very smoothly, as well as being very interesting.

Final Verdict

This was a fantastic issue and a brilliant continuation from the explosive events of the last issue. It would also have a lot of excitement in it's own right, with some intense sequences and amazing encounters. The dialogue would also be outstanding adding a lot of drama and humour to the issue, keeping the fun tone that I love most about this series perfectly. Due to all this I'd highly recommend this issue as it was truly amazing.

Rating: 9/10

X-Men #3 Review

Writer: Brian Wood
Artist: Olivier Coipel

In the short time this series has been out it has done nothing but amaze me, as although I thought it'd be good, it's been outstanding. It is also becoming one of my favourite series, and although I wasn't planing on getting it after Battle of the Atom if it stays this way I'll definitely be keeping it.

Plot

As Storm, Rachel Grey, Psylocke, Sublime, Jubilee, and Shogo head for Budapest in search for Arkea, Kitty Pryde, and the students of the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning have their own problems.

Review

This was a great issue, but at the same time it was a a slightly disappointing way to end the first story arc, and although I wanted to love it, I could only manage to like it a lot. Brian Wood did however do a good job with this issue, as it had action, and mystery, but at the same time it was a little rushed, with too much happening in the one issue, and this story should have been at least one issue longer. I also felt that Wood's didn't need the team to realise that they're a new team, as it would have felt more natural if they were an all girl team by just coincidence. Wood's did however also hint that this story may continue by leaving unanswered questions, and I hope they're continued on at a later date.

Olivier Coipel once again produced outstanding art, and it's a shame he couldn't stay on this series any longer than three issues. One of the best things about Coipel's artwork is how he draws people, and more so their expressions, as he adds so much depth to characters, with it being so easy to notice what their feeling, and he showed this perfectly on baby Shogo, as it's not always easy to show what a baby is feeling without having them crying, or laughing. Coipel did however also do a good job of both the action, and layouts, as both were very dynamic, and suspenseful, whilst also adding depth, and tone to the issue, with the action also adding excitement.

This issue would see the new all female X-Men team (and Sublime) split into two groups, with Storm, Rachel, Psylocke,Sublime, Jubilee, and baby Shogo heading to Budapest, where they believe Arkera is. This part of the story was a bit slow at times, but when it livened up it did so in a big way, becoming very exciting, and dramatic. There were however also some very interesting conversations during this part of the story, and I keep becoming even more interested in Shogo with each issue, even though he doesn't do anything. There was also some decent action during this part of the issue, and although it wasn't too special, it was very exciting, and Coipel made it look as phenomenal as possible.

Whilst most of this new team went to Budapest, Kitty stayed at the school to look after the students, making sure that Arkera wasn't still around. It would however appear that she was still there, as at one point they were ambushed by a bunch off Arkera's. Besides this we also got to see the students stand out a bit, with Bling! getting put into the spotlight, resulting in some fun dialogue. I also loved how there was plenty of suspense, as and excitement at the same time, which made this my favourite part of this issue, feeling very fun, and unique.

The end of this story would also leave a lot of questions, keeping the mysteriousness nature of this story alive. The most mysterious part of this issue however was once again Arkera, as although we saw a lot of her during this issue, most of it was very questionable. The main question I had was if she was still at the school, Budapest, or both? I ask this as she appeared to be everywhere, and although she could easily have been, it was questionable whether she was. This however isn't a bad thing, as it gives more depth to the story, also adding to the excitement, and suspense, and the only real thing I wish could have been changed about this story would be to give it an extra issue.

Final Verdict

This was a great issue, and although so far it's technically the worst in the series, that just shows how good the series has been. It had some interesting, and exciting sequences, as well as some amazing dialogue, all of which gave tons of drama to the issue. It also had plenty of mystery, and suspense, as well as fun, and overall there wasn't a great deal wrong with this issue. The only real problem was that it was a bit rushed, as the story should really have had at least one more issue. Besides all this I'd easily recommend this issue, and the previous two, as the series has been truly amazing.

Rating: 4/5

New Avengers: Civil War Review

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artists: Howard Chaykin, Leinil Francis Yu, Olivier Coipel, Pasqual Ferry & Jim Cheung

I read the crossover story Civil War, and planned on reading, and reviewing the tie-in novels that I had, and although I read them I never got round to reviewing them. I am however hoping to do that now, and am starting with the New Avengers tie-in volume, with this being my sixth review on Brian Michael Bendis' Avengers run, and my fifth from The New Avengers series.

Plot

When an accident starts a superhero Civil War, Captain America, and Iron Man are now enemies, and the rest of the New Avengers have to decide whose side they're on.

Review

This was a very good book, and although in general I'm not a huge fan of event tie-in's, due to their quality usually being much poorer than usual, this was actually really good, and one of the best tie-in books I've ever read (though to be fair it helps when you have a brilliant event in the first place). Brian Michael Bendis did a great job of showing the effect that the superhero Civil War was having on certain character's, and although some of these one-shot stories were better than others, they were all brilliant. This style usually doesn't work in my opinion, as although they give unique stories, they're usually all over the place, but luckily that didn't harm this book too much. The stories also had plenty of action, and emotion, showing that although each character had a certain view on the war, that they all didn't want to fight each other, which was nicely shown by Bendis.

With this story featuring five one-shot stories, the book would feature five artists, with Howard Chaykin, Leinil Francis Yu, Olivier Coipel, Pasqual Ferry, and Jim Cheung working on one issue each. I usually hate multiple artists on the same book, but with this being a collection of one-shot stories, as well as the fact that they're all great artists allows me to make an exception. The only artist who's work I wasn't a fan of was Chaykin, as although it wasn't terrible, I didn't like the way he drew Cap, feeling that his art was a little too rough. The artists that stood out however were Yu, Coipel, and Cheung, which were expertly detailed, with brilliant emotion being shown. They're individual layouts also added drama, and dynamic to their respective issues, and they all did a phenomenal job. Now I've not forgot Ferry, as although I'm not his biggest fan (with some of his previous work being terrible), I enjoyed his art on the issue he worked on, but felt that it couldn't compete with Yu, Coipel, or Cheung.

With this book having five individual storied I'll talk a little on how I felt about each one, starting with the first one which saw Captain America have to escape from a group of Capekillers. This was one of the weaker stories in this book, as although it was good, it wasn't brilliant. What I did like about this story however was how Falcon was involved, and how Captain America was wishing that he was still frozen in the ice, and that he didn't like the position that he was in. His, and Falcon's confrontation with Hank Pym was also interesting, and very entertaining, and overall this was a decent story.

The second story would see Iron Man pleading with Luke Cage to sign the Super-Human Registration Act, with Cage not wanting to be forced to become as he put it a slave. This wasn't the best issue in this book, but it was one of them, having some very interesting subjects, showing the morales that certain character's hold. The issue also had some explosive action, with Cap, Falcon, and Daredevil, also making an appearance. I also enjoyed the emotional tone to the story, with both Cage, and Jessica Jones wanting to look after their baby.

The third story would see Spider-Woman outed by Iron Man as a triple agent, and would also involve HYDRA. This was also amongst one of the better stories in this book, probably holding second spot with the last story that featured Cage. Besides the amazing art it showed how Spider-Woman is as a character, showing that she's just trying to do what she feels is the correct thing, whilst at the same time trying to stay alive. I also found it interesting how quickly Iron Man would betray Spider-Woman, as although he's not always a trustworthy person, especially due to the events of Civil War, I wouldn't have expected this. The story also had plenty of action as well, being very interesting, and exciting.

The fourth story would feature Sentry, and show him trying to avoid the Civil War, by meditating in space, being confront by the Inhumans. Like the Cap story, this was one of the weaker stories in this book, as although it was interesting, it was a little too slow in my opinion. At the same time, I once again liked seeing the conflict, and Sentry's probably the best character to show this in, as he's a confused, and misunderstood character, wanting peace. I also enjoyed his interactions with the Inhuman's, which was also interesting, though still didn't take away from the slow pace.

The final story in this book would see a former Stark Industries employee, named Kenny infiltrate Avengers Tower, taking down the security, as well as de-powering Iron Man's Armour. Now in my opinion this was the best story in this book, as although there wasn't a great deal of action, it had plenty of excitement, as well as suspense, and drama. What I really liked about the story however was that it showed how the Civil War effected normal people, with Kenny being upset about his designs being used to go against Captain America. I also felt that this story also had lot's of emotion, as well as some conflictive motives, also feeling that it was a unique, and brilliant way of ending the New Avengers tie-in's to Civil War.

Final Verdict

This was an amazing book, with a collection of some of the best event tie-in's that I've ever read. Now the book itself wasn't perfect, as with the stories being different, and varied, it left room for inconsistency, as although all the stories were good to a certain level, not all of them were phenomenal. The phenomenal ones were however outstanding, and the action, emotion, and drama combined between them was awesome. I'd highly recommend this book, but would obviously also recommend getting the main Civil War story either first, or to go with it.

Rating: 4/5

The next Avengers book I'll be reviewing will be New Avengers: Revolution.

X-Men #2 Review

Writer: Brian Wood
Artist:  Olivier Coipel

When I first heard about this series I wasn't sure if I was going to get it or not. I did however decide to get it after hearing about the upcoming Battle of the Atom crossover, and am glad I did as the first issue was amazing.

Plot

Arkea has arrived, and the X-Men, along with Sublime have to find a way of stopping her.

Review

This was yet another fantastic issue, and although I'm not sure whether this was better than the first issue, it was at least as good as it. Brian Wood certainly seems to know what he's doing with this series, as he's handling these lovely ladies perfectly. I was however sceptical about Wood's writing this series, as what I've read of his Ultimate Comics X-Men run hasn't been great, and I was afraid that this level of mediocrity would follow with it. This however isn't the case, and we're getting a very interesting story, with a interesting villain. I was also sceptical about the fact that this series features an all female cast, worried that it wouldn't work very well. Wood has however did an amazing job, as he's managed to focus perfectly on these female character's, whilst adding a few male side character's to make it realistic, which is simply brilliant. Wood has also did a splendid job of keeping the series exciting, by adding tremendous action sequences, that have brilliant dialogue, and emotion. Besides the action sequences, Wood's also put plenty of emotion into the rest of the issue, having the character's in a situation where they have to feel something, whether it's worry, reluctance, or confusion.

The art from Olivier Coipel was once again amazing, as it usually is, and the only thing that upsets me is that after this issue he'll only be doing one more. The detail in his art is simply astonishing, as there are very few imperfections that don't take away from the overall art. Just flicking through and looking at the art without reading the issue brings joy to me, reminding me why I loved his art so much on the likes of Thor, and Siege, and reading the issue only make it better. The way Coipel lays his art out is also amazing, as it really gives more depth, and drama to the issue, making it feel more alive. The facial expressions, and emotions have also been handled perfectly, as you can tell exactly what the character's are feeling, making the issue that much more dynamic. The best part of Coipel's art in this issue however has to be his fabulous action sequences. Now there are probably artists that I can think of that do better action sequences that Coipel, but not many, as Coipel is one of the best, giving ton's of excitement, and suspense, making you feel like you're watching a film. The colours from Laura Martin, Matt Milla, and Christina Strain also really help to make Coipel's art that little bit better, making adding vibrancy, and tone to the already splendid artwork.

Although she appeared in last issue, this was the first proper appearance of the new villain, Arkea, the sister of Sublime. Now although this is a villain with little to no emotion, I find here very interesting, and the perfect villain for this series, as with an all female line-up it's only appropriate that it's a female villain. The fact she has little emotion is actually the most interesting part about her, and it has me dying to learn more, as although she gives the odd hint of emotion, you can never really tell exactly what she's thinking, or feeling, although I'm sure it won't be pleasant. The fact that she's currently possessing Karima is also another interesting point, and due to this I question how the X-Men will go about stopping her, without damaging their friends body too much.

Now Arkea didn't have it easy in this issue, as although she was in their friends body, that wouldn't stop them from attacking her, resulting in an astonishing fight, which was really entertaining, and exciting. The person who I loved seeing the most in this fight was Rogue, as although I may prefer Kitty Pryde as a character, Rogue really shone through in this fight, really taking it to Arkea. It did however also get more interesting when Kitty got involved, but I personally preferred the section where Rogue was fighting alone, as the dialogue was much better, and the fight had a smoother flow, though it was still brilliant when Kitty joined in. The way Arkea reacted to these attempts to stop her was also very interesting, and dramatic, and actually kind of amusing, as she really seemed to have no regard for any of the X-Men, seeing them as easy targets that are blocking her path.

Sublime is still around in this issue, and offers help in stopping his sister. As I said in my previous review, I don't know a great lot about Sublime, but after his actions in the last issue, as well as his connection to the villain, it's nice that he's involved in the storyline, and to be honest it would have been a bit harder to tell without him. Now most of the issue focused on Arkea, so Sublime's appearance wasn't that big, but it was still interesting, and added a bit of suspense, and mystery to the story, as he seems to be more frightened of Arkea than the X-Men are, seeing her as a bigger threat than they do. It's also questionable what side Sublime is on, as although it appears that he, and his sister hate each other, with Sublime genuinely wanting to help the X-Men, even if for his own benefit, I wouldn't be surprised if he turned on them.

There was one thing about this story that upset me, and although it doesn't affect the overall story, it was still disappointing. What I'm talking about is the lack of Jubilee. With here returning last issue, with a baby boy who's now called Shogo I was looking forward to seeing more of her, as although she's not one of my favourite character's, I've always liked her, and was glad to see her back. This absence didn't however take anything away from the issue, which was amazing, but it would have been even better if Jubilee could have been in it more (as long as it didn't affect the story), and I hope she appears more in the next issue.

Final Verdict

This was another brilliant issue, and on par with the outstanding opener. It had amazing, and exciting action, with a mysterious, and interesting new villain who's sure to have more to say before this story's through. The drama, and suspense caused by this villain was also brilliant, and although I was disappointed that Jubilee didn't have too big an appearance, it didn't take away from the story. Due to all this I'd highly recommend this issue, and the previous, and if this series continues like this it will quickly become one of my favourite's, which I would never have thought of prior to it's release.

Rating: 5/5

X-Men #1 Review

Writer: Brian Wood
Artist: Olivier Coipel

Although the previews for this series looked amazing I wasn't originally planing on getting this series, as I'm getting enough X-Men series' as it is. I did however change my mind when I heard about the upcoming Battle of the Atom crossover, which will include this series, wanting to get to know the direction of the series prior to the crossover.

Plot

As Jubilee flees with a child, she calls the X-Men for help, saying that she's being followed. There however seems to be more to this child than meets the eye, especially when the sentient virus, Sublime shows up.

Review

This was an amazing issue, and although I was expecting it to be amazing, I wasn't expecting it to be as amazing as it was. The main thing that had me sceptical over whether this would be a good series or not was the writer, Brian Wood, as I wasn't fond of what I read from his Ultimate Comics X-Men run, and with that being the only work of his that I've read, along with the X-Men connection, I was dreading that this series would follow suit, and be poor. This wasn't the case thankfully, and although the story itself wasn't quite perfect, it wasn't far of, and it's one of the best opening issues I've read so far in Marvel NOW! The way Wood's has brought all these classic female X-Men together, in a fun, mysterious way was brilliant, and the interaction between all these character's was just perfect. I also loved how he's given a unique starting point for this series, showing that everything isn't quite what it seems, without giving too much away, leaving me gripped as to finding out what will happen next. I also loved how Wood added a little bit of action, and suspense to this issue, as although he's held back slightly, he's still kept this issue exciting, and interesting, and I can't wait to see what he has in store for these lovely ladies next.

Now I said that the story itself wasn't quite perfect, but what makes up for that is the artwork, which was simply outstanding. I've always loved Olivier Coipel's art, especially on the likes of Thor, Siege, House of M, and The Mighty Thor, but his art on this issue may have even been better. Everything about Coipel's art was amazing, and although there were the very odd imperfections, you need to really look to find them, and they in no way take away from the rest of his fantastic artwork. The two things I probably love most about Coipel's art in this issue is the way he draws the female X-Men, and the way he handles the facial expressions. I've always loved the way Coipel draws female character's, but he's really outdone himself this time, as he's made all these lovely ladies look amazing, especially Jubilee, and Kitty Pryde. The facial expressions were also on the mark, really suiting the fun feel of this issue, and showing exactly what the character's are thinking. The way Coipel laid out his artwork was also brilliant, adding more drama to the story, whilst also adding a dynamic edge, which really makes the issue that much more enjoyable to read. The small bit of action was also perfectly handled, and I look forward to seeing Coipel get a chance to work on some proper action sequences, although the small one in this issue was amazing.

This issue would see Jubilee ask the X-Men for help, officially returning to the team. Now I personally haven't seen Jubilee in an X-Men series since she turned into a vampire, and although I know she stuck around for a while after that I don't know exactly what happened to her, but I'm sure she left the team. Anyway all that aside it's nice to see her in a series that I'm following, as I really liked Jubilee when I was growing up as a kid, and loved her in the 90's X-Men Animated series. Anyway, Jubilee was brilliant in this issue, and brought the fun, and innocents that comes with her character. I also liked how due to being an orphan herself that she see's it her responsibility to look after this orphaned child that she's carrying about with her.

Talking of the orphan child, he was also a very interesting addition, and appeared to be more than meets the eyes. The child appears to have some powers of it's own, and although I won't go into any further detail on what the baby can, and can't do, as to avoid spoilers, it did add even more fun to the series, as well as a similar type of innocence that Jubilee brings, which was fitting. I also loved how all the other female X-Men reacted round this child, which also added a lighter tone to the issue, prior to the small bit of chaos. Without saying much more, in fear that I'll spoil something, I'll finish talking about the baby by saying that I look forward to seeing how Wood's develops it throughout the next couple of issues, and whether it will have a prolonged feature in this series.

This issue would also see the return of the ancient sentient virus known as Sublime. To be honest I don't know a great deal about Sublime, apart from the fact that he's appeared in X-Men comics before, so this was really me getting introduced to the character, and I feel that Wood's did a brilliant job of this, whilst also making it feel very natural, and realistic. I also loved how Wood's has apparently changed Sublime's goal, with the X-Men being shocked by his actions, which yet again added more drama to the story. I won't go into too much detail over Sublime's appearance, as it would give away spoilers, but it looks like this opening story will heavily feature him, and his past, and I look forward to seeing how Wood progresses this in the next issue.

As far as I'm aware this is the first X-Men title to have only female character's as it's main cast (although I may be wrong about this). Again this was something that had me slightly sceptical, as although it's a nice touch, making the series stand out from previous X-Men series, it also limits the possibilities in which directions the series can go. From this opening issue however it looks like Wood's has handled this perfectly, managing to have male character's as either side character's or background character's, whilst making the female X-Men shine through, which made it very natural. I also liked how you could see the connection all these character's had, but in a subtle way, showing that the girls will stick together, without that fact being shoved down the readers throats, which I liked. Again like everything about this issue, Wood's has made a great start in exploring this all female cast, and yet again I look forward to seeing how this series progresses, and hope that it gets even better.

Final Verdict

A brilliant opening issue to this all female X-Men series, and Wood, and Coipel have done a phenomenal job. It was a really fun issue, whilst also having a innocent feel to it, which was nice. There was also a brilliant, and chaotic action sequence, and a mysterious nature to the overall story. I would highly recommend this to anyone, and am really looking forward to the next issue.

Rating: 5/5

Uncanny Avengers #5 Review

Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: Olivier Coipel

Although the first story had a few bumps along the way, it was overall very interesting, and after another read through, it was much more enjoyable, as the scheduling damaged the series to a certain extent. Now with new members joining the Avengers Unity Squad it looks like the series will become bigger and better, and the perfect cross between the Avengers and X-Men.

Plot

The Apocalypse Twins are born, but before they get a chance to be the caretakers they were meant to be Kang takes them away. Also Wonder Man and Wasp join the Avengers Unity Squad to help with the P.R., and Wolverine travels to Japan to recruit Sunfire.

Review

This was a fantastic issue, and although it wasn't as exciting as the series has been so far, it's still a better issue, as it's much more interesting, and the introduction of new characters is brilliant. I've really been enjoying what Rick Remender's been doing with this series, and although the series was hindered by shipping schedule it shouldn't be any longer, and we should get stories that flow much smoother, without readers having to re-read previous issues to refresh their memories. As I said this wasn't the most exciting issue I've ever read, whether Avengers or otherwise, and that's what's lowered the overall score, but it's made up for that with the interesting additions, as well as the dramatic dialogue, making it still better than the issues preceding it. I also really enjoyed that Remender took a bit of time at the start to show us where the series was heading next, as although there was a reference to the Apocalypse Twins at the end of the last issue, this issue makes it much more clearer, without giving too much away, but I'll talk more on that later in my review. Remender has also continued to do a marvellous job with the narration, and although there isn't as much of it in this issue, as there's been in the previous, he's still used it to the best advantage, and it continues to add depth to the story.

This issue saw a different artist for the first time in the series, as Olivier Coipel stood in as guest artist. Coipel didn't half do a good job, and although I loved John Cassaday's art in the previous issues, I still prefer Coipel's overall, and his style suits this style much more, as he's better at drawing character's in general, whereas Cassaday's better with action sequences (although Coipel's still amazing at that as well). Anyway although I will miss Cassaday's art, the delay in the shipping schedule was hurting the series, and I'd rather an artist just as talented that can do it on schedule would continue from him, but I will still be able to enjoy Cassaday's amazing covers, as he's continuing to draw them. Although Coiple isn't my all time favourite artist, he's still amazing, and I've enjoyed his art, especially on Thor, Siege, House of M, and when he returned to drawing Thor in The Mighty Thor, as his art is truly wonderful, and when I heard that he'd be working on this issue I was truly ecstatic. The detail in Coipel's art is brilliant, as everything looks perfect, and although there is the odd imperfection, it doesn't take away from the rest of his amazing artwork. I did however find the way Coipel drew Rogue's hair to be a bit weird, as although it looked messy, like Rogue's hair's meant to be, it also looked slightly unrealistic. Besides that Coipel's art was nothing short of phenomenal, and I'd gladly see him return to the series again, whether for a one off issue, or a more permanent basis.

This issue started with the birth of the Apocalypse Twins, followed by Kang taking them away with him. This was a very short sequence, but still very interesting. With the next big story arc being revolved around the Apocalypse Twins, continuing from Remenders The Dark Angel Saga story arc that he wrote whilst working on Uncanny X-Force, it was appropriate to have a teaser sequence for it. I did however also like that it was short, as it didn't take too much away from this issue itself, which is dealing more with the addition of new members, and how this Unity Squad's going to look in the eyes of the public. It was however still very interesting, as having loved the Dark Angel Saga, and anything Remender's written that has an Apocalypse theme, as well as the fact that Kang will be a part of the series has me very excited, and intrigued.

As I said this issue featured the arrival of new members to the Avengers Unity Squad, and the ones I was most happy to see were Wasp, and Wonder Man. With these two being classic Avengers it was nice to see them back at the Avengers Mansion, let alone on an Avengers team. With the return of Wasp to the Marvel Universe in the Avengers End Times story, as well as Wonder Man's involvement in bringing her back really excited me, as I was upset when she supposedly died in Secret Invasion. I also really liked the two as members during the start of The Mighty Avengers series. Anyway, I loved how they were introduced to sort out the Avengers P.R., as it gives a perfect way of introducing them to a team, and what team needs better P.R. than this one. Although Wonder Man says that he's no longer fighting I'm sure this won't last, and I can't wait till they show themselves as the true Avengers they are.

There was also a sequence following this with a confrontation between Wasp, and Rogue, as Wasp didn't like her changing the classic Avengers portrait of the original team for a portrait of Professor X. This was a very dramatic sequence, as the clash in personalities was brilliant. What I liked most was how Havok handled this, and he did a brilliant job of defusing the situation. Last issue showed that he could be the team leader during battle, this showed that he had the ability to control his team inside the Mansion, also showing that he could easily think of compromises. Overall this issue showed the type of person Havok is, and I'm sure he will be a great leader for the Avengers Unity Squad, especially considering he doesn't mind overruling Captain America.

Wasp and Wonder Man weren't the only two new members in this issue, as Wolverine travelled to Japan to find Sunfire. Now although I know who Sunfire is I don't know as much about him as I do about other former, or current X-Men members. The sequence with Wolverine recruiting him however was very interesting, and it showed both the reluctance of Sunfire wanting to be part of a team as well as the type of character he is. It also revealed one of the few things I knew about Sunfire, and that was the fact that he was a former Horseman of Apocalypse. This makes the addition of him to the Avengers Unity Squad even more interesting, as with an Apocalypse themed story coming up this team will feature two former Horsemen (Wolverine was also a Horseman of Apocalypse in the past), it should make the connection very interesting.

The ending was also very interesting, and shocking, and although I won't give any details as to avoid spoilers, I will say that it has me very interested in seeing how this develops.

Final Verdict

This was a very interesting issue, and with new additions this series looks like it's going to become amazing. This issue however the best one at the time was still not perfect, as it lacked the amount of excitement that great stories have, but it was still very interesting, with dramatic moments. Coipel's guest artwork was also amazing, and it alone is reason enough to get this issue, but besides that the issue was brilliant anyway. I would highly recommend this issue, as although it was a quieter issue that isn't a bad thing, and the future of the series looks to be very promising.

Rating: 4/5