Here we are the opening salvo of Marvel‘s next mega event! Avengers & X-Men: AXIS follows in a long of established  Marvel crossovers and I think it is fair to say it has some big shoes too fill. That said, we have a long history of events, handled well and others not so much. While it’s too early to judge AXIS in its entirety, the massive cast on the intro page gives me some trepidation. I am hoping Remender does not repeat the mistakes of AvX (continuity flubs….drawn out pacing, cast inflation.)

I have to say the beginning issue begins bombastically. This issue starts off very loudly and in tone it almost felt like was  the climax of an event. This is a very novel feeling for me event wise. Another novelty is the sense that I’ve been away for quite some time. A nice thing about Marvel’s mega events is that they serve as milestones by which you can map the Marvel Universe’s rich continuity. The end of such events usually heralds some momentous change that moves the continuity landscape further on. This time around there are so many changes at the beginning!

It will take the most eagle eyed and diligent readers to grasp the full change in the status quo. But more casual readers may be left scratching their heads as to why Thor is now sporting an axe, why Falcon is now has the mantle of Captain America and why Steve Rogers is an old man.  Though I knew of some of these changes they were mostly by approximate/passing knowledge.  Later on in the book some more prisoners of the Genoshan concentration camp are revealed. Although I have been watching most x-books closely, I’m certain I haven’t witnessed this elsewhere.  Perhaps this represents a new wrinkle in event storytelling , we might even say Marvel has inverted the axis of their convention (see what I did there? Ok I’m sorry that was bad).

The precipitating trigger for AXIS is the emergence of the Red Onslaught, a psychic amalgamation of the Red Skull’s and Charles Xavier’s Psychic energies. I must say I love the insidious nature of the Red Onslaught. Although I do feel Onslaught as a plot and villain element is overdue for retirement, I can’t help but admire villains who can disarm their foes with just words and truth, dredging up their inner demons and using that as a weapon. Despite the many skeletons in Xavier’s closet, we’re seeing once more the full extent of how dangerous his powers could be thanks to Johan Schmidt’s malice. This issue made me respect Xavier’s restraint (all sins considered) in light of this. The panel showing Xavier as a sole beacon of light in the tide of the Red Skull’s hate was a nice touch and sums of his character and mission perfectly.

I had some minor issue with some of the characterization in AXIS #1. I know that the two factions of X-Men recently had some degree of reconciliation in the last will and testament of Charles Xavier arc. Nevertheless parts of their reunion in this issue felt very happy go lucky and over the top. Additionally I had to roll my eye after Beast’s “Let’s crack some skull” battle cry. I’m sorry but that’s something I’d expect Ben Grimm to say , not Hank McCoy.

The issue concludes with an interesting plot twist, that goes back to Civil War. This is one that I really loved because it involves sentinel technology and Tony Stark. I have long since speculated a connection between the Stark and Trask families as their names are anagrams. (Perhaps they’re the same family?).  We saw Stark Nimrods foreshadowed at the end of the first Uncanny Avengers arc, so this really cemented this speculation of mine. Also lets not forget that Stark, created the O.N.E. Sentinels that patrolled the Xavier Institute post decimation. The plot twist involving Stark really delved into his psychology showing how the Red Skull exploited his avarice and competitiveness. This really shed light on Tony as a character. I recall despising most if not all of Tony’s actions during the civil war. This issue explores that central thread of Tony’s character which spans the entire spectrum from heroism to villainy. Those paying attention to previews and solicits know that  during some “inversion” incident in this event Stark will change significantly. In light of this I thought the reveal was a brilliant reminder and foreshadow. As the theme of heroism and villainy is poised to be explored, it’s nice to see that the event will serve as a spiritual successor to the Civil War, which handled the same themes but in a more legal sense.

The art was beautiful, I’ve slowly grown to appreciate Kubert’s art, although at times his faces and limbs look really stretched, that’s a minor complaint  on my part. The colors were very vivid and overall the epic nature of the battle and the dour ambiance of Genosha was captured very well.

Story: Rick Remender Art: Adam Kubert
Story: 8 Art: 9.5 Overall 9 Recommendation: Buy