*This review DOES contain spoilers in so far as revealing the winners of each match-up in Marvel’s Avengers vs. X-Men: Versus limited series.
Avengers vs. X-Men: Versus is the Avengers vs. X-Men’sgritty, brawler step-cousin. It combines the Marvel Universe with a smidgen of Palahniuk’s Fight Club to create a story-stripped six-part limited series that focuses on two, one-on-one battles between an Avenger and X-Man.
Issue one of the series pits Iron Man against Magneto, andThe Thing against Namor the Submariner. Each battle is penned by a different Marvel Architect and drawn by a different artist. It’s nice touch; because it varies up the ‘feel’ of the comic and makes sure that the outcome is more diversified than if the same writer wrote both battles.
Round 1
Iron vs. Magneto
You would think that Magneto would have this battle in an cinch, because after all he’s fighting a man in an iron suit; however, Tony Stark is more than just a man in an iron suit. He has counter measures set in place that negate Magneto’smagnetism. The two trade potshots—Magneto by tossing something large and metallic, and Iron Man by using something technological and extravagant.
The battle suddenly shifts gears and takes to the stars. The tide abruptly shifts as Iron Man begins to siphon off power from Jupiter’s magnetic field to fight fire with fire in one of the coolest Iron Man powers presented in a long while. Magnetotries to fight back by pulling out all the stops, but in a character expanding moment Magneto feels the death of star and is suddenly humbled by the power of the Phoenix Force.
At the end of the day…
Iron Man Wins
The Thing vs. Namor the Submariner
In the beginning of Avengers vs. X-Men #1 Namor and theThing trade blows as a Colossus destroyed Helicarrier lists and sheds its metal into the sea. The two warriors fall into the ocean where Namor believes he has the advantage overBen ‘Clobbering Time’ Grimm, but the Thing stands in deviance to the sea and thus to Namor.
Namor uses his power to nab a sea monster and toss it towards the Thing expecting to finish the battle in one fell swoop. The Thing grabs a hold for the ride and ends up pulling out the creature’s fangs and using them to trap Namorto the sea floor ending the battle.
The Thing Wins
Overall, I was incredibly impressed with Marvel’s AvX: Versusseries—at times it was better than the core series, and even though the plot was highly minimal it often revealed plot clues and details that were otherwise omitted. I give Avengers vs. X-Men: Versus #1 four-and-half-stars out of five.
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