So my final verdict? I can't give it a perfect score only because I know that anyone just jumping into the event or that hasn't been following all of Marvel for years will not get the full picture here. That being said, for those of us who have been faithful true believers in when absurd crossover events have muddied the waters, this could be the payoff that we have been waiting for. Only one issue in and I feel fully rewarded for being a Marvel fanboy for so many years and only hope that the next few issues will continue to deliver such a strong narative with amazing visuals. Read Full Review

Axis also feels like a culmination of everything that has been boiling in the Marvel Universe since the beginning of Marvel NOW! Nowhere is this more present than the characterization of Professor Xavier's ghost dialogue with Rogue, which remains heartfelt and poignant, a complete piece of what has been hyped since Xavier's shocking, sudden death inAvengers vs. X-Men.Adam Kubert's art is as "superheroey" as can be, and this remains his greatest strength and weakness. While his dynamic action in the giant fight scenes and set pieces is incredibly well-done and well-realized, some of the quieter moments come off as a little rushed. This is no doubt due to the fact that this is a highly anticipated event comic that survives by it's ability to come out on schedule. Again, his action is completely there and well done, it's just that his facial expressions and poses in some of the quieter moments come off as a little brash and angular instead of fully selling the emotion behind ev Read Full Review

Axis is a comic for Marvel fans who are somewhat interested in the newer happenings of the Marvel continuity. It follows a lot of threads that have been established from Avengers vs. X-Men all the way up to Original Sin. Read Full Review

The Bottom Line: The stakes are raised as heroes gather to face an overwhelmingly powerful foe. Appropriately, this means a lot of displays of heroic and villainous power, although it does mean some of our characters are reduced to simply cameos or lame soundbites. Sometimes the story doesn't seem to take itself seriously, with only token acknowledgement or even illogical actions/dialogue from various Marvel series, since it saves its most important moments from events and situations from the Uncanny Avengers. Except for Iron Man; his revelations are completely out of left field, or at least from a storyline eight years ago. Read Full Review

If you have been following Uncanny Avengers since its inception all the way at the beginning of Marvel Now! then Axis #1 is the epic you have been waiting for. If haven't picked up a single Uncanny Avengers issue, then Axis #1 will totally confuse you due to its lack of explanation. Aside from that, Adam Kubert's art is mostly on point and Remender's writing is compelling when he is focusing on his Unity Squad. Unfortunately, it is also annoying when he focuses on everybody else. Read Full Review

Avengers & X-Men: Axis #1 gets off to a relatively good start, as though nowhere near as awesome as it should have been, not quite feeling worth the extra dollar, it shows signs of a brilliant event. It also leaves with some mysterious questions, having me hooked for the next issue. Due to this the issue comes recommended. Read Full Review

Avengers & X-Men: Axis #1 is a decent start to Marvel's next event, and sets up some rather interesting possibilities for the rest of the series. The writing is enjoyable and art is cool, but unfortunately this issue suffers from not being a self-contained story, even though it's a first issue. If you've been reading Uncanny Avengers (and Captain America doesn't hurt), than you will have no issues here. If this is your first exposure to these titles, you won't be so lost that everything they say is gibberish, it's just that a fair amount of the plot relies on familiarity with what has happened in other titles. It's all right, let's just hope with event being nine issues long, Rick Remender doesn't stretch things out to the breaking point to "justify" its length as previous Marvel events have (looking at you Age of Ultron). Read Full Review

AXIS does its best to elevate the plot of Uncanny Avengers into a full-on Marvel event, and while it is at times too busy juggling its many characters, it does manage to give us enough emotional anchors to help get though it. Events often take time to get to the good stuff, but so much happens in this single issue (at an alarming pace) that AXIS will never be accused of being slow. It's no surprise the first issue feels like a final boss battle because that's the trajectory Uncanny Avengers put us on, and for once, it's a joy to be given an event that fully embraces what came before it instead of worrying if it's accessible to Muggles. Read Full Review

This large scale story is peppered with lots of huge action pieces involving world-wide threats and high stakes for the Avengers and X-Men. Axis sets up a far-reaching story and looks like the start of an interesting event, but how self contained will the story of Axis be? Will it be understandable within the main Axis title or will the reader need to also jump aboard some of the other Axis related titles and mini-series in order to soak in all that's going on? That unknown element mixed with the lower than expected art quality from Adam Kubert and slight event fatigue has made me decide to not come back for #2 and instead “trade wait” on this storyline. Read Full Review

This was a pretty good issue to kick off the event. Alliances were formed, enemies became allies and someone died, so overall it was pretty successful. Rick Remender is one of the best wide scope storytellers in the business and he put a pretty good first foot forward. The art was a little dicey at first, but Adam Kubert righted the ship at the end of the issue. This has all the making to be an epic event and Remender has a great track record. Read Full Review

What this issue lacks in detail, it makes up for in concept. The execution of that concept is what makes the story worth following. Even if some of the characters involved are forgettable or downright unlikable, they help establish the strength of that concept in a way where the details missing from this issue can be incorporated with subsequent issues. Unlike a chip on a statue, the flaws in Avengers and X-men: AXIS #1 are fixable. The oversights and missteps can be corrected or more refined at the very least. There's plenty to build on with this concept. Whereas the threat of a super-Nazi villain should bring bickering teams of heroes together, this might actually find a way to do the opposite and that's definitely a story worth telling. Read Full Review

"AXIS" #1 cannot be accused of padding story; so much happens here with so many characters that the character chart at the beginning of the book will be of great use to casual readers. Here's hoping for a bit more inspiration, or a chance for some, in the visual department in the coming issues. Read Full Review

Another huge event has begun. Rick Remender has been building this for a couple years now. Since the end of AVENGERS VS X-MEN and throughout UNCANNY AVENGERS, the seeds have been planted and we're now seeing the next phase for the two teams. Remender sets up plenty of action for Adam Kubert and it's a wonderful treat seeing so many characters in one book. The downside is the feeling of non-stop event after event. I haven't come around to accepting Red Skull in this fashion although it does provide for a different take on the character. This has the makings of another big story that could have a huge impact on the Marvel Universe. You won't want to miss out on what's coming up. Read Full Review

Due to his long-term planning skills, Remender is often described as "the man with the plan" in the comics world. Unfortunately, this particular event may have been left to cook for too long, resulting in an overstuffed, scattered start. Although this is only the beginning, an uninspiring cliffhanger suggests that next issue will only offer more of the same. Read Full Review

The opening issue of Axis gives the reader page after page of story. A lot of it seems to have such deep roots in other books it might lose its punch with the new reader. The comic has an enormous cast that almost seems too big for the comic to handle properly, but it makes a good effort. The book is on the cusp of something great, it just needs to focus on this story and not the last story more and it needs a major re-tooling of the art. The comic might be overpriced but if you are curious enough you probably won't be disappointed. Read Full Review

I do believe the Marvel Universe needed some shaking up. Things were getting so stale, and just not very interesting. I haven't been engaged by the X-books in a while. That being said, I don't think this was the event we needed. There isn't very much originality to the story. Also, with how much this feels more like a mid-event chapter than a first chapter, how is the rest of the story going to pull us in and keep our interest? I really hope this isn't like Brian Michael Bendis's “Battle of the Atom” where very little happened in the first three quarters of the crossover event. I guess we will have to keep reading to find out " I just wish the issue left me craving for more. Ultimately the art isn't amazing, and Remender's writing has some faults, but the issue is fast paced and entertaining. I just hope that, by the end, more questions are answered, and I'm not left asking myself "Why did I wait in line for this roller coaster?" Read Full Review

Axis #1 is nothing special. It is not offensive, but also lacks any notable features. Kubert's art still provides plenty of spectacle for readers to enjoy with lots of characters engaged in a broad battle. The drama that is supposed to be in those panels is non-existent though. The Marvel universe may be briefly changed by some fallout of this issue, but Remender and Kubert never craft a reason for readers to invest in or care about this story. It reads like another event comic that does nothing to distinguish itself from all of those that have come before. Read Full Review

The art of the issue is extremely inconsistent. There are some pages drawn with incredible detail and others where the main heroes on the page look gawky or in some cases are completely faceless. It's the inconsistency that causes the art to be distracting as the low points really stand out. Inconsistent is probably the best way to describe the whole issue as the story as the isn't too bad and could go in an interesting direction. It does seem like a strange choice for an event however and until the end feels more like two separate comics – one Avengers title and one X-Men title. Read Full Review

It hurts to say it but Avengers & X-Men: Axis #1 just isn't worth $4.99. They have to change the direction of this story with the next issue if they want readers to care to continue with this story. That's if they haven't given up already because a book like this which will be shipping out that fast a month needs to deliver in the very first issue, Avengers & X-Men: Axis #1 did not. There may be those few tie-ins as usual that surprise you, though the main story just doesn't seem to scream buy me. In fact those who are already annoyed with how consistent events are thrown at us may now have that fuel to keep pushing their reasons against it with some justification. Read Full Review

I was expecting so much from Axis and rightfully so. Rick Remender is one of the strongest writers in comics and his leads up series to this was incredible. Maybe he crumbled under the pressure of writing such a big event. I heard in an interview that it was originally a 6-part story and was elongated to 9 issues. Maybe, the extra content damaged this story’s original plan. Nevertheless, a jumbled story and rushed artwork don’t merit a recommendation from me. Event fatigue is getting heavy on readers shoulders and Axis may just be increasing the weight. Read Full Review

But the fight against Red Onslaught is not the overall point of Axis, so maybe Remender just wanted to get this part out-of-the-way with a big action scene. That I can understand. But he bit off more than we readers could properly chew with Axis #1. Read Full Review

The Avengers are written well with interesting character dynamics and an honest to goodness threat on their hands, but damn is the entire Red Onslaught battle laughable and boring. At 25 minutes I was definitely given more bang for the buck, but dammit was the bang a weak one. Honestly 13 out of 30 pages are worth reading. Fail. Read Full Review

There are some great moments in this comic, but they're often fleeting, stomped down by the unrelenting march of event storytelling. The X-Men, for example, look to be turning a corner beyond the infighting of Schism and Avengers vs. X-Men, and the Scarlet Witch and Rogue continue to be Remender's clear favorites. But for every great moment, there are plenty of eye-rollers, including Ahab stabbing his umpteenth mutant or the Red Skull pulling a secret plan out of Tony Stark's head from out of nowhere. Comics can be goofy, can be crazy, but they need some sort of internal logic in order to be believed - and Axis lacks that consistency to ground it. Without that, even with its plethora of characters, this crossover feels less than the sum of its parts. Read Full Review

It is very hard to feel optimistic about any major crossover these days, especially one that comes so hot on the heels of another remarkably lackluster event, and Axis does very little to relieve anyone's event fatigue. The problem is, we all know the inevitable return to status quo that will follow, and while superhero comics these days are far more about the journey than the destination, even the window dressing in Axis feels like gears simply grinding to the next stop, with no care for how the story arrives at its foreordained objective so long as no one falls off the cart on the way there. Read Full Review

This oversized issue never focuses on any one protagonist for very long; one-liners abound from the likes of Quentin Quire, Genesis, and Iron Fist. Axis #1 tries so hard to include everyone, we end up sympathizing with no one. Read Full Review

Avoid at all costs. Read Full Review

Super dense storytelling with high-stakes action and great character interactions.

Great start to an event although the art could've been better.

My full recap/review of this can be found here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cCtoBCw6TI&list=UU9Anx3CRncARu-Utf_Yaf3A

There was definitely too much going on here, and while I did find the dialogue a bit busy, I didn't think it was as terrible as some people seemed to. Not on par with Remender's work on Uncanny Avengers, but far from the worst thing I've read. The art was quite good too. Overall, not a bad start.

Disappointing. Remenders one of my favorite current writers but it literally feels like he phoned this one in. Sadly one of the worst comics Ive read in a while.

Oh, infinite sadness! I really wanted to like this, but the art is sloppy and the writing is in serious need of an editor with common sense.

Shockingly terrible. From the horrible banter to the impossibly implausible set-up. Guh.

Ugh I really don't like Axis. This is what put me off of Rick Remender's work in general. I'm reading this as part of my Hickman's Avengers re-read, despite Hickman's run just skipping over Axis entirely. But Avengers World, which I'm also reading, ties in and Tony Stark gets inverted. That's the only reason I'm reading this. But I really don't like it. It's a mess one issue in and God, some of the dialogue is just atrocious. This is gonna be a rough one.

The issue can't figure out what it wants to be. I normally really enjoy Remender's writing, but the dialogue in this issue is terrible. All the characters are speaking in the same voice. They all are making really bad jokes, and then try to sound forceful right before they punch something. This is such a let down after the stellar Uncanny Avengers.