Avengers Arena #1 Review

Avengers Arena #1 courtesy Marvel
Avengers Arena #1 courtesy Marvel

The newest Marvel Now book is bloody, brutal, dark with a heavy dose of just plan vicious meanness! Avengers Arena #1 may be the riskiest move in the Marvel Now relaunch. Dennis Hopeless has twisted cruelty in mind and blood on his hands in the premiere issue that puts Marvel’s youngest heroes at the mercy of an old school X-Men villain.

Arcade is back but he isn’t just a lunatic would-be assassin throwing X-Men into elaborate death traps (that they always escape!) In this first issue Hopeless propels Arcade into the top-tier of Marvel super villains. Arcade has abducted some of Marvel’s young heroes (Avengers Academy fans be ready to be angry) and ordered them to kill each other in an exploitive, cruel and bloody game.

Avengers Arena is a superhero take on The Hunger Games and Battle Royale. Hopeless even acknowledges that in one of several clever, cruel dialogues by Arcade. Hopeless and Kev Walker set up an engrossing start to a series of deadly games. In the beginning and end of this issue these creators prove anything can happen, Arcade is now a twisted badass and this is a book with edge that demands you keep you reading.

By Editor

Avengers Arena & Arcade’s Return!

Avengers Arena #1 courtesy Marvel

I’m excited that one of the X-Men’s most colorful enemies is coming back with a vengeance! Marvel’s recent Hopeless, Walker, SURVIVE tease was a real headscratcher! Today’s reveal is an exciting addition to the Marvel NOW especially if you enjoy The Hunger Games and some forgotten teen heroes.

Marvel announced Avengers Arena #1 by Dennis Hopeless and Kev Walker will star 16 young heroes trapped in a game devised by the only and only Arcade! Marvel’s best and brightest young heroes will be in the fight of their lives on Murder World island. The X-Men have escaped Arcade’s deadly traps before but some of these kids may not be so lucky.

 “Arcade has spent a lot of years building “Murder Worlds” that yield very few actual murders. He’s decided it’s time to get back a little self-respect. It’s time for a new kind of Murder World.  AVENGERS ARENA is about the unlucky kids he’s chosen to help him try it out,” says Hopeless.

“I don’t want to give too much away, but I can promise a lot of murder in this new Murder World.”

Editor Bill Rosemann reveals the contestants: “Fans of AVENGERS ACADEMY will hopefully be excited by the next chapter in the lives of Hazmat, Mettle, Reptil, Juston and his Sentinel and X-23. Speaking of schools, who are the Braddock Academy? After his last appearances in War of Kings and NOVA, Darkhawk soars again! Staying with sci-fi, just wait until you see what Dennis and Kev have planned for Annihilation’s Cammi, baddest girl in all the galaxy. And last but certainly not least, direct from the pages of the dearly missed RUNAWAYS, we have Chase and Nico!”

“It’s sort of ridiculous how huge our cast is at the start. But if you’re going to kill a lot of characters you gotta have a lot of characters,” Hopeless adds.

I love all the kid characters but you had me with ARCADE! Avengers Arena #1 is out for the kill this December.

By Editor

Survive the Marvel NOW!

courtesy Marvel

Dennis Hopeless. Kev Walker. Survive. December 2012.

The blood stained image is the latest teaser for a new Marvel NOW title.

I admit it- I’m stumped!

By Editor