Written by: Rick Remender
Art by: Salvador Larroca
Publisher: Marvel
And so we take another step towards Axis.
This issue picks up after the events of Avenge the Earth, showing Havok and Scarlet Witch in the present day, apprehensive in the shadow of the incoming threat of the Red Skull. Here we see Havok in a vulnerable, disfigured state after his fight with Kang. While Remender’s writing remains as strong as ever, I feel like one of the things holding this series back from the prestigious caliber of Uncanny X-Force are the outward influences of the Marvel Universe. For example, since the first issue of Uncanny X-Force (the prequel series to Uncanny Avengers) Remender shows a stark fondness for Wolverine, treating him as the binding force and glue of the narrative. In this issue, however, we see Remender almost reluctantly send Wolverine on his way to coincide with The Death of Wolverine event happening in the Marvel Universe currently. This doesn’t entirely detract from the story in any sense, it just makes the reader yearn for Remender being able to tell the best possible version of this story, with outside factors pushed aside.
The sendoff of Wolverine is understated and poignant however, and seems to directly lead the primarily players of Axis into their rightful positions. While we may leave Logan behind in this issue, his place is taken by Magento, referencing the most current issue of his self-titled series showing how he came into Red Skull’s concentration camps. This status-quo shift is an exciting variable that teases towards an even greater payoff in the pages of Axis, due out later this year. One unsung hero of many of Remender’s books remains his colorist, Dean White. While Uncanny Avengers has always had a great, rotating cast of artists, when White colors an issue, it just makes it shine that much more and that is the case here.
Larroca’s art, while well done, does have a few minor flaws. Havok seems to almost directly resemble Harvey Dent/Two Face from The Dark Knight and his facial disfigurement never seemed as graphically or drastically portrayed as it is here, which serves to be a little distracting. His disfigurement seems to almost be pushed to the forefront to add more depth to his character development, which is perfectly acceptable, I just wish that is was consistent within the previous issues.
Marvel has solicited issue #25 as the last issue of Uncanny Avengers, and I am desperately hoping the book has it’s own, proper sendoff, and not bogged down by the necessity to read other books connected to the Axis event to get the full picture. All in all, a good piece to what seems to be shaping up to be an even greater complete project.
