Avengers Academy #36 Review

Avengers Academy doesn't have much time left on the stands. And Christos Gage doesn't seem to mind twisting the knife as readers prepare to bid farewell to this team. Of course, that's really a good thing, as issue #36 is host to all sorts of great character moments. It just hurts so good.

In this issue, the fractured team begins to come together again in order to combat Jeremy Briggs' attempt to de-power the world's superhumans. Many Academy members are forced to make fateful choices during the course of battle. No scene is more stirring than the one between Mettle and Haz-Mat. If you thought their material in issue #35 was tear-jerking, this issue raises the bar again. But Gage also has strong material in store for characters like Reptil, White Tiger, and X-23. Many of these characters have been severely down and out since Briggs launched his attack, and it's satisfying to see them cast aside teenage doubts and become full-fledged heroes again. My main complaint, as with last issue, is that it's disappointing to see Briggs degenerate into full-fledged villain mode. The character was much more enjoyable when readers were able to sympathize and even side with him and his grand plans.

Andrea Di Vito sticks around to render this issue. While it's a shame we couldn't have one, consistent artist for the entire arc (important as it is to the series as a whole), Di Vito fits in nicely with the general tone established by Tom Grummett and others. There are some fun metaphysical scenes involving characters like White Tiger and Reptil that allow Di Vito to branch out and deliver slightly more surreal imagery.

Much of this character building seems to lay the groundwork for future stories, which of course raises hope that maybe Gage won't be done with these characters just because the series is ending. No doubt there's still a wealth of material to explore in the coming weeks.

Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and IGN Movies. He can't wait until he's old enough to feel ways about stuff. Follow Jesse on Twitter, or find him on IGN.

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Canadian Science Fiction Hit Continuum Coming to Syfy in America

Several of our Canadian readers had asked if IGN TV, whether via a written review or on the Channel Surfing podcast, would give our thoughts on the science fiction series Continuum. But as we explained on Channel Surfing, we couldn’t do this, because we haven’t seen the show – it hasn’t aired in the US yet.

But that will change soon. Deadline is reporting that Syfy is finalizing a deal to air the series in the United States, picking up the first season of ten episodes. Continuum will join fellow Canadian-originated series Lost Girl on Syfy.

Rachel Nichols in Continuum

Continuum stars Rachel Nichols (Alias, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra) as a Vancouver police officer in the year 2077 who is transported to the present, along with a group of convicted prisoners she must track down. Yes, that’s right – this is a sci-fi/genre series shot in Vancouver (where The 4400, Smallville, V, Fringe, Supernatural and so many genre series have been shot) that is actually set in Vancouver!

The cast also includes Erik Knudsen (Scream 4), Lexa Doig (Andromeda, V) and Roger Cross (24).

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Walmart Leaks Avengers: Season One

Both Marvel and DC are always searching for new ways to attract fans of their respective movies and convert them into comic readers. This year, Marvel has focused a significant amount of attention on the Season One line of graphic novels. These standalone hardcovers offer streamlined, contemporary versions of early Silver Age adventures. So far, the Fantastic Four, Daredevil, X-Men, Spider-Man, Ant-Man, and Hulk have all received the Season One treatment, with Doctor Strange next in line.

Oddly, there is one strange omission in that lineup. What about the Avengers? Especially considering they just had an extremely popular movie, one would think Earth's Mightiest Heroes would be a natural fit for the Season One line. As it turns out, there is an Avengers: Season One in the works, and it's coming sooner than fans might expect.

Walmart's website revealed the book's existence over the weekend. It turns out that the retailer will be selling a special bundle that includes the Avengers Blu-ray and the Season One graphic novel. The set is listed with a $39.99 MSRP and is currently available for pre-order for $25 on the site. The release date in September 25, the same as the regular DVD/Blu-ray release.

Initially, the question was whether Avengers: Season One would actually offer an original story lie the others, or merely provide reprints of older Avengers material. But Peter David soon set the record straight on his blog:

Bleeding Cool announced yesterday that Marvel is releasing a special edition through Walmart of The Avengers on Blu-Ray and DVD, packaged with an all new, original “Avengers” graphic novel. But who (they wondered), WHO could possibly have been involved with the creation of it?

Yeah, uh, that would be me. One hundred page original Avengers graphic novel. I’ll let you find out the artist(s) on your own, but the entire story is by yours truly.

That still leaves a number of other questions, not least of which the identities of the art team. The cover illustration was rendered by Adi Granov, but did he also provide the interior art?Also unclear is the exact size and format of the graphic novel. Will it be a standard-trim hardcover like the rest of the Season One line, or will it be a smaller, cheaper volume with dimensions similar to the Blu-ray case? Will the book eventually be made available at other retailers or digitally? We expect that Marvel will have an official announcement forthcoming.

Thanks to Bleeding Cool for the original tip-off on this story.

Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and IGN Movies. He can't wait until he's old enough to feel ways about stuff. Follow Jesse on Twitter, or find him on IGN.

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