Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Avengers And X-Men Axis #3Avengers/X-Men #3 of 9
Marvel Comics
Remender, Yu, Alanguilan & Milla

The first "book" of the latest big Marvel event, Axis, wraps up with an action packed but strange issue. Remender shows that he has plans beyond the Red Skull portion of this series as this event definitely begins to pull elements from his run on Uncanny X-Force. The comic book struggles with the enormous cast and the artwork is a slight improvement but continues to look rushed and overwhelmed. This issue may be the best of the first three but it doesn't really do much to generate interest into the next act of the story. This is an okay comic book that doesn't live up to its billing.

The comic book opens with a few panels of Deadpool dragging around Iron Man. This is good because it ties into how the previous issue was so Iron Man centric with the cliffhanger that the villains (Deadpool among them) show up to save the day. This, unfortunately, is one of the few instances we follow Iron Man as the focus dances from character to character. However, the inclusion of Deadpool, here and at the end of the book, makes the comic bookend nicely. Remender is at his best when he focuses on one or two characters and Deadpool is one he seems to have mastered.

The issue then follows some of the other villains as they take their turn at Red Skull. Carnage stands out as one of the more interesting characters and the dialogue pops among the glut of one-liners that take up too much space in this story. Loki, Doom and so on all make wisecrack after sarcastic comment. Even Magneto is sporting a number of one-liners and it is too much when every character is doing this. Deadpool probably could have shouldered this load by himself.

The book is solid in terms of action. There are plenty of characters showing their stuff against Skull. A bunch of characters re-enter the fray and some of the new players are showcased in a panel or two. The resolution to take on Skull is a good one and leverages components from the prior two issues. If nothing else, this book contains a lot of action.

The ending, without spoiling it, helps to save this issue but it also feels extremely rushed. The book seems to go back to what was happening in the Marvel Universe around the time of Avengers versus X-Men on several fronts. It makes for a nice couple of cliffhangers but it doesn't seem to make a ton of sense. It leaves this event in a spot where just about anything could happen from here, which could be a good or bad thing.

Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle ReviewsThe artwork is a step up for sure. The comic is more detailed and has more life to the characters. It helps that this entire issue is action based. However, many of the problems with the first two issues continue here. Characters have no facial features on a number of panels. There seems to be entire scenes where the artwork just glosses over things too quickly. For an event comic book this simply unacceptable for the artwork to appear this rushed and incomplete. Even the thumbnail character rundown at the beginning appears to be incomplete in terms of inks.

Axis is a strange event. This particular issue has a lot of action and some snappy dialogue. Perhaps too much. The book looks rushed in the art department but at least puts on a spectacle in the nonstop action scenes. The ending feels a little bit out of nowhere, but provides a couple of interesting unresolved plotlines. This is an okay comic book but far short of the hype surrounding it.

3 out of 5 Geek Goggles