As Hopeless said the series is driven by the heart of the characters and not to designed around the bloodshed, and this issue works in concert with the premise, while still exploiting character death to further of character building. I don't want to be accused of giving Walker too much credit, but in an issue that begins and ends on ironic notes it feels totally excusable as another spoonful of irony that breaks the fourth wall. Read Full Review

We've already seen who's standing on Day 29, and while that scene was intense and looked great, it definitely takes a bit away from the experience. We know that no matter how terrible things may look, those 2 are in it for the long run. That detracts from the experience a bit and also makes me wonder what Hopeless' long term plans for the title are. What comes after Murder World?Those premature concerns aside, Hopeless and Walker are crafting an engaging story in spite of the premise being blatantly taken from the likes of The Hunger Games and Battle Royale. There's a lot of heart behind these characters (even if it's being addressed one at a time) and I'm cautiously optimistic to see how this will play out. Read Full Review

Even though the technical parts of the issue are sound, I just don't think I can stomach seeing young heroes get killed off for so little reason and with so little meaning"twice a month. It will take some work to convince me not to Drop this series in a couple issues. Read Full Review

Review's Note: This issues cover homage, Lord of the Flies Read Full Review

Distaste with the exploitative high concept aside " and I can only imagine that amount of hate Dennis Hopeless has gotten for doing this book " Avengers Arena is sort of the dark mirror image of Christos Gage's beloved sleeper book. More characters showing more character, but unlike the immortal IP of most Avengers books, these new concepts come with a very distinct expiration date. If Hopeless can balance the extended characterization with the sort of Battle Royale fisticuffs that set this series apart, it may escape the fate of its canceled predecessor yet. Read Full Review

I'll continue to let Hopeless dangle the proverbial carrot in front of me for a couple more issues, but I expect a bigger payoff sooner, rather than later. Read Full Review

I'm sure there's a wonderful reset button somewhere waiting to be pushed, but for now this adventure is filled with high-octane intensity. This is one of the Marvel NOW! titles I wasn't overly keen about, but the first two issues have delivered enough energy and excitement for me to come back for more. Walker's art is strong and emotional, matching the story note for note and then some. Despite the premise the series is built on and the fact that the eliminated heroes now number the same as issues released of this series, I'm curious to learn more about this ragtag bunch. Like a twisted game of "Survivor," the characters in "Avengers Arena" #2 begin forming cliques and developing alliances as they try to figure out what's happening and why. For now, the readers are right there with them as Hopeless does a good job making sure we want to stay. Read Full Review

Again earning this book a bulk of its score is artist Kev Walker. With the support of a solid inker and some talented colorists, Walker brings Avengers Arena to life. Everything from his layered paneling to his use of white space to his execution of big moments all work together to make an impressive looking comic book. These kids look as depressed as s*** and Walker will make you feel like you're one of them huddled around a campfire not knowing why you're probably about to die. Read Full Review

I actually enjoyed the first issue of Avengers Arena because Dennis Hopeless was able to ground the situation with Hazmat and Mette's relationship. Unfortunately, Avengers Arena #2 failed to make me care about the dangerous situation these characters are placed. All the violence that happens on screen is unnecessary violent. It does not help that the characters we got to learn more about are extremely wooden with all their dialogue. The only saving grace for Avengers Arena #2 is Kev Walker's artwork but even that does not save this issue. If things do not change in the next issue Avengers Arena will be chopped from my pull list. Read Full Review

So far Avengers Arena is off to a rocky start. Issue 3 is right around the corner maybe it will get the series back on track. Read Full Review