Avengers Arena arrives at an unfortunate time when the murder of children is wearing heavy on our national conscious. Society’s art and entertainment are once again questioned for their role in a violent tragedy. Before Sandy Hook, this new Marvel title seemed gratuitous. Two issues in, creators Dennis Hopeless and Kev Walker have shown a willingness to base the series in story rather than carnage. Sure, there’s plenty of carnage right off the bat, but Hopeless also wants to explore character. Hopefully, as the series continues, the writer and artist will tackle some big issues about society’s obsession with violence and death. Avengers Arena may offer some insight and thought to become more than a story about kids killing kids.
The basis of Avengers Arena is the return of b-list villain Arcade. In the past, Arcade created deadly amusement parks called Murder World and set our favorite heroes lose within, hoping to see them obliterated by his crazed mechanisms. Everyone from Spider-Man to Excalibur have experienced and survived Murder World, and now Arcade wants to prove his mettle. He abducts 16 teenaged heroes with the intention of pitting them against one another in a Hunger Games style battle of survivor.
Those chosen for the culling, however, make perfect sense. X-23’s violent nature is well documented—she’s Wolverine’s clone, built for killing. The Avenger’s Academy kids suffered under Norman Osborn during the Dark Reign, leaving the Avengers to worry about the damage Osborn did to their psyches and how it might influence future decisions. Nico Minoru and Chase Stein come from super villain parents. Though they have never drawn on their dark heritage before, it’s possible it might show itself if they survive deep into the contest. All these characters have the ability to draw from their past and do great harm to their comrades. Hopeless does a great job of showing how these characters have grown in the decisions they immediately make upon the game’s commencement. The fact X-23 didn’t end the contest in 30 seconds gives credit to her growth as a character.
Even before their abduction, Hopeless allows us to peek at intimate moments in several characters lives. It’s Christmas Eve and Mettle and Hazmat are having their first sexual experience together as a couple. This is contrasted with a Ping-Pong match between X-23 and Reptil. Given X-23’s past—a child assassin and a teen prostitute—this social activity consisting of friendly competition is as monumental for her as the moment Mettle and Hazmat share. The overlay makes the reader think of where these character’s have come from in their short time of existence and what they have left to discover about themselves and life—should they be allowed to live.
Arcade’s reboot as a viable villain is a reboot that happens in his mind only. When he makes his first appearance he looks like Carrot Top, hardly a frightening visage. From the outset he proves he hasn’t changed a bit. He’s still not a threat—even going so far to acknowledge he stole the idea for this competition from The Hunger Games. He does arrive with new godlike powers that have yet to be explained and possibly holds the key to reviving the deceased victims at story’s end. And there is the fact—even with these mysterious powers—he’s still only abducted teenagers instead of taking on Marvel Universe’s powerhouses like Iron Man, Captain America, or Wolverine. Watching Arcade as the story grows will be fascinating as one of the central conflicts in Avengers Arena may be how a maniacal midcard villain comes to terms with his ineptness at what he supposedly does best: murder.
Avengers Arena could have been a disaster from the offset, but Hopeless and Walker show an understanding of the characters, and hopefully as the story evolves the book will provide some sort of meta-commentary akin to The Cabin in the Woods as to why we as a society enjoy this type of story. If you were unhappy with the prospect of this series (and I was amongst the many who were), give the series a try. The creators feel like they are working towards something more important, more than senseless violence. However, a word to the wise: if you do jump into Avengers Arena, approach each issue like you are trapped in Arcade’s Murder World. Be terrified of what might be waiting in the shadows.
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