AvX: Versus is Nothing but Punching

I'm torn.

Avengers vs X-Men (AvX), Marvel's latest crossover, is just a week away, and I just can't be arsed to feel excited over more hero-versus-hero comics anymore, especially coming from Marvel.

But what really caught my eye amongst the sea of new books is the confusingly named Avengers vs. X-Men: VS. I loathe tie-ins, and I wrote this off as another attempt to sell the same comic twice.

That was until I read what it was really about.

Avengers vs X-Men: VS, in the words of Marvel Executive Editor Tom Brevoort, is "literally the fight book."  Chronicling in greater detail all the battles happening in the main AvX book, there's no preconceived notions of character development or story advancement here, no man-on-the-street views. It's a comic book tie-in miniseries about comic book characters kicking each other's asses until one is declared winner. And I like it.

I dunno, it's probably just the simplicity of the thing, the idea of a comic book that promises nothing but your favorite characters punching each other in the face, that I like. Marvel's event tie-ins have been all over the place, quality and common sense-wise, but to put out a book with no pretense other than hero-on-hero violence? It just speaks to the obsessed fanboy in me, and is sure to speak to all the fanboys who, even for once in their lives, asked the question "Who would win? Character X or Character Y?"

Well played, Marvel. Well played.

Check out the AvX: VS #1 preview here.