“A good little series, but here’s a HUGE problem with comics and the amount of big crossover events going on.
In order to read this series in trade paperback form, here’s what you have to do:
1) Read vol. 1
2) Read vol. 2
3) Read Fear Itself: Avengers Academy, the AA portion of the large storyline Fear Itself. So that means you could JUST read the AA portion, OR read the entirety of Fear Itself.
4) Read vol. “Second Semester”
5) Read the Avengers vs. X-Men crossover issues collected in the Avengers vs. X-Men trade paperback, which means probably reading all the Avengers vs. X-Men trades.
6) Read AA vol “Final Exams”
This is warping my goddamn brain.
I know that big crossover events can be fun, and they work. Sometimes. But sometimes I want to be able to pick up a series where I can start at the first issue and read through without knowing the last 50 years of Marvel history. It’s a very difficult line to walk, I know. How do you build on a story without including pieces of the past?
But isn’t there room for the fan of comics like myself who loves reading them, but who loves reading the ones he loves? I don’t give a fuck about the West Coast Avengers and what they’re doing in space. I don’t really care about X-Force because there’s some different incarnation every couple months. I’m sure there are people who don’t give a damn about Avengers Academy who were forced/tricked into reading the portions that cross over with the other big Marvel events.
It’s a total business move, which to me, is the ultimate downfall of comics. The problem with comics isn’t going to be solved by creating these big events and forcing people to buy multiple titles just to get the whole story. How about this novel idea: WRITE GOOD COMICS. Instead of trying to make it seem like I can’t read one without reading three others, put out four legitimately good comics that I WANT to read. I WANT to throw my time and money into comics, but only if they’re good.”