AvX Contest: Week 12 Scoring Update

So begins the second act of Marvel’s epic Avengers vs. X-Men event. Coinciding with the momentum swing created by the “Phoenix Five,” the torch has been passed to a new creative team for the focal book, beginning with this week’s sixth issue. Jonathan Hickman tags in for Jason Aaron, and Olivier Coipel enters the ring for John Romita, Jr. Good thing too… I was getting tired of trying to defend JRJr (“He has a great command of page layouts… he’s able to draw quickly and make his deadlines… he has nice hair and is always friendly at conventions…”)

We’ve moved on. And although we didn’t add a plot prediction option for “no more Avengers” to the contest ballot, the kicker out of Cyke-freak’s face at the end of this issue still feels like it came right out of the coming attractions trailer.

Week 12

Avengers vs. X-Men 6
New Avengers 27
Secret Avengers 28
Uncanny X-Men 14
Avengers Academy 32

With fewer expected one-on-one bouts to impact the Pick ‘Em Pool challenge, the judges are now starting to pay more attention to contenders for the MVP Wagering. Like Iron Fist, for example. The continuation of Bendis’s story arc in New Avengers (leave it to that guy to find another way to make Spider-Man seem important), coupled with Danny Rand’s kung-fu krazy-shield action against Emma-Phoenix in the main book, seems to play up his importance in the storyline. But the other tie-ins this week are just asking more questions than they’re answering.

photo(1) — Mar-vell is back! Oh, just kidding.

Like where does Rick Remender get off bringing back such an important character like Captain Marvel only to kill him off two issues later in this week’s Secret Avengers? Some contest entrants aren’t complaining, though. They’re now halfway to scoring points on the “two or more characters die” option. Do we really think Mister Sinister is relevant, or is the latest issue of Uncanny just a cheap ploy to connect one of Gillen’s good pre-AvX ideas (Sinisteropolis) to the current goings-on in Marveldom? And, finally, is Avengers Academy the lamest of the comic titles bearing the “Avengers” name? Oh wait — that one’s no mystery. Clearly, yes.

No points scored this week, so the leaderboard posted last week remains unchanged.

SNIKT Counter: 13