While nothing big to transition Avengers Arena into Boss Level, it was a solid issue that addressed something about the story plot which made all the difference about its direction going into the next story arc. Loose ends were cut on Arcade's end and with that out-of-the-way, the game can continue. The art in this issue was much better, something I would have preferred to see during any of the previous issues. Read Full Review

I am glad to say that issue #13 of Avengers Arena is not a flop, and when you have someone else taking on the writing duties that is not the visionary behind the series there is a risk. But this issue actually addressed my major concern with the series as a whole " why the heck has none of the teachers of these kids noticed that the students are missing? Read Full Review

I think this is a comic many can enjoy. It's easy to understand for a new comic reader, yet has characters a comic junkie would enjoy. The writing style makes it appealing to both teenagers and older comic readers alike. And with the diversity in characters males and females both have a reason to stay interested. I can't wait to see what happens next! Read Full Review

I really believe Karl Moline should have been the second artist from the beginning. His work in this issue is really tight. And while it lacks the grit of Walker, I think it's still better than the other fill-ins we've had. I hope the series lasts long enough to get to the payoff. Read Full Review

Are people still outraged over this title? In a nice change of pace, we get to see what is happening in the outside world as the kidnapped super-powered children continue their fight to the death. As these kids remain missing, there would have to be adults or fellow teammates wondering what happened to them. Christos Gage returns to tell the story in a fitting fashion since he has written several of them in the pages of AVENGERS ACADEMY. While the story does make sense, it almost felt as if it was a last minute decision to give us this story now rather than show any indication before. It also feels as if it's interrupting the flow the main story a bit. There is still no telling how this story will end. With stories like this one, we can feel assured that there definitely has been some thought put into the overall idea. Read Full Review

Artist Karl Moline does a good job depicting the many talking heads of this issue without making it all appear too static. There are several instances where his pencils are over-inked, causing characters to have funny looking faces, namely Wolverine, but nothing so bad that it hurts the overall presentation. The script has a few moments that are intended to be surprises, but they seem added in in an attempt to generate excitement in an otherwise very talky issue. Moline does his best to make the moments work, and he succeeds quite admirably in the full page shot that takes place in Arcade's lair. You'll know the one because it's awesome. Read Full Review

Still, Gage's script is full of humor and follows the story down a logical path. There's a delicate balancing act at work, because even though we, as readers, know that Pym is being fooled, he never comes across as being unreasonably stupid. In his situation, you can imagine being just as convinced as he is. It might be six issues too late and come over a little like an exercise in box-ticking, but as far as those stories go, this is about as strong as they get. It feels more like a treat for fans who've been waiting for answers since day one, but hey, there's nothing wrong with that once in a while. Read Full Review

Ultimately, this issue is for completists only, as this answers some pressing questions on how the responsible heroes of the Marvel Universe haven't figured out Arcade's plans - it's a decently written issue, albeit one that isn't a requirement for the overall Avengers Arena storyline. Read Full Review

Avengers Arena #13 is a remarkably strong character piece, playing on themes of family and paranoia using one of the original Marvel heroes, while clarifying our timelines (the kids have been missing, by the way, for just over three weeks) and squaring away a lot of loose ends. Read Full Review