Marvel Comics’ What If? is back and it’s got its sights on AvX! How will this play out, will the mutants get the Phoenix Force…is it good?
What If? AVX #1 (of 4) (Marvel Comics)
So often the elseworld What If? series has been used to make a statement. That statement being, the actions and events you’ve witnessed in Marvel Comics are the best possible outcomes. So often the series is used to show that, if say Flash Thompson was Spider-Man, things wouldn’t turn out so well. Which makes me wonder, maybe AvX could have ended better if done differently. Here’s hoping. At the very least we know there’s going to be a huge body count. If there’s one thing What If? comics are good at, it’s killing off as many characters as possible!
The first casualties. Ouch.
So far there’s only two major changes to the events in this issue, but obviously these changes will snowball in the next three issues. Those changes are pretty monumental though and don’t seem to have any explanation. The first is that Magneto is the one training Hope, not Cyclops, and the second is that Cyclops isn’t the one who meets with the Avengers to discuss the impending Phoenix. This would seem to suggest the series is going to have a much more evil bend to it rather than the noble one Cyclops was attempting to achieve.
Close one.
Writer Jimmy Palmiotti was probably really good at collages growing up. There’s a lot of balls in the air with this series, but he does a nice job bringing these pieces together. Of course he has the benefit of foresight to know how the entire series plays out so that he can form this clay with absolute detail. I’m sure the writers who did the original series were rushed and writing to keep up with the schedule more than plotting every detail perfectly. It’s clear Palmiotti has a handle on things because the comic is able to show us scenes that add dramatic elements we didn’t see in the original series. For instance, the heroes brooding in the Helicarrier before battling on Utopia. It’s a small, almost inconsequential moment, but it adds gravitas to the impending battle.
Here we go.
I couldn’t help but enjoy this comic more, because I can see moments not displayed in the original series more than new events playing out. Those new events are interesting, but so far a bit vapid. There’s a major death to a member of the X-Men I won’t spoil, but it’s almost comical in how it happens. It’s as if the murderer doesn’t know how to fight or something.
Artist Jorge Molina does a bang up job with a very clean and clear style. None of it looks rushed and he does an exceptional job with facial expressions.
Smirk it up you jerkweed.
7.0
- What If fans rejoice…this could be good!
- Events seem to play out just because
Much like the inconsequential scenes though, many of the events have no rhyme or reason to them. They appear to happen simply to switch things up which is a bit annoying. I’d like to know why Magneto is training Hope for instance but it’s not explained. I suppose the reason for this is because the whole point of this sreies is to see things play out a little differently. The whys will come when things start to change.
Is It Good?
Yes. A strong installment in the What If? series that should be a lot of fun.
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