Dennis Hopeless continues to impress by making Avengers Arena more than the sum of its parts. Looking back on my previous reviews, my skepticism concerning the stigma around the book was so strong that it affected my enjoyment of what has been a solid story from the start that has only gotten better. Kid Briton gets the spotlight here, and even though he’s the bully douchebag of the cast, Hopeless still manages to make you feel for him by the end.
With most of the cast fleshed out enough for us to care about them, Arcade triggers tidal waves, avalanches, and earthquakes to force the trapped teenage heroes into action. They’re now all headed for survival packages around the arena, but the sharp dialogue won’t let you forget for a second that all they want is to survive long enough to get out alive.
The Braddock Academy students have been mostly unknowns thus far, but their development here proves to be highly entertaining. Two are gay, one is rather promiscuous, and another knows more than you’d think. Even though being from the same place makes them seem like natural allies, Hopeless quickly shows that the emotional baggage they brought to the arena is more than enough to make them the worst of rivals.
The book maintains its high visual quality thanks to the return of artist Kev Walker and the always dependable colorist Frank Martin. A flashback shows an all-business Captain Britain lecturing Kid Briton, but Walker manages to inject a bit of humor regardless. A single shot of Arcade in the flesh is intriguing enough to make you list off a dozen theories as to where he is and what that cable coming out of his jacket is for.
With a diverse cast featuring characters of different races, body types, and genders, Walker makes Avengers Arena reflect our real world more than a great deal of other books not set exclusively in a death arena. With this series alongside Young Avengers, Marvel’s teen-oriented comics have rarely been stronger.
Joshua writes for IGN. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl or on IGN, where he’ll tell you more than you ever wanted to know about Darth Maul, Doop, and Powerpuff Girls.
Source : ign[dot]com
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