JT's Take: Avengers Academy #34

Hey Todd Squad, we've got a pretty busy week with some pretty big comics on tap for review, so let's jump right into the first issue of the Avengers Academy "Final Exam" story arc.

Avengers Academy #34

Summary: This issue started off with Hazmat and Mettle trying to chill at the beach but being gawked at by a bunch of civilians when Hazmat gets a call from Psycho-Genius, Jeremy Briggs, saying that he's come up with a way to cure her and Mettle. Hazmat alerts the other pairs of her team, White Tiger and Reptil, X-23 and Finesse, and Striker and Lightspeed, and they all head to Briggs building in Manhattan. The former Avengers Academy students are met by alumni member Veil and Jocasta. The teens are obviously questioning Brigg's methods but Veil announces that he's cured her. That's all Hazmat needs to hear and gets the cure from Briggs, called Clean Slate, which is an aerosol spray cure. Hazmat removes her suit and is in fact cured. Next up, Briggs cures Mettle and he and Hazmat finally embrace and kiss for the first time. The love fest is cut short when Briggs announces he plans on dispersing his cure around the world and curing all of the heroes and villains, eith the exception of guys the cure won't affect with natural talent like Hawkeye, suits like War Machine and Iron Man, and Gods like Thor. He wants the Academy students to protect him when they revolt after he cures the world, but the Teens want no part of that, neither does Jocasta and Veil. Briggs transfers Jocasta's consciousness to another body in China, then announces that they've been breathing in the cure for the last five minutes. Turns out the cure didn't work on Finesse, X-23 and Reptil, who all try to attack, but Briggs calls in his hench-women, Big Zero, Enchantress and Coat of Arms, to deal with them. Once Enchantress subdues Reptil, Briggs forcibly yanks his magic crystal out of Reptil's chest. He then points out that without her healing factor, X-23 is slowly dying of adamantium poisoning, but Veil causes a distraction which allows her, X-23, White Tiger, Reptil and Lightspeed to escape by falling into rubble. Meanwhile, Briggs asks the now cured Academy members if their with him or against him, and seemingly having no other choice, Striker says that he, Mettle, Hazmat and Veil are with him as this issue ends.


Thoughts:  This was a great start to this storyline, I'm really wondering how they plan on stopping Briggs with no powers and since the Avengers Academy Faculty is busy fighting the X-Men. I'm curious if White Tiger still has her powers since hers are also magic based, and with Finesse probably taking the lead since she still has her fighting skills, I'm curious how X-23 and Reptil will cope. One thing that bothered me is why they are stupid enough to go back to Briggs. I mean... he's a KNOWN psychopath by these kids, I wouldn't have let him cure me for anything, but I guess kids in love do stupid things. That aside, I really enjoyed this issue, here's hoping it stays this good or only gets better!

Score: 8/10

Hazmat: It worked. I'm normal. I'm free.