There is a chronological discrepancy in New Avengers #29, one which affects the Avengers vs. X-Men event Reading Order. While it's not devastating to the main plot or story, it's important to note for the fans and readers.
Brief Synopsis: Avengers vs. X-Men is an event that involves the Phoenix Entity coming to earth. In almost all instances in the past, it has heralded death and destruction. This time, though, the superheroes of Marvel are battling over it to fulfill destiny:
The X-Men believe the Phoenix is a force for mutantkind, something that will help preserve their race.
The Avengers think that the Phoenix is a force of the apocalypse, and will destroy the world.
The end of this story will culminate in the event called
Marvel NOW! in October.
The Discrepancy
Avengers vs. X-Men #8: Hope Summers has a destiny intertwined with the Phoenix. She is a mutant and the most important character in the story. In this issue she travels through a celestial portal from Wakanda to the mystic city of K'un Lun (The homeland of the Immortal Iron Fist) while Namor is attacking. From the first to last page, Namor, part of the Phoenix Five is battling The Avengers and is finally beaten. Once defeated, his part of the Phoenix is absorbed by the remaining four empowered mutants.
- Namor leads an invasion on Wakanda the entire issue.
- Hope leaves Wakanda and goes to K'un Lun during the invasion.
- Namor is defeated at the end of the issue and loses his powers.
New Avengers #26-27: Detailing the Phoenix prophecy, these two issues start with a flashback that arrives to present day where Hope Summers is now being taught the history of the entity and her role in the days to come. At the end, she is handed over to Spider-Man, who is going to continue her training.
- Hope is in K'un Lun, training, which has to occur after Avengers vs. X-Men #8, where she goes there.
New Avengers #28: This issue goes into an entirely different part of the story, where Hawkeye, Spider-Woman, and Luke Cage are confined in Utopia. Thinking they have escaped their imprisonment, they are awakened to find that they never left their stasis tubes and are running an
infinite loop scenario.
- There is no important discrepancy here.
New Avengers #29: Captain America calls a meeting of the Illuminati at Funtime, Inc., a Stark Resilient subsidiary. He's hoping Namor, one of the five mutants who accidentally gained and divided up the Phoenix power, will show up. After everyone has had their say and leaves, he finally appears and talks with the shield-slinger. Namor (clearly) still has his Phoenix powers in this issue. The two part ways unable to reach an understanding.
- States it is happening in real time (Now).
- The location of Funtime, Inc. is not known, but it is not likely in Wakanda.
- Namor is seen with his powers.
Summary
Overall, this is a simple error in chronology or issue numbering.
It might not be that big of a deal, right.
Well, here's the problem. What's been occurring over the last few weeks of the releases is some serious leaps of faith to accept the given plot.
For example, there have been many problems with the fights. In many cases, we seem to hear that people are being captured (Spider-Woman, Transonic, Quicksilver, Giant-Man, for example), but see or read little detail involving their encounters.
Where's their story?
In
New Avengers #28, we note the three superheroes imprisoned, but later on they are found in a Limbo-prison created by Magik.
Why were they moved? Where are the others? Where's the story?
Most of the time, the easiest solution is to simply be patient. Often enough, later releases slowly fill the chronological gaps. This time, however, there appears to be more chaos in the mix; we're now seeing broken issue numbering and parts left out.
Picture: Avengers vs. X-Men #8, where Namor loses his power in Wakanda...or does he?
All these problems, regardless of their immensity or importance, focus on the extraordinary needs of large-scale events. Marvel has been non-stop since they brought the
Civil War in 2006. Perhaps, this time, it was too large; we love big fights, but it gets strange when the reader has to try and figure out what's going on. Perhaps, Marvel just needs to slow down on this one.