I want you to do something. Get out your smartphone or tablet computer and download the Marvel AR app (it's available on iOS and Android). Now open the app, make sure your sound is on, and point it at the AvX cover and watch the magic.
On April 3rd the first Avengers versus X-Men came out. I'm pretty excited about the series because Captain America is my favorite super hero and the X-Men is my favorite super team. It is going to have some very awesome match-ups for sure. In this story arc, the destructive Phoenix Force is rocketing toward Earth and people are starting to freak out. It's coming to Earth to embody the newest mutant, Hope, as its host and everyone knows it. The Avengers are trying to stop the coming of the Phoenix Force and have some sort of plan that involves taking Hope from the X-Men. However, Scott Summers (Cyclops) is the leader of the X-Men and is refusing to give Hope over to the Avengers. Scott knows that the Phoenix Force can be very destructive, but he also knows that whenever it destroys something it leaves behind a rebirth of new life. He believes that the Phoenix will restore the mutants that were lost when Scarlet Witch changed reality back in the House of M story arc by changing all but 200 mutants into regular people.
It is understandable that both parties are conflicted as to what to do, but I have to admit that I am disappointed in my favorite heroes' problem solving/conflict resolution skills. You would think that they could all work together to figure out a solution, but I guess they used up all of their teamwork skills in Fear Itself. Then again, comics wouldn't be very interesting if there wasn't any fighting.
AvX #1 is a great read. The cliff hangar at the end has me pumped for #2 which comes out this Wednesday. And while I'm excited to see where the story goes, I'm more excited to explore its integration of the Marvel AR (augmented reality) app. If you didn't/couldn't try it out here's what you missed: the app uses your camera and you point it at the page/pane that has the AR logo in the corner and watch as it brings the page to life. The front cover of AvX #1 has animations and video that serve as a trailer for what's inside. It's so cool. Then on the title page inside, Marvel Editor in Chief, Alex Alonso, walks onto the screen to tell you about the series and the AR function.
The app is a little finicky but overall it adds a whole new dimension to enjoying the book. I like comics, but my biggest complaint is that they are so short I'm always left wanting more. So with all new content I got a lot more out of AvX #1 then I have with any other comic. The best part is that the technology is brand new, so it will only get more sophisticated with time. I can't wait for this Wednesday.
I downloaded the app and tried it.
ReplyDeleteSo cool