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Review: Uncannny Avengers #8AU

By | May 24th, 2013
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

Using the “Age of Ultron” universe as a fun distraction, Rick Remender and guest writer Gerry Duggan flesh out the childhoods of the Apocalypse Twins under their adoptive father, the villainous Kang. The result is an interesting interlude, with dubious implications for Remender’s ongoing story.

http://multiversitystatic.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2013/02/UncannyAvengers_8AU_Cover.jpg[t/image]

Written by Rick Remender and Gerry Duggan
Illustrated by Adam Kubert

• Kang and the The Apocalypse Twins enter the Age of Ultron, but what do they want?
• Havok and Rogue, leaders of the Morlocks, must fight to save the man who condemned their people!
• What secret will Rogue unearth about the Twins hidden past?

Kang the Conqueror, currently making a mess of things in “Uncanny Avengers,” is a time traveling villain. As such, he has access to alternate timelines. What’s that? Marvel’s current event book features an alternate timeline? Well, then we better send Kang and his adoptive heirs of Apocalypse to check it out. Yes, the circumstances surrounding this tie-in are rather convenient, and the plot is a little on the nose in regard to its parallels to recent events of the main Marvel universe. However, there’s still a lot to be enjoyed, in what is easily the most fully developed “Age of Ultron” tie-in to date.

In order to teach the twin children a Archangel, Uriel and Eimin, a lesson, as well as prepare them for their destiny, Kang takes them on a field trip to the Hank Pym-less alternate reality. Here, they come across the Steve Rogers of this reality, Colonel America. Captain America is to be a thorn to the children’s mutant superiority agenda in all timelines, so Kang tasks the children with killing this incarnation. You know, as a warm up. However, they become entangled in the midst of another human/mutant conflict, one between Colonel America and Havok, leader of the morlocks.

This is where things start to become a little too convenient. It just so happens that, in this alternate reality, two key mutant members of the Uncanny Avengers happen to A.) still be alive, B.) be married, and C.) be the leaders of an underground mutant society. Likewise, we learn that this Steve Rogers has a very strong connection to another prominent mutant. However, Remender and Duggan use this set up to take an intriguing look at the nature of Xavier’s dream and how it is carried out. In this world, Alex’s philosophy is far more in line with his brother Scott’s current views.

The central plot of this issue is the relationship between the Apocalypse Twins and Kang. While Kang’s plan and intentions for the children are still far from clear, it’s obvious he doesn’t have their best interests at heart. It’s clear that he’s not being entirely truthful with the twins, so everything we learn about him in this issue should be taken with a grain of salt. Remender throws in a few ‘Days of Future Past’ nods, as well as references to the flash-forward scene from “Uncanny Avengers” #4. All of this builds on the mystery of the current ‘Ragnarok Now’ arc, although the plot isn’t advanced in any considerable way.

Adam Kubert, a veteran X-Men artist, handles the issue’s art. Unsurprisingly, the issue has a 90’s aesthetic, from Rogers’ strapping physique to Havok’s headsock. Nevertheless, Kubert’s pages are well polished and dynamically structured. His panel layouts shift from standard grids to odd trapezoids. Close up shots on characters are beautifully rendered with astonishing detail, but wide shots are disappointingly sparse. Frank Martin, who previously worked with Remender on “Uncanny X-Force,” goes a long way towards making the drab sewers visually interesting.

This is by no means the best issue of “Uncanny Avengers” to date. However, it is a fun diversion from the main series, and one of the best uses of the “Age of Ultron” world yet. Most importantly, the issue shows a softer side to the misguided son of Archangel, something that will surely come into play in Remender’s ongoing saga.

Final Verdict: 6.5 – Browse for most, but a must have for Remender fans.


Zach Wilkerson

Zach Wilkerson, part of the DC3 trinity, still writes about comics sometimes. He would probably rather be reading manga or thinking about Kingdom Hearts. For more on those things, follow him on Twitter @TheWilkofZ

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