AvX: Consequences #4

            The Consequences series was one that I had very, very low expectations for. I see no real point in lying about that. I thought that it would continue to play into the same aesthetic that the series it was born from, AvX, perpetuated. But I was wrong, and goddamn, I’m glad for that.

            AvX was not a good series. I’ve said that in other reviews, but, when dealing with materials from the aftermath, it bears repeating. It allowed characters to parlay ideals without any sense or through insulting cheap means and bypassed development for bigger explosions. In a sentence, they took what could have been a good idea, and Michael Bay’d the shit out of it.

            But Marvel left readers with a broken world and tasked broken, hurt and confused heroes to put it back together. But heroes are people, too. And that’s what Consequences doesn’t let readers forget.

            Marvel is putting the humanity back in their flagships. And I can’t express how happy I am for that.

            The series, thus far, has mostly focused on big players in the event talking with an imprisoned and frustrated Scott Summers. But in this issue we also get a huge amount of density from Hope, Namor, Magneto and Tony Stark. I can’t reiterate enough times how refreshing it is to feel like these characters are people again.

            Realistically, we’re four issues into this series and readers are just now getting a feeling of where it’s going, but it appears to be going somewhere very worthwhile, and I more and more get the feeling that AvX should have been cut in half and Marvel should have made what is consequences the back half.

            AvX ended horribly and in an unsatisfactory fashion, and Consequences appears to have the ability to remedy that.