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colindalaska's review against another edition
3.0
Ok - but the characters are unmemorable and nothing of great significance happens.
helpfulsnowman's review against another edition
3.0
A good little series, but here's a HUGE problem with comics and the amount of big crossover events going on.
In order to read this series in trade paperback form, here's what you have to do:
1) Read vol. 1
2) Read vol. 2
3) Read Fear Itself: Avengers Academy, the AA portion of the large storyline Fear Itself. So that means you could JUST read the AA portion, OR read the entirety of Fear Itself.
4) Read vol. "Second Semester"
5) Read the Avengers vs. X-Men crossover issues collected in the Avengers vs. X-Men trade paperback, which means probably reading all the Avengers vs. X-Men trades.
6) Read AA vol "Final Exams"
This is warping my goddamn brain.
I know that big crossover events can be fun, and they work. Sometimes. But sometimes I want to be able to pick up a series where I can start at the first issue and read through without knowing the last 50 years of Marvel history. It's a very difficult line to walk, I know. How do you build on a story without including pieces of the past?
But isn't there room for the fan of comics like myself who loves reading them, but who loves reading the ones he loves? I don't give a fuck about the West Coast Avengers and what they're doing in space. I don't really care about X-Force because there's some different incarnation every couple months. I'm sure there are people who don't give a damn about Avengers Academy who were forced/tricked into reading the portions that cross over with the other big Marvel events.
It's a total business move, which to me, is the ultimate downfall of comics. The problem with comics isn't going to be solved by creating these big events and forcing people to buy multiple titles just to get the whole story. How about this novel idea: WRITE GOOD COMICS. Instead of trying to make it seem like I can't read one without reading three others, put out four legitimately good comics that I WANT to read. I WANT to throw my time and money into comics, but only if they're good.
In order to read this series in trade paperback form, here's what you have to do:
1) Read vol. 1
2) Read vol. 2
3) Read Fear Itself: Avengers Academy, the AA portion of the large storyline Fear Itself. So that means you could JUST read the AA portion, OR read the entirety of Fear Itself.
4) Read vol. "Second Semester"
5) Read the Avengers vs. X-Men crossover issues collected in the Avengers vs. X-Men trade paperback, which means probably reading all the Avengers vs. X-Men trades.
6) Read AA vol "Final Exams"
This is warping my goddamn brain.
I know that big crossover events can be fun, and they work. Sometimes. But sometimes I want to be able to pick up a series where I can start at the first issue and read through without knowing the last 50 years of Marvel history. It's a very difficult line to walk, I know. How do you build on a story without including pieces of the past?
But isn't there room for the fan of comics like myself who loves reading them, but who loves reading the ones he loves? I don't give a fuck about the West Coast Avengers and what they're doing in space. I don't really care about X-Force because there's some different incarnation every couple months. I'm sure there are people who don't give a damn about Avengers Academy who were forced/tricked into reading the portions that cross over with the other big Marvel events.
It's a total business move, which to me, is the ultimate downfall of comics. The problem with comics isn't going to be solved by creating these big events and forcing people to buy multiple titles just to get the whole story. How about this novel idea: WRITE GOOD COMICS. Instead of trying to make it seem like I can't read one without reading three others, put out four legitimately good comics that I WANT to read. I WANT to throw my time and money into comics, but only if they're good.
estrellasstars's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn’t fully aware of all the trauma Speedball had faced and the toll it took on him until seeing him in this comic. It faces so many issues (as do all the marvel comics) that even though we live in a world without mutants and mutates like theirs we still see. You see Speedball self-harm as a form of punishment for what he did to his wife, he knows he did wrong but he was brainwashed/mind-controlled into doing so, even then he does not forgive himself for what he did to her. Quicksilver is taking full responsibility for his father's actions, and trying to be the best role model he can be for the next generation of Avengers. You see examples of bullying, which are pretty spot on for us as teenagers now. Vale/Veil literally said she wanted to disappear but she didn’t think she would, yet here we are. Reptil wants to find his parents, that's all he’s ever wanted. Dr. Osbourne is still a conniving, little shit who has absolutely no regard for anyone but himself (don’t be like him kids) and experiments on people for shits and giggles.
shanyreader's review against another edition
3.0
One star for the visuals...I felt that..while of course, detailed and standard-comic-booky, it was a little awkward at times with the emotions--especially Veil. What was up with her costume too... sorry, being a little critical. It's good, but not perfect enough for me. Though I must say, Reptil was pretty hot-looking X)
One star for the characters...I didn't like half of them. I didn't know half of them either, but that's probably just me not being a good comic-book nerd. But I did like the ones I did know--Quicksilver (eternally), the Juggernaut, and Osborne. Others, like Finesse and Hazmat, just rubbed me the wrong way. I didn't get the sense that they were actually normal teenagers. Some have sad back-stories, some are just...weird for unexplained reasons...but the thing I didn't get out of this was that Runaways-feel; they're normal friends sticking together...partly because they weren't really friends sometimes. It was just, not as emotionally involved within the story as I would have liked it to have been. Some relationships were just plain AWKWARD-- Veil and Lighting-dude, Finesse and Reptil...I just couldn't see it at all.
One star for plot: It's not my favorite...setting kids up to see whether they'll be supers or villains, but maybe there'll be plot-twists, and the unexpected ones become villains. Who knows, if we have the next one, I'll read it for the sake of continuing the series.
One star for the characters...I didn't like half of them. I didn't know half of them either, but that's probably just me not being a good comic-book nerd. But I did like the ones I did know--Quicksilver (eternally), the Juggernaut, and Osborne. Others, like Finesse and Hazmat, just rubbed me the wrong way. I didn't get the sense that they were actually normal teenagers. Some have sad back-stories, some are just...weird for unexplained reasons...but the thing I didn't get out of this was that Runaways-feel; they're normal friends sticking together...partly because they weren't really friends sometimes. It was just, not as emotionally involved within the story as I would have liked it to have been. Some relationships were just plain AWKWARD-- Veil and Lighting-dude, Finesse and Reptil...I just couldn't see it at all.
One star for plot: It's not my favorite...setting kids up to see whether they'll be supers or villains, but maybe there'll be plot-twists, and the unexpected ones become villains. Who knows, if we have the next one, I'll read it for the sake of continuing the series.
matt4hire's review against another edition
4.0
Easily one of my favorite Marvel series that's currently going on. The characters are so well-imagined, and so DIFFERENT from everything that's gone on before, that it's hard not to enjoy. The art's not bad, very meat-and-potatoes, but the writing is what makes this book excel.
burstnwithbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I think this series has potential (and I enjoy the artwork style) but I’m not really invested in any of the characters yet. Hopefully that changes over the next couple of volumes.
peter_xxx's review
3.0
6 young superheroes/supervillains get rescued when the dark reign of Norman osborne is stopped. They get drafted into an avengers acadamy to make sure they turn out right, and learn to deal with their powers. The teatchers at the scool are adult (and established) superheroes with a dark past. Like Quicksilver of Hank Pym.
The story is decent enough, with some humor, some teenage drama, lots of action and some twists. The art is in the typical modern flashy marvel style, but still very nice to look at. cool book
The story is decent enough, with some humor, some teenage drama, lots of action and some twists. The art is in the typical modern flashy marvel style, but still very nice to look at. cool book
warriorwitchwillow's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
btmarino84's review against another edition
4.0
This book sometimes ran into the trouble of repeating its themes again and again and again. It starts off as a book about young superpowered people and the troubles they are facing. Many of their powers are particularly difficult to deal with (one is a giant metal skeleton who can no longer feel most physical sensations, one is radioactively powered but that makes her poisonous to other people, one can change herself into gasses but her body is slowly coming apart and she may one day simply dissolve) so the angst level is high (as it should be. This is basically a teen high school book with superhero themes as well). The twist comes in that they were all "helped" by Norman Osborn (the Green Goblin) when was the head of Shield. Which means theyve been tortured and put through hell. Basically, the Avengers are training them because they think they are on their way to being supervillains and are hoping to change that.
So yeah, they hammer those themes home A LOT. They are bad guys, no they are good guys, no they are kids, etc. The good news is that the characters are great and Gage has such a wonderful handle on them (many of them are his creation, a couple are not) and on the main adult characters (Ant-man, Quicksilver, Tigra, Jocasta) that you come to really care about what could potentially happen to all these people. It handles its tie ins to AvX and Fear Itself really well too, increasing the drama.
My two favorite issues were the "Prom" one and the issue involving a football game between the Avengers and X-Men where the adults act like bigger kids than the kids. The humor and warmth in those two issues helped temper the sometimes overly dark little moments that come in the other issues and there's something so fun and emotional about both of those stories. It ends in the best place it could being a Big Two book, giving a sense of closure and ending for the characters and stories while still obviously leaving the characters available to future books and writers.
I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for them.
So yeah, they hammer those themes home A LOT. They are bad guys, no they are good guys, no they are kids, etc. The good news is that the characters are great and Gage has such a wonderful handle on them (many of them are his creation, a couple are not) and on the main adult characters (Ant-man, Quicksilver, Tigra, Jocasta) that you come to really care about what could potentially happen to all these people. It handles its tie ins to AvX and Fear Itself really well too, increasing the drama.
My two favorite issues were the "Prom" one and the issue involving a football game between the Avengers and X-Men where the adults act like bigger kids than the kids. The humor and warmth in those two issues helped temper the sometimes overly dark little moments that come in the other issues and there's something so fun and emotional about both of those stories. It ends in the best place it could being a Big Two book, giving a sense of closure and ending for the characters and stories while still obviously leaving the characters available to future books and writers.
I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for them.
renatasnacks's review against another edition
4.0
Super fun! Love me some angsty baby superheroes obviously.