Avengers vs X-Men #11 Review


The penultimate issue of the mammoth crossover event is here and yes there’s a death… but does it live up to the hype?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Marvel:

The final month of AVX opens with the first of two extra-sized issues!

• Fatality!

For fans who have been waiting for this series to get down to a final and truly emotionally battle, this issue is for you.  If you’ve yearned to have Charles Xavier in the fray, if you’re tired of watching Avengers take on the X-Men, this issue is for you!  It’s a emotional eleventh outing fraught with moments of amazing awesomeness that are beleaguered by some lackluster spouts of dialogue, if that doesn’t dissuade you then this issue is for you!

Brian Michael Bendis handles the script just right, delivering some solid humor with comedic timing, while allowing a necessary emotional crescendo that perfectly encapsulates this issue’s cliffhanger.  I can honestly say that the death in this comic book, makes sense, it was a potent scene and I hope it doesn’t get wiped from existence following the end of this event.  My only gripe with the work done here is that some of the rather wordy scenes felt a bit clunky and downright unnecessary, ultimately all they did was just slow this blockbuster romp.

Olivier Coipel does a perfect job on the art.  I honestly feel like his pencils, character designs, background work and even his panel layouts are prime examples of some of the best work coming out of the House of Ideas.  His style and finesse perfectly illustrates the Phoenix Five (what remains of it), the Avengers and the X-Men.  I especially enjoyed the care taken in the chaotic battle scene leading up to a very specific epic shot that I really don’t want to ruin for any eager fans who have yet to read this hard-hitting issue.

Avengers vs X-Men #11 is a wonderful release that represents the very best of this event series.  Highly recommended.

4.5/5

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