Naturally my thoughts here were pretty bittersweet...  Yes, this was yet another good to great issue of this series, but it WAS the final issue.  From here, many of the characters from this series(although not my two favorites...) are heading into Avengers Arena.  I've already added Avengers Arena to my pull list, but seriously, how long can a comic series with THAT premise possibly last?  Even with the Avengers name on it...  Oh well.  In the end, kudos to Christos Gage for finishing this series off as wonderfully as he did.  As I said in the intro, I can guarantee you I'll be reading this series again, from the first issue to the last, and loving every second of it.  Again. Read Full Review

It's sad to see this series go, partly because Gage makes it abundantly clear that there's still so much story left to tell with his cast, and partly because Avengers Arena does not appear to be the kind of book that will explore that potential. Regardless, we'll always have these past 40 issues to look back on fondly. Read Full Review

Avengers Academy #39 is able to end the series on a high note. It is sad that the series has to end but Gage is able to provide a proper "end" for this cast of characters. With how each character ends there time at this Academy there is a lot to look forward to in whatever book each one of them appears in the future. Read Full Review

Avengers Academy #39 is ending before it wore out it's welcome, and has outlasted nearly every other artifact of Dark Reign. Read Full Review

Which sets me to thinking about the future of these future Avengers. As this series closes up shop, waiting for Marvel NOW! to bring "Avengers Arena," I can't help but wonder how these characters will fare in what is being summarized as a deathmatch comic. Some of the friendships Gage created have started to crack, but given that these characters are all moving out from Gage's watchful eye, nothing is guaranteed. Read Full Review

Writing-A+(93%)
Art-B+(77%)
Plot-A+(91%)
Verdict-A-(87%)