In this aftermath issue, does the event find redemption while clearing the stage for Marvel NOW!?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Marvel:

• Spinning directly out of AVX #12, find out what happens next!

• We can’t tell you anything else without spoiling everything AVX!

If you perused our review for Avengers vs X-Men #12 (you can read it here), then you know that the event left me with some mixed feelings.  I do applaud the ultimate end result and understand clearly how it leads to the new landscape of Marvel NOW!, but there were several underwhelming elements that ultimately deterred me from liking it.  This issue may not fix any of those problems, but it goes a long way in making this brave new take on the Marvel Universe interesting.

Kieron Gillen does a masterful job on the script, as this issue focuses squarely in on the new landscape offered by the elongated events of Marvel‘s event series.  Not to be coy, but the title is very self-explanatory as it perfectly encapsulates the goal of this mini-series.  This is all about the cost of the mammoth war that resulted in the ultimate rebirth of the Mutant race, the destruction of a peaceful nation and the end of the Phoenix Force.  From start to finish, it will keep you glued to your seat as you eagerly flip through it’s engrossing pages.

Tom Raney handles the art, and he does a fine job for the majority of the issue.  His pencil strokes yield a distinctive style that complements the narrative quite well, as he pulls out some rather simplistic but expertly arranged panels.  There are some moments where his sensibilities fail him though, as his style offers-up deformed characters that just look out of place.

AVX: Consequences #1 is a good start to what looks to be a more than solid extension of the feud between the Children of the Atom and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

3.5/5