The battle between the X-Men and Avengers rages on, but is this latest installment of the fight book worth buying?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Marvel:

• The premier tie-in to AVENGERS VS. X-MEN marches on!

• BLACK PANTHER VS. STORM!

• ANGEL VS. HAWKEYE!

Another issue of the mindless brawl series delivers two very competent stories while keeping its core mission intact.  I have to admit, I was a bit blown away by the narrative strength of both bouts as the two creative teams successfully created not just logical fights but honest emotions that almost perfectly encapsulate the human toll of this massive war.

Matt Fraction handles his battle between Hawkeye and Angel with little dialogue but forceful intent.  He doesn’t avoid the blows, instead he promotes them with a quick pace that perfectly fits this strangely dynamic and interesting fight.  Jason Aaron pens the script for the tussle between the happy couple, Black Panther and Storm.  Watching these two characters come to blows over this mess in the Marvel universe is engaging and heartfelt.  The inner-dialogue at play here pulls the audience in, to the point that you feel for both of these heroes by the time the issue comes to a dramatic finish.

Leinil Francis Yu does the art for the first battle, and as fans have come to expect his unique style offers an endlessly engrossing fight.  Stiff but sure lines form complex panels that match the pace of the story quite well.  Tom Raney handles the art for the second bout and he does a rather good job handling the overall designs and kinetic energy therein.  However, there were a few panels where bodily designs looked a bit misshapen creating an unflattering look that did take a bit away from the reading experience.

AVX: Vs #5 is another good installment of the side-series and as Avengers vs X-Men wraps-up, it’s nice to see both comic books start to reflect on the costs of this universe spanning war.  Recommended.

4/5