Robb Ghag reviews What If? AvX #1…
“The biggest event of 2012 is now the biggest miniseries of 2013! We all know what happened to the Avengers and the X-Men. but what if the story had gone differently? The one and only Jimmy Palmiotti brings his signature style to a mind-blowing reinterpretation of a key event in the history of the Marvel Universe. Featuring Magneto, Hope, and every Avenger and X-Man you can imagine!”
If you read the series Avengers vs. X-Men you already know how the whole story turned out. The effects are still being felt throughout the Marvel Universe in every facet. However one of the best things about a monumental storyline such as this is that it’s prime for a “What If…?” storyline.
With Jimmy Palmiotti at the helm on writing duties you can imagine what twists and turns he can conjure, given the fact that the entire universe in this “What If…?” scenario is expendable. Along with Jorge Molina’s pencils, the story grips on tight right from the beginning, not dissimilar to the original run of Avengers vs. X-Men.
This series is scheduled to be a four part arc, and I am hard pressed to remember a “What If…?” storyline that carried on for this many issues. I can only imagine where they are going to go with it, considering how this issue ends.
With the recent Age of Ultron series, and the new Infinity crossover coming next month, it is great to see Marvel delve back into a classic title where we are expecting different results and altered timelines. The concept of alternate realities and characters skewed from what we’ve read from the original Marvel timeline is what you expect from a title like “What If…?” It’s a shame that it’s crept over into almost every other issue of the Marvel Universe. Keep it where it belongs, when we ask the question … “What If…?”
Robb Ghag works for an Arts & Entertainment Brokerage in Toronto Canada. An Animation and Film school graduate, he specializes in Risk Management of Animation and VFX studios throughout North America.
Originally published July 4, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
