The Avengers vs. The X-Men is Marvel's Next Big Event

This morning, USA Today broke the news of Marvel's next big event for 2012, a 12 issue bi-weekly mini-series called The Avengers vs. The X-Men. To create such an epic event, Marvel Comics is bringing in the big guns. Five of their "architects" — Brian Michael Bendis, Jason Aaron, Ed Brubaker, Jonathan Hickman and Matt Fraction — will collaborate and pen the series with the help of three artists — Olivier Coipel, John Romita Jr., and Adam Kubert.

The mini-series will kick off in March with a prologue issue 0 from Bendis and Aaron (with Frank Cho on art) that will set the tone and conflict that will bring the two teams at odds for their battle in April.

"Avengers vs. X-Men begins the next month with an extinction-level event barreling its way toward Earth, namely the cosmic entity of death and rebirth known as the Phoenix Force. It's looking for a new host who will possess all of its power, which may or may not be the mutant teenager Hope Summers."

"Cyclops, Wolverine, Magneto and the other X-Men want to protect her and prepare her if she's to be the new Phoenix. Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man and their fellow Avengers want her handed over to them so they can figure out what to do with her and keep the world safe from a potentially fiery fate.

"Suffice it to say, tensions — and fisticuffs — arise."

It's clear this is a culmination of all of the small events we've witnessed from 2010 and 2011 - Schism, Regenesis, Fear Itself, etc. If you're a fan of Marvel and event books, this sounds like one you won't want to miss.