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Avengers Arena
Avengers Arena, Vol. 2: Game On
The history of Arcade is revealed! How did the former punch line become the sadistic scene stealer that now torments Marvel's teen heroes? Find out in this shocking behind-the-scenes story! Plus: what are X-23's secrets? What is Darkhawk's big reveal? Secrets explode, alliances shatter, and Apex - the mean girl you love to hate - makes her move, as the next chapter of the Arena's deadly game begins!
COLLECTING: Avengers Arena 7-12
COLLECTING: Avengers Arena 7-12
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
7 people are currently reading
255 people want to read
About the author
Dennis Hopeless
528 books118 followersDennis "Hopeless" Hallum is an American comics writer from Kansas City, Missouri who has written for Marvel Comics, Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Boom! Studios, Arcana Studio, and Oni Press.
See also under Dennis Hallum
See also under Dennis Hallum
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
March 17, 2021
Avengers Arena #1-12, so this volume and Avengers Arena Vol. 1: Kill or Die. Just when I was considering dropping all the Avengers titles (and I've dropped a few), I got to read this. Lord of the Flies meets The Hunger Games meets Battle Royale meets Brian K Vaughan's Runaways, Vol. 1: Pride and Joy. Braddock Academy, Avengers Academy, Runaways, Blackhawk and Cammi are kidnapped by a superbly re-imagined Arcade and are set-up to kill each other within 30 days. Astoundingly well written and drawn young heroes series, indeed probably the best young Marvel heroes series since Chris Claremont's New Mutants Epic Collection Vol. 2: The Demon Bear Saga! 8 out of 12 >applause<
I read the comic books.
I read the comic books.
October 22, 2014
What sense does it make to read volume 2 of a series that has thirteen plus characters being juggled around eight months after reading volume one? Rhetorical question. It makes no sense whatsoever.
Here’s the scoop - twelve teen-age super heroes are teleported to an outdoor arena by Arcade. They’re forced to battle till only one remains. Who bit the dust in volume one?
The first issue of this volume deals with the transformation of Arcade from loser to loser with a new suit. Arcade killed his Dad because he wouldn’t take him to the circus when he was five, ended up inheriting a bunch of money and set up deadly obstacle courses (Arcade of Terror, Arcade of Horror, Arcade of Death, Evil Arcade of Doom, etc. etc. etc.) for super heroes who always outwitted him. Someone gave him a new suit of powers (think Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat, but evil and it’s white) and now he’s being an ass.
Most of this volume is taken up with alliances formed and lost between such luminaries as Bob the Builder Kid, Pre-menstrual Girl, Toxic Waste Dump Lass, Flounder Girl, Pterodactyl Boy, X-23, Sabrina, the Teenage Lavender Magic Witch and a bunch of other kids I don’t remember.
It basically comes down to Pre-Menstrual Girl able to control machines and people, with Sabrina, the only one powerful enough to take her out.
Much talk*, not enough smart ass kids getting blown up.
*You know the character is from Scotland because he/she substitutes wee for small.
Here’s the scoop - twelve teen-age super heroes are teleported to an outdoor arena by Arcade. They’re forced to battle till only one remains. Who bit the dust in volume one?
The first issue of this volume deals with the transformation of Arcade from loser to loser with a new suit. Arcade killed his Dad because he wouldn’t take him to the circus when he was five, ended up inheriting a bunch of money and set up deadly obstacle courses (Arcade of Terror, Arcade of Horror, Arcade of Death, Evil Arcade of Doom, etc. etc. etc.) for super heroes who always outwitted him. Someone gave him a new suit of powers (think Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat, but evil and it’s white) and now he’s being an ass.
Most of this volume is taken up with alliances formed and lost between such luminaries as Bob the Builder Kid, Pre-menstrual Girl, Toxic Waste Dump Lass, Flounder Girl, Pterodactyl Boy, X-23, Sabrina, the Teenage Lavender Magic Witch and a bunch of other kids I don’t remember.
It basically comes down to Pre-Menstrual Girl able to control machines and people, with Sabrina, the only one powerful enough to take her out.
Much talk*, not enough smart ass kids getting blown up.
*You know the character is from Scotland because he/she substitutes wee for small.
January 28, 2014
The casts of Avengers Academy and Runaways are still in Murderworld, an intricate closed environment filled with deathtraps created by the villain Arcade, and the last man standing deathmatch a la Battle Royale/Hunger Games continues. Some characters died in the first volume, some more die in the second, and probably a few more will die in the third. Dialogue is spoken in between fight scenes. It is a non-comical comic. My edition was printed on paper.
The first volume didn’t blow me away but I didn’t hate it as much as a number of readers did. Yes it’s derivative and totally unoriginal but I hoped it would keep going further, becoming trashier as the series went on. Alas, it hasn’t and now I join the ranks of readers who despise this series. The problem is that it’s trying to seem like a real series with real characters and, because it’s not accomplishing this, it’s become a real bore to read.
One of the biggest obstacles this series has is how unknown most of these characters are going to be for anyone who hasn’t read Avengers Academy/Runaways (like me!). We get Apex’s backstory and I can only say: was laughter the desired response? I don’t know who Chase is but every time he transforms into a lamer version of Iron Man – Darkhawk! – it’s a big deal, and I don’t get why. Dennis Hopeless is trying to make you care about characters you don’t know who’re given the barest of background information in a story about them all dying – it’s not an approach that works or should’ve even been attempted.
I suppose if you’re an Avengers Academy/Runaways fan already then this obstacle doesn’t exist for you, but those titles were both very low-selling comics for Marvel so I can only imagine that the majority of readers picking this up aren’t going to know who’s who and why we should care about their deaths.
There are some fights but unfortunately not enough death. The one series where Marvel could deliver more on their superhero fights than just boring stalemates and they flub it! Even when a certain character does bite it, they come back to life later on! Meanwhile, the ones that do die have been minor blips in the series so far so I barely noticed they’d gone when they had. And when they’re not fighting ineffectively, they’re bumming around on the beach! Is the subtitle, “Game On”, referring to a game of friendly volleyball or something?
I liked the opening issue explaining how and why Arcade came to create Murderworld. He’s definitely gone up in my estimation as a more interesting character because of this series and I wish he’d play a bigger part in the book given that the alternatives are so dreary. But one good issue out of six ain’t enough to recommend this book. It’s definitely not shaping up to be a must-read comic.
Avengers Arena Volume 2 sacrifices the potential craziness and fun of the silly concept to deliver a maudlin, lo-fi, and very dull book. It’s a disappointing addition to a series that could’ve been much more enjoyable if it had been handled a different way. Maybe it’ll mean more to Avengers Academy/Runaways fans but to everyone who’s not, the story is unlikely to make you care about these characters nor make you want to rush out and pick up those other books.
Ho hum, I guess I’ll go read the third volume for completion more than anything…
The first volume didn’t blow me away but I didn’t hate it as much as a number of readers did. Yes it’s derivative and totally unoriginal but I hoped it would keep going further, becoming trashier as the series went on. Alas, it hasn’t and now I join the ranks of readers who despise this series. The problem is that it’s trying to seem like a real series with real characters and, because it’s not accomplishing this, it’s become a real bore to read.
One of the biggest obstacles this series has is how unknown most of these characters are going to be for anyone who hasn’t read Avengers Academy/Runaways (like me!). We get Apex’s backstory and I can only say: was laughter the desired response? I don’t know who Chase is but every time he transforms into a lamer version of Iron Man – Darkhawk! – it’s a big deal, and I don’t get why. Dennis Hopeless is trying to make you care about characters you don’t know who’re given the barest of background information in a story about them all dying – it’s not an approach that works or should’ve even been attempted.
I suppose if you’re an Avengers Academy/Runaways fan already then this obstacle doesn’t exist for you, but those titles were both very low-selling comics for Marvel so I can only imagine that the majority of readers picking this up aren’t going to know who’s who and why we should care about their deaths.
There are some fights but unfortunately not enough death. The one series where Marvel could deliver more on their superhero fights than just boring stalemates and they flub it! Even when a certain character does bite it, they come back to life later on! Meanwhile, the ones that do die have been minor blips in the series so far so I barely noticed they’d gone when they had. And when they’re not fighting ineffectively, they’re bumming around on the beach! Is the subtitle, “Game On”, referring to a game of friendly volleyball or something?
I liked the opening issue explaining how and why Arcade came to create Murderworld. He’s definitely gone up in my estimation as a more interesting character because of this series and I wish he’d play a bigger part in the book given that the alternatives are so dreary. But one good issue out of six ain’t enough to recommend this book. It’s definitely not shaping up to be a must-read comic.
Avengers Arena Volume 2 sacrifices the potential craziness and fun of the silly concept to deliver a maudlin, lo-fi, and very dull book. It’s a disappointing addition to a series that could’ve been much more enjoyable if it had been handled a different way. Maybe it’ll mean more to Avengers Academy/Runaways fans but to everyone who’s not, the story is unlikely to make you care about these characters nor make you want to rush out and pick up those other books.
Ho hum, I guess I’ll go read the third volume for completion more than anything…
August 2, 2016
2.75 stars
Not as good as the first one, but still moderately enjoyable. The concept has begun to feel familiar, though. At time, I kind of forgot that they were trapped in Murder World.
But this volume does reveal some character complexities, specifically of Nico, Katy/Apex, and Bloodstone. Bloodstone's is actually more character-driven, because we find out that Katy's and Nico's powers are revealed and enhanced in this one. Oh, and Arcade's pathetic backstory is revealed in this.
I think the reason that I am continuing this series is primarily because I liked the first volume and this story arc is only three volumes. And the two-volume arc that follows this looks interesting. And I have the third volume already sitting in front of me. So here goes nothing. No, scratch that. Hopefully , here goes something.
Not as good as the first one, but still moderately enjoyable. The concept has begun to feel familiar, though. At time, I kind of forgot that they were trapped in Murder World.
But this volume does reveal some character complexities, specifically of Nico, Katy/Apex, and Bloodstone. Bloodstone's is actually more character-driven, because we find out that Katy's and Nico's powers are revealed and enhanced in this one. Oh, and Arcade's pathetic backstory is revealed in this.
I think the reason that I am continuing this series is primarily because I liked the first volume and this story arc is only three volumes. And the two-volume arc that follows this looks interesting. And I have the third volume already sitting in front of me. So here goes nothing. No, scratch that. Hopefully , here goes something.
December 18, 2023
This is the middle volume in the series, so I'm coming into this cold. I'm also not familiar with Marvel's AVENGERS ACADEMY, RUNAWAYS, or DARKHAWK; so I'm also at a disadvantage when it comes to recognizing and understanding the twelve characters here. However, I've always been curious about all three, and finding this trade paperback in a bargain bin seemed like an inexpensive way to try them out. If I really liked the story then I could seek out the other two volumes.
Well, that's not going to happen - - - but I'm not saying this is a totally bad story. These are lesser-known Marvel characters, all young adults, and the situations are interesting just as much as they are.
Twelve teen superheroes are kidnapped, transported to a deadly island (Arcade's Murder World) and expected to fight to the death until just one remains. While I certainly don't expect Marvel to kill that many characters, there's a certain amount that will need to be sacrificed in order to maintain any tension in the storyline before the assumed rescue. To writer Hopeless' credit, some of these characters are downright mean-spirited.
A decent read but not something that I feel I need to continue or should recommend.
Well, that's not going to happen - - - but I'm not saying this is a totally bad story. These are lesser-known Marvel characters, all young adults, and the situations are interesting just as much as they are.
Twelve teen superheroes are kidnapped, transported to a deadly island (Arcade's Murder World) and expected to fight to the death until just one remains. While I certainly don't expect Marvel to kill that many characters, there's a certain amount that will need to be sacrificed in order to maintain any tension in the storyline before the assumed rescue. To writer Hopeless' credit, some of these characters are downright mean-spirited.
A decent read but not something that I feel I need to continue or should recommend.
May 10, 2014
I really didn't care for the first volume.
On the other hand, I LOVED! LOVED! LOVED! Volume 2. I was unimpressed by the first volume, I almost hesitated from picking up the second volume---I was definitely going to read it in a Tony Stark blase fashion:
AND THEN
I LIKED the back story of the villain or AA Gamemaster. He IS a sucky villain, I love it! He's so sucky, he creates a sucky world, and puts little sucky teenagers to have an overload of hormones, problems, friendships, self-esteem/control-thyself-issues----and best yet, it's epic---turn on the other teammate issue.
OMG, YES, GIVE ME MORE!
I just love the twin twist, I love the British witch, the whole beach mirage life that crazy little Hazmat is dealing with---The Reptile kid... I mean, *OMG* It's like being stuck in high-school all over again, with people that I particularly do not LIKE (or may like) and we are all given superpowers----and a chaotic landscape where---no one's safe. I mean it's like Hunger Games fanfiction brought to life in comic book format. I think this volume worked well because the characters were more interesting, and the trashy friendships/triangles/teendrama was at the forefront.
I have so many plot theories going on right now---especially since they ended it with, "WAIT THEY MIGHT NOT BE DEAD?!" WHAT A LAB-BOR-A-TORY----orrrrr---
My favorite is debating the scenarios of either a) who will be the one b) who will be the power couple c) who will be the one to figure out how to 'unite everyone together...' GOD THERE ARE SO MANY DOORS! SO MANY---it was like thinking about the Community episode entitled: Remedial Chaos Theory
There's so many places this comic could go. Will they succeed my initial expectation of the series. ABSOLUTELY. Will it let me down---PROBABLY---but in the moment---I want to treasure this emotion:
On the other hand, I LOVED! LOVED! LOVED! Volume 2. I was unimpressed by the first volume, I almost hesitated from picking up the second volume---I was definitely going to read it in a Tony Stark blase fashion:
AND THEN
I LIKED the back story of the villain or AA Gamemaster. He IS a sucky villain, I love it! He's so sucky, he creates a sucky world, and puts little sucky teenagers to have an overload of hormones, problems, friendships, self-esteem/control-thyself-issues----and best yet, it's epic---turn on the other teammate issue.
OMG, YES, GIVE ME MORE!
I just love the twin twist, I love the British witch, the whole beach mirage life that crazy little Hazmat is dealing with---The Reptile kid... I mean, *OMG* It's like being stuck in high-school all over again, with people that I particularly do not LIKE (or may like) and we are all given superpowers----and a chaotic landscape where---no one's safe. I mean it's like Hunger Games fanfiction brought to life in comic book format. I think this volume worked well because the characters were more interesting, and the trashy friendships/triangles/teendrama was at the forefront.
I have so many plot theories going on right now---especially since they ended it with, "WAIT THEY MIGHT NOT BE DEAD?!" WHAT A LAB-BOR-A-TORY----orrrrr---
My favorite is debating the scenarios of either a) who will be the one b) who will be the power couple c) who will be the one to figure out how to 'unite everyone together...' GOD THERE ARE SO MANY DOORS! SO MANY---it was like thinking about the Community episode entitled: Remedial Chaos Theory
There's so many places this comic could go. Will they succeed my initial expectation of the series. ABSOLUTELY. Will it let me down---PROBABLY---but in the moment---I want to treasure this emotion:
April 11, 2017
The arena's set, the players are in place, and Arcade's having the time of his life watching his young charges murder the absolute bejeezus out of one another at his behest. The first volume might be mostly introduction and back-story, but Volume 2 of Dennis Hopeless's mean-spirited trilogy is pretty much all action, with a few surprises thrown in to boot. There's a bit more character exposition, some explaining of background, and a cut-away to explain why none of the adult mutants who should be looking for these characters are doing so, but by and large the bulk of this book is exactly what you'd expect: teams forming, sides squaring off, betrayals, sacrifice, and death galore. If you've been holding your breath to see X-23 pop her claws in preparation for a colossal slash-fest, prepare to exhale.
Pretty much everything I wrote in my review for volume 1 applies here, so I'm not going to recap. Just know from here on out, things get a hell of a lot more hectic for the surviving kids. The real question is if Hank Pym or anyone else on the outside will figure out what's going on in time to save anyone, or if the mini-Avengers will be forced to continue culling their ranks as the 30-day threshold draws ever closer.
Pretty much everything I wrote in my review for volume 1 applies here, so I'm not going to recap. Just know from here on out, things get a hell of a lot more hectic for the surviving kids. The real question is if Hank Pym or anyone else on the outside will figure out what's going on in time to save anyone, or if the mini-Avengers will be forced to continue culling their ranks as the 30-day threshold draws ever closer.
April 4, 2016
How will this end?!
July 19, 2021
Things ramp up as a proper villain reveals themselves and does what they feel they must in order to win the game.
So the last volume presented the kids as just that: kids. And they really had no idea what was happening and were just very reactionary. They're scared, they got powers, they fight. That was pretty much it. But here, Hopeless begins to show us that some of the kids are more than they appear. In particular, X23 and Apex. From the moment this started, X23 began to think of ways to kill each member of Murder World, and how to go about doing so. And while that is dark and sounds really bad, its really because she has that type of thing hardwired into her. It's almost instinctual and she cant help but to do it.
But Apex is pure methodically planned evilness. And she brings up a good point during the story. Is it really evil? Or is she just playing the game and surviving? Whatever it is, she begins to move the pieces of her plan in place and the others have to band together against her.
And speaking of Evil, we get the origin of Arcade's Murder World and how he went about setting it up. This was a good issue because it gives us some context into how off the rails Arcade is. He has hit rock bottom, so we get this sense of desperateness thrown into this whole affair, which makes it a bit more dangerous.
Hopeless really has a good handle on the story and all the moving parts, including the characters. He makes each character feel like its own individual person, and not just a stand in or cannon fodder. If you like stories involving young heroes, this one is for you.
So the last volume presented the kids as just that: kids. And they really had no idea what was happening and were just very reactionary. They're scared, they got powers, they fight. That was pretty much it. But here, Hopeless begins to show us that some of the kids are more than they appear. In particular, X23 and Apex. From the moment this started, X23 began to think of ways to kill each member of Murder World, and how to go about doing so. And while that is dark and sounds really bad, its really because she has that type of thing hardwired into her. It's almost instinctual and she cant help but to do it.
But Apex is pure methodically planned evilness. And she brings up a good point during the story. Is it really evil? Or is she just playing the game and surviving? Whatever it is, she begins to move the pieces of her plan in place and the others have to band together against her.
And speaking of Evil, we get the origin of Arcade's Murder World and how he went about setting it up. This was a good issue because it gives us some context into how off the rails Arcade is. He has hit rock bottom, so we get this sense of desperateness thrown into this whole affair, which makes it a bit more dangerous.
Hopeless really has a good handle on the story and all the moving parts, including the characters. He makes each character feel like its own individual person, and not just a stand in or cannon fodder. If you like stories involving young heroes, this one is for you.
November 23, 2017
This was even better than the first volume. We get a cool strategic "villain" type, which in turn causes other characters to bring out their big guns, upping the stakes and really getting the deathmatch going. Katy's and Nico's arcs are amazing in this volume. Not gonna spoil anything in this review though, so I'll keep my excitement contained.
Unfortunately, the art had some changeups. Luckily, it still looks great. Some amazing spreads in this one.
This series is just a lot of fun. Refer back to my review of volume 1 for a more in-depth review and an explanation of my score (tl;dr: IT'S FUN!!)
Unfortunately, the art had some changeups. Luckily, it still looks great. Some amazing spreads in this one.
This series is just a lot of fun. Refer back to my review of volume 1 for a more in-depth review and an explanation of my score (tl;dr: IT'S FUN!!)
January 2, 2016
A villainous backstory! An evil, narcissistic, single-bodied twins! Death! New alliances! Betrayal! Trauma! And a serious-as-hell-long-needed-power-upgrade! This was an interesting volume indeed :)
February 1, 2024
A bunch of messed up kids who happen to be super heroes…forced to survive in the middle of nowhere…for a madman’s amusement…
Avengers Arena by Dennis Hopeless and Kev walker (and fill-ins) was a marvel comic essentially using Battle Royale as inspiration to have fun with some teenage heroes in training…
In a quest for legitimacy, Arcade (the X-men villain) captures 16 young superpowered individuals and forces them to survive in his new murder world, but there’s a catch…
None of these kids are what you’d call ideal or “stable”. They aren’t the kind that grew up idolizing captain America or easily followed orders or did what they were told. Some don’t even know what they are as they’ve been thrust into a horrible situation with a bunch of strangers.
What’s impressive about this book is that it originally got a lot of criticism for being some kind of cash grab or cheap marketing stunt. Just killing off some no name heroes for shock value…but as it progressed it got to be something else.
The creators wisely use a mix of old and new characters…with many of the new ones having a healthy amount of backstory we learn throughout. Some of these new characters have continued to pop up now and then which is also pretty good.
However the existing ones…they ran the gamut from 90s hero Darkhawk to members of the Runaways to x-23 to students at Avengers Academy (a book that ended just before this started)…but then also characters that few (other than myself) would have remember…like Darx’s teen sidekick and the kid with a pet Sentinel (and briefly his own ongoing).
Only one or two would be considered “wasted” characters that didn’t have any history or prove useful to the story (that would be new character Red Raven), but the rest get a healthy amount of characterization.
This lengthy maxi-series would be followed by a sequel Avengers Undercover…where some of the survivors go after Arcade for revenge.
Sadly, most of the characters in this have lapsed into limbo…but maybe they’ll pop up again one day…
Avengers Arena by Dennis Hopeless and Kev walker (and fill-ins) was a marvel comic essentially using Battle Royale as inspiration to have fun with some teenage heroes in training…
In a quest for legitimacy, Arcade (the X-men villain) captures 16 young superpowered individuals and forces them to survive in his new murder world, but there’s a catch…
None of these kids are what you’d call ideal or “stable”. They aren’t the kind that grew up idolizing captain America or easily followed orders or did what they were told. Some don’t even know what they are as they’ve been thrust into a horrible situation with a bunch of strangers.
What’s impressive about this book is that it originally got a lot of criticism for being some kind of cash grab or cheap marketing stunt. Just killing off some no name heroes for shock value…but as it progressed it got to be something else.
The creators wisely use a mix of old and new characters…with many of the new ones having a healthy amount of backstory we learn throughout. Some of these new characters have continued to pop up now and then which is also pretty good.
However the existing ones…they ran the gamut from 90s hero Darkhawk to members of the Runaways to x-23 to students at Avengers Academy (a book that ended just before this started)…but then also characters that few (other than myself) would have remember…like Darx’s teen sidekick and the kid with a pet Sentinel (and briefly his own ongoing).
Only one or two would be considered “wasted” characters that didn’t have any history or prove useful to the story (that would be new character Red Raven), but the rest get a healthy amount of characterization.
This lengthy maxi-series would be followed by a sequel Avengers Undercover…where some of the survivors go after Arcade for revenge.
Sadly, most of the characters in this have lapsed into limbo…but maybe they’ll pop up again one day…
March 16, 2014
Longtime readers may remember that we looked at the first issue of this series some time ago. That ended with one of the lowest scores ever given to a work of fiction on this website. Unfortunately it turned out that first issue was the high point of quality for this series. Everything proceeded to drop like a stone from there.
The series follows the story of the villain Arcade as he kidnaps multiple teenage and young characters of the Marvel universe to pit against one another in Murderworld. Determined to get the highest ratings possible, and even citing the Hunger Games/Battle Royale as a direct influence, he somehow overpowers them all at once and starts killing off people at random. Pain, misery and very lazy writing ensue.
Let us make this clear right from the very start: This is badly written. Hopeless can certainly turn out a good story when it puts his mind to it, but this? Not only does it feature some of the worst understandings of characters ever written, but the explanations to anything are poor hand-waving at best and little to no comprehension is shown of the very series they come from. Here’s just a few examples from quite early on in the series:
For example, Mettle’s personality is dumbed down from a complex, well developed character in a loving relationship to “I’m in love with Hazmat! and little else.” He also engages in actions which completely go against his character arc from Avenger Academy’s Final Exam story.
Hazmat herself has her entire acidic and snarky personality turned from a coping mechanism which arose with her powers to “I’ve always been a hater” Not to mention the fact she relentlessly jumps at the chance to kill people and is turned into a poor cardboard cutout of an excuse to create strife.
Chase is suddenly reset to square one, with Hopeless’ ignoring the character development and maturity she underwent with Joss Whedon’s writing.
Then we get Juston, whose character is utterly destroyed so he can be defined purely by depression and revenge. Little else is ever actually given to him beyond being used as a punching bag.
Every character in this is written following the Brian Bendis mentality of “I didn’t write it, so it doesn’t matter” with characterisation, development and history sacrificed for cheap shock ploys. It only gets progressively worse as the series goes on. These are also just the problems which arise with the characterisation within other series as well. Take for example X-23, who is soon established to be constantly calculating ways and methods to best kill everyone around her if need be. She is then shown repeatedly using Leeroy Jenkins charges without any strategy or even basic caution against whoever she fights, repeatedly getting punched into oblivion. This is not to mention the fact we occasionally have characters turning up with clothing items and equipment they never arrived with, despite having no way to have possibly attained them in this survival story.
No only does the story not work when ignoring basic established continuity of the characters, it doesn’t even work with basic established continuity from issue to issue!
So what about the story itself though? Beyond the characters what substance is there? None. There is nothing here which is of genuine substance which does not ultimately come down to extremely poorly handled efforts to generate rage about the comic. Everything here simply boils down to having someone die each issue. This is not only a very cheap ploy to draw drama which has not only been parodied relentlessly over the years, but proves Marvel learned nothing from Avengers Disassembled and the like. Deaths only matter when there is genuine meaning behind them, not because the contrived plot demands that they be killed.
Just to show how poorly handled this is: We have one character unintentionally commit suicide by flying into an invisible ceiling, killing herself before she can utter a single word in the comic. We also not only have the only black character die first, but character spouting lines like “My boyfriend exploded all over me!” without the slightest hint of self awareness, even as the comic demands you take it seriously. Even if, if, you could somehow take it all seriously Hopeless then includes something which completely destroys all drama in these fights: Health bars. No, that’s not a joke, as fights go on we actually have bars of health appear above character’s heads showing their remaining life. Not only is this like something out of a bad parody but it destroys any semblance of drama within the story’s fights.
Admittedly, said fights are hardly helped as the majority of characters are used as fodder to beef up one new figure invented by Hopeless himself who serves as the villain. She constantly wins only because the characters repeatedly forget how their powers work or even how to operate as a team,
The pacing and focus is all over the place, unable to latch onto a single character and suddenly advancing in jerks of blinding activity after long pauses of nothing. Breaks in a constant pace work, but only when there is a constant momentum. Here there’s nothing of the sort within this story and it feels as if Hopeless was making things up as he went along. It’s without a single direction so much as a series of spasmodic moments of lucidity followed by a sudden change in direction or effort to make the audience are by pointlessly killing someone.
The brief moments of self awareness Avengers Arena does display do not result in anything good. If anything the attempts to solve problems by just highlighting them but never go that extra mile of doing anything to solve the problems. Merely showing awareness of Arcade’s sudden jump in power or the fact he has made himself a target for the Avengers, Excalibur and just about every superhero on the planet does not mean you have closed the gaping plot hole of the comic’s premise!
Perhaps the only thing which might merit some praise is the art of Kev Walker. As a genuinely talented artist he has a great ability to depict events, and handles textures, characters and varied environments extremely well. However, it’s a little hard to praise that when he is constantly drawing borderline gore porn with characters having their flesh burned off, being run through with blades and the like.
Don’t get this one. Don’t even waste your time looking into it for the controversy surrounding this comic. It’s bad, pure and simple, without a single redeeming quality to be found among its pages. Don’t reward Marvel with money for churning out such a lazy, poorly produced and wasteful idea for a series. Remember it only as a mistake and a sign of just how far this company has fallen when it comes to treating its characters with respect.
The series follows the story of the villain Arcade as he kidnaps multiple teenage and young characters of the Marvel universe to pit against one another in Murderworld. Determined to get the highest ratings possible, and even citing the Hunger Games/Battle Royale as a direct influence, he somehow overpowers them all at once and starts killing off people at random. Pain, misery and very lazy writing ensue.
Let us make this clear right from the very start: This is badly written. Hopeless can certainly turn out a good story when it puts his mind to it, but this? Not only does it feature some of the worst understandings of characters ever written, but the explanations to anything are poor hand-waving at best and little to no comprehension is shown of the very series they come from. Here’s just a few examples from quite early on in the series:
For example, Mettle’s personality is dumbed down from a complex, well developed character in a loving relationship to “I’m in love with Hazmat! and little else.” He also engages in actions which completely go against his character arc from Avenger Academy’s Final Exam story.
Hazmat herself has her entire acidic and snarky personality turned from a coping mechanism which arose with her powers to “I’ve always been a hater” Not to mention the fact she relentlessly jumps at the chance to kill people and is turned into a poor cardboard cutout of an excuse to create strife.
Chase is suddenly reset to square one, with Hopeless’ ignoring the character development and maturity she underwent with Joss Whedon’s writing.
Then we get Juston, whose character is utterly destroyed so he can be defined purely by depression and revenge. Little else is ever actually given to him beyond being used as a punching bag.
Every character in this is written following the Brian Bendis mentality of “I didn’t write it, so it doesn’t matter” with characterisation, development and history sacrificed for cheap shock ploys. It only gets progressively worse as the series goes on. These are also just the problems which arise with the characterisation within other series as well. Take for example X-23, who is soon established to be constantly calculating ways and methods to best kill everyone around her if need be. She is then shown repeatedly using Leeroy Jenkins charges without any strategy or even basic caution against whoever she fights, repeatedly getting punched into oblivion. This is not to mention the fact we occasionally have characters turning up with clothing items and equipment they never arrived with, despite having no way to have possibly attained them in this survival story.
No only does the story not work when ignoring basic established continuity of the characters, it doesn’t even work with basic established continuity from issue to issue!
So what about the story itself though? Beyond the characters what substance is there? None. There is nothing here which is of genuine substance which does not ultimately come down to extremely poorly handled efforts to generate rage about the comic. Everything here simply boils down to having someone die each issue. This is not only a very cheap ploy to draw drama which has not only been parodied relentlessly over the years, but proves Marvel learned nothing from Avengers Disassembled and the like. Deaths only matter when there is genuine meaning behind them, not because the contrived plot demands that they be killed.
Just to show how poorly handled this is: We have one character unintentionally commit suicide by flying into an invisible ceiling, killing herself before she can utter a single word in the comic. We also not only have the only black character die first, but character spouting lines like “My boyfriend exploded all over me!” without the slightest hint of self awareness, even as the comic demands you take it seriously. Even if, if, you could somehow take it all seriously Hopeless then includes something which completely destroys all drama in these fights: Health bars. No, that’s not a joke, as fights go on we actually have bars of health appear above character’s heads showing their remaining life. Not only is this like something out of a bad parody but it destroys any semblance of drama within the story’s fights.
Admittedly, said fights are hardly helped as the majority of characters are used as fodder to beef up one new figure invented by Hopeless himself who serves as the villain. She constantly wins only because the characters repeatedly forget how their powers work or even how to operate as a team,
The pacing and focus is all over the place, unable to latch onto a single character and suddenly advancing in jerks of blinding activity after long pauses of nothing. Breaks in a constant pace work, but only when there is a constant momentum. Here there’s nothing of the sort within this story and it feels as if Hopeless was making things up as he went along. It’s without a single direction so much as a series of spasmodic moments of lucidity followed by a sudden change in direction or effort to make the audience are by pointlessly killing someone.
The brief moments of self awareness Avengers Arena does display do not result in anything good. If anything the attempts to solve problems by just highlighting them but never go that extra mile of doing anything to solve the problems. Merely showing awareness of Arcade’s sudden jump in power or the fact he has made himself a target for the Avengers, Excalibur and just about every superhero on the planet does not mean you have closed the gaping plot hole of the comic’s premise!
Perhaps the only thing which might merit some praise is the art of Kev Walker. As a genuinely talented artist he has a great ability to depict events, and handles textures, characters and varied environments extremely well. However, it’s a little hard to praise that when he is constantly drawing borderline gore porn with characters having their flesh burned off, being run through with blades and the like.
Don’t get this one. Don’t even waste your time looking into it for the controversy surrounding this comic. It’s bad, pure and simple, without a single redeeming quality to be found among its pages. Don’t reward Marvel with money for churning out such a lazy, poorly produced and wasteful idea for a series. Remember it only as a mistake and a sign of just how far this company has fallen when it comes to treating its characters with respect.
June 22, 2021
This second volume of Avengers Arena was a bit more engaging to read. And that's natural since we as readers now have a better feel for all the characters and we get more establishing issues like the one that sets up how Arcade ended up creating this new Murder World scenario.
Our little groups do present interesting dynamics and how they respond to pressure is really what this story is all about. Again, still not too far in tone from the likes of Battle Royale, but definitely a decent Marvel spin on the concept that utilizes what I can only term to be "less important" younger characters.
The big narrative twists at the end of this volume do help some of the more familiar (or popular?) characters take more of center stage. I still keep wondering if this is really just a simulated reality in order to reveal all the deaths thus far aren't really deaths, but that would be a cheap shot. So we'll see how things wrap up come Volume 3.
Our little groups do present interesting dynamics and how they respond to pressure is really what this story is all about. Again, still not too far in tone from the likes of Battle Royale, but definitely a decent Marvel spin on the concept that utilizes what I can only term to be "less important" younger characters.
The big narrative twists at the end of this volume do help some of the more familiar (or popular?) characters take more of center stage. I still keep wondering if this is really just a simulated reality in order to reveal all the deaths thus far aren't really deaths, but that would be a cheap shot. So we'll see how things wrap up come Volume 3.
August 12, 2021
Murder World gets interesting!! Dennis Hopeless gives readers a much needed look into Arcade's past, an intriguing look into the world of Apex, and some amazing fight scenes. There is still a big disconnect with me around a large handful of the cast. The art was hit or miss but there was some stunning panels scattered throughout. The book is leading to a conclusion that I hope is fitting and...real. Overall, a good read with a high ceiling.
September 23, 2019
Again, surprisingly good. My biggest complaint is killing off Kid Briton so quickly and easily in the last volume. But, I guess you couldn’t have someone with that much power and get the story moving. I don’t know much about the characters, but I feel for them. This was very well written with complimentary plot and action. Maybe I should read more by Hopeless!
August 8, 2018
Questions for you to ponder:
Does loving this series make me human garbage?
Did, my girl, Nico Minoru really just kick some fucking ass like that?
Is this a collection of the most absurd unbalanced characters ever?
Is the last book going to let me down??
Does loving this series make me human garbage?
Did, my girl, Nico Minoru really just kick some fucking ass like that?
Is this a collection of the most absurd unbalanced characters ever?
Is the last book going to let me down??
January 28, 2019
A new character enters the arena, but they were already there from the beginning. More fights, bleeding, betrayals, and even shark meat!
We get a glimpse into Arcade's past, what's made him tick and the inspiration for the Arena that the youngsters find themselves in.
Good stuff!
We get a glimpse into Arcade's past, what's made him tick and the inspiration for the Arena that the youngsters find themselves in.
Good stuff!
April 8, 2025
After the dramatic start of volume 1, volume 2 feels like a lot of wheel spinning for the most part. Characters are given some development, but to be honest, I don’t come to superhero hunger games for that. Blood for the blood gods!
November 4, 2017
Almost a 4 but not quite. Much stronger middle than the start
October 3, 2018
A continuation of the story. Interested to see what happens next.
December 9, 2018
This comic is very fantastic.
March 22, 2019
I’m still really enjoying this series. It’s a little bit brutal and I kind of totally love it. I’m growing attached to all of the characters and I’m excited to continue!
August 16, 2020
Took a bit of a nose dive after Vol 1
Hope Vol 3 picks up again.
For the whole "Murder-World" idea there sure is a lot of talking.
Hope Vol 3 picks up again.
For the whole "Murder-World" idea there sure is a lot of talking.
January 8, 2022
yas girl power
January 15, 2022
this is a fun book. i don't get the haters. you know what you're getting from the synopsis. it's dystopian teen melodrama. plus x-23 is here.
July 28, 2022
This was enjoyable. I'm glad they didn't end up killing off my favorite character, but it would be nice to know what the adults are doing while the kids are killing themselves.
August 31, 2025
This is a big improvement. It starts to feel a bit more like its own thing rather than Marvel's Hunger Games. A lot of good character development, and it's nice to finally see Nico written to her full power again even if it's given a new explanation for some reason (seriously, everyone forgets about her powerup in Dead End Kids). I'm cautiously optimistic now.
November 27, 2014
As hard as it is to belive, this is even worse than the first story arc. Characters' actions are pre-determined by the plot and their personalities and skills are ignored in order to make certain events happen. And I don't mean it only in terms of previously estabilished continuity, this book cannot keep it's own continuity straight - skills series itself estabilished X-23 has are completely forgotten two issues later, when it's convient for the plot. Similiarly, book cannto keep consistent timeline, what is suppsoed to be happening during one night for one group of characters is two weeks for the others.
Not that book is true to previous continuity - none of the previously estabilished characters are really how they were written before and are often stripped from their skills or personality parts in order to make charcters Dennis Hopeless likes more look better. Like in pregresively worse serialised fanfiction complex characters go in, shallow, caricature plot puppets come out. For example, both Nico, self-proclaimed den mother of Runaways, and Reptil, aspiring team leader of Avenger Academy, have been completely stripped from their leadership skills or even initiative to lead, in order to not undermine Cammi's authority as a leader.
The levels of favoritism shown to Cammi and characters created by Dennis Hopeless are unpleasant and hurt the story. A new character who turned on others and was kileld in previous volume gets a funeral, while one of previous fan-favorites is rendered defensless and murdered to show how good and merciless Apex is, his body is casually tossed aside and the only reaction everybody, including who I always belived to be his potential love interest, can bring from themseves is "oh". Later al the strongest of previously estabilished characters are, in one way or another, defeated in a one-sided way by Apex, only to show how good she is. And while i nthe finale one of them pulls herself together and defeats her, it comes after utterly breaking rules of how her powers are supposed to work.
There are multiple elementss have been stolen from other works and only veiled in the most visible way. Nico Minoru's character arc in this book is following the same structure her character arc in Joss Whedon's run of Runaways, which is especially jarring as this series a purporsely ignored everything that happened in that story only to do it yet again. Wore that this time Nico plays completely passive role in her own character arc - while Whedon me her willing participant in the events and gave her a choice she took and was rewared for it, here she is willingless victim to whom events happen and she has nothing to say in the matter. Some had alsso noticed many similiarities between her arc and Gandalf's at the end of Fellowship of the Ring and Two Towers. Albert Einstein said that key of creativity is knowing how to hide your sources, but Dennis Hopeless failed even in that - he did absolutely nothing to not make it fairly obvious what he was thinking about, when he wrote those scenes and everybody can see it.
Character drama is in many places ignored and swept uner the rug, when it becoems inconvinient - characters gets immiediately over having to kill somebody, or the real reasons why they stop trusting each-other are reduced to one sentence, to make the argument more about author's pet characters. If tragedies that happened to the characters are given focus, it's ruined by showing it from somebody else's perspective, therefore rendering them secondary and unimportant, and by horrible dialogue, with such gems as "My boyfriend exploded all over me". Meanwhile moral issues are simplisized and boiled down to repeating simplest cliches.
Art is atrocious. Kevin Walker is in clear decline ,drawing worse from issue to issue, and while he manages to produce somewhat pretty final battle, his drawing beforehand quickly becomes painful to watch. Two fill-in artists are even worse - Mr. Bruchelli forgets to draw characters' eyes on a closeup and Mr.s Vitti's art can be ony described as ugly and amateurish.
Thi comics is worst thing I've ever read in my life. It's worse than even such loathed comics like Ultimatum - at least Jeph Loeb tried to say something with that comics. meanwhile this is empty and pointless piece of amateurish writing. It doesn't deserve to be bought or read in any form, even piracy is too good for it. Stay away and ignore it completely. There are many much better stories either with these characters (Runaways vol.1 and 2, Avengers Academy) similiarly dark premises (New X-Men: Childhood's End, Battle Royale), that are much better executed.
Not that book is true to previous continuity - none of the previously estabilished characters are really how they were written before and are often stripped from their skills or personality parts in order to make charcters Dennis Hopeless likes more look better. Like in pregresively worse serialised fanfiction complex characters go in, shallow, caricature plot puppets come out. For example, both Nico, self-proclaimed den mother of Runaways, and Reptil, aspiring team leader of Avenger Academy, have been completely stripped from their leadership skills or even initiative to lead, in order to not undermine Cammi's authority as a leader.
The levels of favoritism shown to Cammi and characters created by Dennis Hopeless are unpleasant and hurt the story. A new character who turned on others and was kileld in previous volume gets a funeral, while one of previous fan-favorites is rendered defensless and murdered to show how good and merciless Apex is, his body is casually tossed aside and the only reaction everybody, including who I always belived to be his potential love interest, can bring from themseves is "oh". Later al the strongest of previously estabilished characters are, in one way or another, defeated in a one-sided way by Apex, only to show how good she is. And while i nthe finale one of them pulls herself together and defeats her, it comes after utterly breaking rules of how her powers are supposed to work.
There are multiple elementss have been stolen from other works and only veiled in the most visible way. Nico Minoru's character arc in this book is following the same structure her character arc in Joss Whedon's run of Runaways, which is especially jarring as this series a purporsely ignored everything that happened in that story only to do it yet again. Wore that this time Nico plays completely passive role in her own character arc - while Whedon me her willing participant in the events and gave her a choice she took and was rewared for it, here she is willingless victim to whom events happen and she has nothing to say in the matter. Some had alsso noticed many similiarities between her arc and Gandalf's at the end of Fellowship of the Ring and Two Towers. Albert Einstein said that key of creativity is knowing how to hide your sources, but Dennis Hopeless failed even in that - he did absolutely nothing to not make it fairly obvious what he was thinking about, when he wrote those scenes and everybody can see it.
Character drama is in many places ignored and swept uner the rug, when it becoems inconvinient - characters gets immiediately over having to kill somebody, or the real reasons why they stop trusting each-other are reduced to one sentence, to make the argument more about author's pet characters. If tragedies that happened to the characters are given focus, it's ruined by showing it from somebody else's perspective, therefore rendering them secondary and unimportant, and by horrible dialogue, with such gems as "My boyfriend exploded all over me". Meanwhile moral issues are simplisized and boiled down to repeating simplest cliches.
Art is atrocious. Kevin Walker is in clear decline ,drawing worse from issue to issue, and while he manages to produce somewhat pretty final battle, his drawing beforehand quickly becomes painful to watch. Two fill-in artists are even worse - Mr. Bruchelli forgets to draw characters' eyes on a closeup and Mr.s Vitti's art can be ony described as ugly and amateurish.
Thi comics is worst thing I've ever read in my life. It's worse than even such loathed comics like Ultimatum - at least Jeph Loeb tried to say something with that comics. meanwhile this is empty and pointless piece of amateurish writing. It doesn't deserve to be bought or read in any form, even piracy is too good for it. Stay away and ignore it completely. There are many much better stories either with these characters (Runaways vol.1 and 2, Avengers Academy) similiarly dark premises (New X-Men: Childhood's End, Battle Royale), that are much better executed.
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