Avengers Vs X-Men (USA)

[Lucifer]

Com'è questo crossover? E' un evento di sole mazzate o c'è anche una bella trama dietro? Io sono ancora indeciso se seguirlo o meno.

[Mr. Seven]

Ci sono le mazzate e c'è pure la bella trama dietro, vai tranquillo. 

[Lucifer]

Ok seguirò il tuo consiglio allora.

[Azrael]

As an epilogue to the latest big crossover, "AvX Consequences" has a difficult role to fill. On one hand, it's got to be a logical outgrowth of the events of the story it's concluding. On the other, it can't tread on the toes of the other Marvel NOW! launches, many of which are themselves growing out of the same events. As such, the focus here is on the X-Men, the characters who were most dramatically affected by the story with the loss of their mentor, leader, protectorate and home.

Event epilogues occasionally fall into the trap of bouncing randomly from scene to scene in order to hit various pre-determined plot beats, and while "Consequences" isn't entirely immune to that, Gillen has taken a slightly more coherent approach. Despite occasional scenes with the likes of Iron Man and the Black Panther, the story is largely ordered around the remains of the Extinction Team -- the former cast of Gillen's "Uncanny X-Men" -- with Cyclops as the figurehead. The problem is that the structure isn't hugely visible, lying more in theme than content.

Gillen's understanding of the characters helps keep the book on the right path, though. Colossus' mental current state is the natural conclusion of his character's attitude, not just following the events of "Avengers Vs. X-Men", but since the days where Gillen and Fraction were co-writing "Uncanny X-Men." Cyclops' increasingly unconvincing position as a wannabe-martyr is revealed as little more than self-pity, and he takes the next logical step for his character -- a major one, at that. Even Namor, having apparently dismissed himself from the X-Men off-panel, gets a moment that gives proper context for his disappearance.

As the incoming artist, Mark Brooks is probably the best to illustrate the series thus far, but he's not used in any particularly inventive way. Although he executes the material well, it's below his usual standard, with rushed compositions and a lot of slightly-too-blank expressions. With the material relatively unchanged from issue-to-issue, there's a definite sense that the only technical justification for multiple artists is to get the issues out of the door quicker, and it's not giving any of them a chance to shine.

In some ways, that's fair enough. There's not enough material for the likes of a long, monthly epilogue of the kind "Fear Itself" received in both "Battle Scars" and "The Fearless," nor is it the sort of book that can't be written far enough in advance to have one artist weekly. But despite Gillen's efforts, it's still coming in as a bit of a box-ticking exercise, and the lack of a solid creative partnership from one issue to the next doesn't help that impression.

Still, as a de facto X-Men title between cancellations and launches, it's doing its job. And crucially, it's leaving characters in a more interesting place than where it found them, which means it's doing its job well. For a series with a thankless remit, it's better than I would have hoped.

3/5

CBR

[Azrael]

It's the final chapter in the battle between the Avengers and X-Men. The fate of Cyclops is decided and paves the way for the X-Men in the Marvel NOW! titles.
The Good
This is what it all came down to. The X-Men have gone through many changes since the public became aware that the Xavier school was really the headquarters for the team of mutants. Cyclops was always seen as the ultimate X-Man and perfect soldier in trying to make Professor X's dream a reality. When the fate of mutants was on the line, Cyclops decided it was up to him to fix things, no matter the cost.

All of the events of AVENGERS VS X-MEN lead Cyclops to this path. We may have been fooled with the fighting between the teams but it was really about what decisions Cyclops would make with the power of the Phoenix Force. Seeing the repercussions, he doesn't really regret anything. Professor X was just a casualty and he is now ready for the next step in his journey. With the other members of the Phoenix Five refusing to turn themselves in for their part in all the destruction the power of the Phoenix Force caused, we now have a new landscape for the X-Men and mutants.

All of this may have caused Captain America to realize he can do more for the sake of mutants by bridging the lines of communication between the teams, it has also created a new set of enemies for the heroes. The question remains how long this status quo will remain in place.

The Bad
It's hard not looking at this single issue without thinking about the seemingly long journey it took to get here. This issue does establish the motive and thinking of those choosing to oppose the authorities. Parts are a little hard to swallow. It could maybe be said that this has been building up for years but it still feels like a drastic change in character. The feeling of skepticism remains as we can assume eventually all will be better and everyone will someday be on the same side once again. It won't be easy as some bold decisions are made. But we've seen that comic characters can be forgiving when their former comrades fall onto a different path.

There were times the art felt off. Magneto wearing his helmet, Wolverine with his mask on, Hope's expression at times (plus the fact that almost every artist draws her looking a different age) took some getting used to. Seeing a different artist's interpretation is always interesting but becomes difficult when different artists are used in one story (or miniseries).

The Verdict
We are now ready to face the next phase in the lives of the Avengers and the X-Men. It feels like the entire battle, miniseries and tie ins were all meant to get us to this point. The Avengers and X-Men can now join forces in dealing with the repercussions of the events and now have a new group of foes to deal with. This changes the surface of the Marvel Universe for both groups and it'll be interesting to see how it plays out and how long it lasts. There were parts of this story that were a little hard to swallow. We're seeing some decisions and changes being made. In some ways it feels out of character but it's also what has been developing for the last few years. The different and looser art style compared to previous issues made it a little awkward. It's understandable why the decision was made to use different artists in keeping the weekly schedule. If this is meant to be the finale in AVX, it's a little bittersweet. How this plays out in the Marvel NOW! titles will be something to watch for.

3/5

CVine

[Azrael]

In "AvX: Consequences" #5, Kieron Gillen and Gabriel Hernandez Walta do exactly what they should: deliver a strong and logical conclusion to this weekly mini-series. It's easy with a set-up like this to imagine that when the dust settles, everything will be just like it was at the beginning.

Instead, Gillen has told a complete story about Cyclops, post-Phoenix. At the end of "AvX: Consequences" #5 he (and several other characters) is in a different spot than he was at the start, and it's one that's been informed by what happened in the first four issues. Perhaps more importantly, it's one that makes sense. With the sheer firepower even just a handful of mutants together can wield, Cyclops having a three-person escape team (as established at the end of "AvX: Consequences" #4) is something that works well and is believable. Gillen not only ends up with something fun for the reader, but at the same time through actions reminds us just why mutants in the Marvel Universe are feared so much. The amount of damage that just a few mutants can create is quite impressive, to put it mildly.

I also appreciated that Gillen gets to somewhat wrap up Hope's story, at least in terms of her connection to Cable. As the writer of the first year's worth of "Generation Hope," it feels right for Gillen to get to tackle the character one last time. After appearing in the prelude to "Avengers vs. X-Men," it's nice to have the status of Cable addressed again, and it also provides a satisfying sense of closure before Cable moves onto his new X-Force series.

Walta was a great choice to draw the final issue of "AvX: Consequences." He's always been good at the spooky, creepy, moody art, and that's what you should have when Magik is involved. On the very first page, as Magik holds up her Soulsword and we see an eerie light and shadow pouring off of its blade, Walta (and colorist Jim Charalampidis) sells the moment. It's dark, it's deliberately not quite right, and it reminds you that Magik is not a character to cross lightly. Walta's depiction of all the characters involved is good, but Magik's demons and Danger both fare particularly well. Danger's wires and rivets make her look unearthly and odd, and the demons are only seen in tiny glimpses but are sufficiently dangerous. Even something as simple as Magneto controlling tendrils of metal through Magik's portals ends up looking top-notch and disturbing; they're as much a demonic force as Magik's beings from Limbo.

"AvX: Consequences" shouldn't have worked half as well as it did, but it's much to everyone's credit that it opened and closed a success. Gillen and Walta (plus the artists from the first four issues) have turned out a fun mini-series that provided exactly what it promised: consequences. Add in a great last word from Cyclops, and it makes me genuinely interested in where these characters will turn up next. I'll be ready to read that comic, whatever it might be. Well done.

4/5

CBR

[Mr. Seven]

Finale grandioso per Consequences (che a tutti gli effetti è stato più l'epilogo per Uncanny di Gillen che alla maxisaga stessa).

Spiacente, ma non sei autorizzato a visualizzare il contenuto degli spoiler.

[Jabberwocky]

Finale grandioso per Consequences (che a tutti gli effetti è stato più l'epilogo per Uncanny di Gillen che alla maxisaga stessa).

Spiacente, ma non sei autorizzato a visualizzare il contenuto degli spoiler.

Cavolo, sai che mi hai veramente incuriosito.

Spiacente, ma non sei autorizzato a visualizzare il contenuto degli spoiler.

Mi sa che recupererò Consequences.

[Mr. Seven]

Finale grandioso per Consequences (che a tutti gli effetti è stato più l'epilogo per Uncanny di Gillen che alla maxisaga stessa).

Spiacente, ma non sei autorizzato a visualizzare il contenuto degli spoiler.

Cavolo, sai che mi hai veramente incuriosito.

Spiacente, ma non sei autorizzato a visualizzare il contenuto degli spoiler.

Mi sa che recupererò Consequences.

Recupera, recupera, che ne vale davvero la pena. 
Riguardo alla futura Uncanny X-Men:

Spiacente, ma non sei autorizzato a visualizzare il contenuto degli spoiler.

[Jabberwocky]

L'idea è valida, speriamo che abbiano (Bendis e co.) il tempo di svilupparla senza l'obbligo di arrivare presto ad un Schism 2 - The Last Stand.

Per quanto riguarda Gillen: il pre-Schism non mi aveva convinto tanto, nella seconda parte invece penso abbia fatto un buon lavoro, contando che si è trovato praticamente tra le mani la Justice League piuttosto che gli X-Men (nel senso che doveva usare un Team con dei poteri fuori scala) è riuscito a far divertire. Devo ancora leggere il Tie-In di AvX.

[Mr. Seven]

I tie-in ad AvX sono la roba migliore partorita da Gillen per Uncanny, ho proprio adorato quegli albi.
Eh sì, l'Execute Team è senza dubbio la formazione degli X-Men più potente che si sia mai vista, proprio a livello di fuoco: più che alla Justice League lo paragonerei ad Authority, ideologicamente parlando.

[Clod]

Arrivato il volume cartonato: prossimamente il commento

[Azrael]

Ma "AvX: Consequences" è una mini di 5? E' valida? a me da quel poco che ho visto nelle preview mi ispira 

[Mr. Seven]

Ma "AvX: Consequences" è una mini di 5? E' valida? a me da quel poco che ho visto nelle preview mi ispira 

Sì, è una mini di 5 e sì, è validissima. 
E' scritta da Gillen e realizzata da 5 disegnatori diversi (il migliore del mazzo è Mark Brooks nel quarto episodio): funge da epilogo alle vicende della maxiserie, ma contemporaneamente tira le fila ad Uncanny X-Men dello stesso autore.

[Azrael]

Ma "AvX: Consequences" è una mini di 5? E' valida? a me da quel poco che ho visto nelle preview mi ispira 

Sì, è una mini di 5 e sì, è validissima. 
E' scritta da Gillen e realizzata da 5 disegnatori diversi (il migliore del mazzo è Mark Brooks nel quarto episodio): funge da epilogo alle vicende della maxiserie, ma contemporaneamente tira le fila ad Uncanny X-Men dello stesso autore.

Bene