AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #9
Written by Jason Aaron
Art by Adam Kubert
Release Date: August 1, 2012
How does this series keep getting better? I know, many have mocked this event for not being what they anticipated or not having the body count they desired, but I am loving every minute of Avengers Vs. X-Men lately. Jason Aaron scripted the hell out of this issue, dealing with a diverse cast and laying some lines of dialogue down like Thor’s hammer. Alliances are perpetually shifting in this book, and it is filled with powerful moments like the pages with Black Panther and Storm. This is some heavy stuff going down and it is shaking the bedrock of the Marvel Universe. The Phoenix Five lost a member last month and this month another curveball is thrown into the mix as the power takes its toll on more members. The stakes keep getting higher and Aaron does an excellent job with this issue of continuing to amp up the stress with each and every page. His Spider-Man dialogue is witty and filled with heart and this issue is simply one of the best scripted comics of this entire event. Aaron does a fantastic job of relaying how the stakes are getting higher with each moment and how the Avengers are breaking under the weight of these Phoenix hosts. If issues like this are any indication, the final arc of this epic series is going to be absolutely insane, and I can’t wait to read it.
On the art front, Adam Kubert slays this issue. I was somewhat critical of his art in my last review, to which he responded personally on twitter by saying “it will be better next issue”. Mr. Kubert wasn’t joking. The art in this comic is flat out fantastic. The Phoenix Five are brimming with power and the fight sequences Kubert pencils in this issue are both raw and polished all at once. This is superhero art at its absolute best, penciled by a master. I also want to give Kubert props for the variant cover feature the Phoenix-ed out Cyclops (shown to the right). It is one of my favourite covers of the year and is poster worthy, without a doubt.
This comic has a great script, fantastic art, and continues what has been a very strong event so far. If the quality stays this high, this very well could be my favourite event of the past decade.
Verdict: 9.5/10
