This might just be the issue Avengers Arena haters have been waiting for. It just depends on the way you hated Arena.
Avengers Undercover 3 starts exactly where issue 2 left off, with the AA survivors teleported straight into Arcade’s new hideout as per Bloodstone’s plan. It’s a secret mansion that’s been turned into a deathmatch arena for bored rich folks who want to gamble their lives for a chance to win big. There isn’t a whole lot of character development. Instead it feels like a culmination of Dennis Hopeless’s writing with these teenagers. There’s plenty of action, some great power showings from Nico and Deathlocket, and a couple meta jokes.
Each character reacts in different ways to seeing their tormentor. Hazmat is catatonic, endlessly replaying Mettle’s death in her head. Cammi wants nothing to do with the fight, to the point where she thinks Bloodstone is acting against everyone else’s wishes. Anachronism isn’t sure what to think, and spends much of the issue protecting Hazmat. The rest of the group are all down for taking Arcade out. To avoid spoilers, let’s simply say the ending just feels right.
The art is where this issue falters the most, not that it’s bad. The action always flows smoothly, and facial expressions are very well handled. There’s a great variety of faces and outfits among the bored billionaires. While not all panels have detailed backgrounds, it’s a nice looking place with the appropriate amount of rubble from the battle.
On the downside, the costumes and posing with the main characters aren’t always that great. In an early fight panel, Nico looks as though she’s standing when she’s supposed to be running away. Chase and Deathlocket have almost the exact same pose, and the same thing happens several more times. Worse yet, there are too many important female characters in this issue with black dresses and short black hair – this includes Arcade’s assistant. While Cammi’s shoulder tattoos, Nico’s partially dyed hair and Deathlocket’s half-cyborg face help separate them, it would have been much smarter to give at least two of them a different coloured dress.
While this issue won’t fully make up for AA for those who hated that series, it will help. For everyone else, this is a well-written comic that’s slightly harmed by the art, but is otherwise a very easy recommendation. Avengers Arena fans should pick this up.
healed1337 
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This issue does not make me happy in the slightest. Quite the opposite.
I’ve always liked Arcade. I still do. My problem wasn’t with Arcade. My problem with Arena was the concept itself. And this issue does nothing to diminish that objection. In fact, it actually make it even worse – it’s now turned Hazmat into a cold-blooded murderer. I loved Hazmat in Avengers Academy, but the Hazmat I loved is, essentially, no more. The isolation she felt as a result of her body suit? Gone. The bit of happiness and even love she was starting to find with Mettle? Gone. And now, even the morality she still clung to is gone. All the things that made her a wonderful character are gone.
So, no. This was not something I was waiting for. I hate what Hopeless has done to so much of the Academy cast, and what he’s continuing to do to Hazmat.
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That’s why I said it depends on the way you hated Arena. I wasn’t attached to Hazmat the way it sounds like you are, but I understand that kind of attachment. And you have a point. While Hazmat did have a touch of anger and darkness in her, so did all the other Academy kids. That’s what made the optimistic feel of Avengers Academy so unique.
An example of me hating character assassination – while I much prefer Marvel over DC, I hate how far DC has gone out of their way to separate Superman and Lois Lane as much as possible, to the point where Wonder Woman is dating Superman and Lois has some other boyfriend. I don’t care how good Superman/Wonder Woman apparently is, I refuse to read a single word from that series.
Worse yet, I hate pretty much everything about the Man of Steel movie, especially how they turned Clark Kent into a mindless, property destroying brawler with no sense of joy or fun. He only saves people he cares about, yet he didn’t save his father from a tornado and … I could write a novel on everything in that movie that bothered me, but most of it has been said by others who probably care more.
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