As any current comic reader can tell you, most companies like Marvel and DC shell out annual books that have a universe-spanning story that involves all or most of their major characters. These overgrown story-tyrants have been dubbed Events. In the past there have been moments where this made sense like Crisis of Infinite Earths from DC Comics or Avengers Disassembled from Marvel. Since then, Events have become a constant one-ups-man after another, creating an incredible amount of degradation in storytelling.

Basically, we’re at the point where they kill off big names like Thor or Superboy, only for them to come back in a convoluted and laughable manner. There use to be some space between Events where the reader could acclimate to the status quo and enjoy stories that focus on their favorite characters. This idea has pretty much come to an end where we’re barely done with Marvel’s latest Event, Fear Itself, when out of the shadows creeps another universe-shattering story.

Avengers vs. X-Men has to be the least creative Event to be produced by Marvel. The two-page spread ad that can be seen in recent Marvel comics boasts an all-out brawl between Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and Marvel’s Merry Band of Mutants. All I can really ask about this Event is: why?

What’s the point of the Avengers fighting the X-Men at all?

If this was meant to be part of the continuity with the now-repealed Superhero Registration Act, it’s a little too late to have any impact. Even if there is buildup, I can’t image what will make this Event standout as a solid story. Books like these make me wonder whether the editors’ kids were playing with Avengers and X-Men action figures and they decided to write a script based on that.

What really bothers readers about Events like these is that every comic in that universe is obligated to have a crossover issue that somehow ties into that story. This is true even for characters that could not be further removed from these two groups. As a reader of Daredevil, I have no idea why a street-level hero like old horn-head would anything to do with a lover’s tiff between the Avengers and X-Men.

Despite this, companies like Marvel claim books that don’t take place in main continuity don’t sell as well. I totally disagree with that because if an individual comic has a good story it shouldn’t need to rely on the wider Universe. Events like these tend to jade readers because they do not stand the test of a solid story and usually serve as a 20-page advertisement for the company’s other titles.

Nerdvana contributor Daniel Reichstein (danscomicblog AT yahoo.com) has studied television and movie production at Scottsdale Community College and is pursuing a degree in technical writing at ASU. He welcomes comments and story ideas!