Advanced Review: Avengers: X-Sanction #1

The crossover event of the year is finally upon us! The solicits have been out, the press has been geared up for months, even the NYCC was all a buzz about the ramifications Avengers: X-Sanction will bring to the future of the Marvel Universe. Loeb and McGuiness have brought Cable back from Marvel's ever expanding area of limbo known as "not dead," and Cable has his sights set upon all the people that will bring about another horrific future — The Avengers!

Sounds great! Only, I wish it were.

Somewhere along a story's gestation period, "hype" begins to feed and take on a life all its own. Sometimes "hype" follows along with its counterpart, melding into something pitch perfect. But other times, like this one, "hype" feeds and feeds, leaving its sibling an emaciated shadow of what it could have been.

Loeb has a good concept. Cable is dying and has twenty-four hours to stop the Avengers, the people that will cause his "daughter," Hope, harm in some way. Supposedly, Cable will take down all the Avengers, but when push comes to shove, he "stores" them in favor of utter destruction. In no way do I expect Marvel to have Cable "kill" the big name Avengers, but this story would have had the readers more invested if some of the B list characters visited the "not dead."

And that is exactly why this book falls flat. There is no pull, no feeling of an investment to the story, no "wow" moment that makes you feel that your four dollars was worth it. This is a set-up issue, as well as it should be, but it never breaks through that shackle, and leaves you wondering, "Is this it?"

I can honestly say that I was excited for this story, Loeb is one of my favorite wrtiers, but at this point I have no drive to pick up issue two. Which to me is extremely disappointing. I wish I was stunned, I wish I was wowed, I wish the story lived up to the "hype." But it just doesn't!

'Nuff" said!

Advance copy provided by a friend of Cosmic Book News