New Mutants/X-Force/X-Men Legacy: Necrosha One-Shot – Review

Necrosha: Chapter 1 by Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost (Writers) and Clayton Crain (Art)

Necrosha: Binary by Zeb Wells (Writer), Ibraim Roberson (Art), and John Rauch (Colors)

Necrosha: The Foretelling by Mike Carey (Writer), Laurence Campbell (Art), and Matt Milla (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Since the first chapter of Necrosha takes up the bulk of the one-shot, I will use the regular review format for it. The two smaller chapters that lead into the stories that connect X-Force to New Mutants and X-Men: Legacy will get capsule reviews. Also, as a side note, be sure to read the one-shot after reading X-Force #20 (which I’ll be reviewing by the end of the release week), but before reading New Mutants #6. While it’s not entirely necessary to read X-Force #20, a few scenes simply won’t make much sense unless you do.

“Necrosha: Chapter One”

The Story: Selene builds up her army using an altered version of the techno-organic virus that Bastion has been using and makes her first move against those that have stopped her in the past.

What’s Good: New Mutants/X-Force/X-Men Legacy: Necrosha is, in many ways, a typical Marvel “hey it’s crossover time!” one-shot. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, however, as Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost do a really nice job of finding a balance between getting readers up to speed and getting the Necrosha crossover rolling in a positive direction that makes it seem like Necrosha will be quite the treat for most “X” fans. And, in all honesty, that’s half the battle.

The best thing about the book is that, from start to finish, both visually and as far as the dialogue is concerned, the Necrosha one-shot carries an ominous, creepy tone that never really lets up. I’m all about mood and setting the stage and Yost, Kyle, and Clayton Crain nail it as far as the total creative package is concerned. Even when Kyle and Yost throw in some banter and one-liners, the first chapter of Necrosha manages to really drive home the point that stuff is about to “get real” as all the kids say these days.

Another high point is that the writers instill a real sense of history, as far as lives lived, into the story through both Selene and the various characters that are infected with the “T-O” virus. From Selene’s dialogue about her past to the conversations that take place between the formerly dead and the living, it’s clear that Kyle and Yost did the homework necessary to give Necrosha that extra bit of weight and depth. It’s that something that can turn a solid story into a good, or even great, story.

Visually, Clayton Crain’s artwork is near perfect as far as mood and tone is concerned. It’s dark, it’s heavy, and it expertly captures the horror movie vibe that permeates throughout the entire book. While Crain’s work is definitely flawed (which I’ll get to in a moment), a few scenes, like the birth that opens the book or the arrival of Selene’s army near Utopia for example, show that Clayton Crain is definitely the right artist for the crossover.

What’s Not So Good: There’s a lot to like about the first chapter of Necrosha, but, unfortunately, there’s quite a bit to dislike about it as well. While the good outweighs the bad, nearly every negative is directly related one of the start of the crossover’s strong points. It makes Necrosha: Chapter One feel rather uneven.

The ominous, creepy tone I talked about earlier? It’s certainly a highlight and quite effective…until you realize that the deadly seriousness leads to a number of groan-worthy lines of dialogue (“She sent us here to remind you of that…And to make you suffer!”) that tend to fall extremely flat. In addition, the seriousness makes some of the banter and humor feel wildly out of place. I’m all for lightening the mood, but the swing from horror to comic book fun and back again is a bit jarring.

Another part that didn’t bode well is the sense of history that Yost and Kyle use to the advantage of their story. It makes some portions of the comic feel too heavy on exposition. It’s understandable considering that chances are good that a large portion of the Necrosha audience isn’t going to know who a handful of the characters are, but it’s also rather annoying.

Clayton Crain’s fitting artwork? It is…well…Clayton Crain artwork. Now I truly find Crain’s work to be absolutely stunning when everything about it comes together. When it doesn’t, however Crain’s work can look muddy, overly dark, and, at worst, totally incoherent. Unfortunately, a large part of the first Necrosha chapter is pretty tough to follow due to Crain’s style. A number of characters look exactly the same (Wolverine? Shaw? Pierce? – Selene? X-23, a Hellion?) and while hairstyle and context make it fairly easy to sort out who’s who, it shouldn’t be a chore to keep characters straight. Also, some of the action that takes place is so darkly colored that it’s next to impossible to figure out what, exactly, is happening.

“Binary”

The Story: Binary is “turned on” by the T-O virus and helps Selene’s slaves get inside Utopia.

The Good And The Bad: I don’t know if this is really a negative (it could be considered to be since it’s not the main event), but Binary is actually the best thing about the Necrosha one-shot as a whole. It’s an extremely good short story all around. Roberson’s detailed artwork is impressive, John Rauch’s colors elevate Roberson’s work to another level, the binary code framed panels are a great touch, and Zeb Wells’ story does a great job reintroducing the character.

“The Foretelling”

The Story: Selene calls on The Crone to learn the future. The Crone then contacts her daughter.

The Good And The Bad: Laurence Campbell’s gritty artwork feels a bit out of place the book, but it still winds up being a nice fit for Mike Carey’s unsettling character piece. I’ve always liked Blindfold and her interaction with her mother does an excellent job of adding another layer of uncertainty to the start of the Necrosha crossover. While I wish there was a bit more to it, the important stuff manages to make quite an impact.

Conclusion: While the first chapter of Necrosha has a few problems it’s still a strong start to what looks to be a memorable crossover. As for the one-shot as a whole, thanks to two excellent bonus stories, the book is a surprisingly great package.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

X-Force #6 – Review

By Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost (Writers), and Clayton Crain (Artist)

I have to admit, this one surprised me quite a bit. I never thought that Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost would manage to get a satisfying conclusion out of the increasingly convoluted “Angels and Demons” arc, but, lo and behold, they have. While there are a few things keeping X-Force #6 from being truly great, it is easily the best issue yet.

In an effective change of pace, the storyline is framed within a status report given by Wolverine to Cyclops. Long story short, all hell breaks loose at the Purifier base as all the various tensions and plotlines explode into an orgy of violence. Wolverine breaks up a standoff between Risman and Bastion, Archangel goes on a rampage against the choir, X-23 and Warpath kill a lot of Purifiers before facing off with someone changed by Magus, and Rahne stands up to her Purifier father. All of it works extremely well to bring the first arc of the re-launched series to a satisfying and appropriately, open-ended conclusion. That said, I have to acknowledge that are a few gaps in the storytelling that I wish Yost and Kyle would have taken the time to explain. While I won’t spoil anything here, the gaps involve the nature of Magus and transformation of Warren Worthington.

I have to hand it to the writers for changing the storytelling style for this issue. The decision pays off in a big way and allows the few plot holes to be fairly understandable given the context. If I have one complaint, however, it is that Wolverine’s narration is a little bit heavy on the “tough guy” image from time to time. Also, he swears quite a bit (which actually works well in giving the narration a conversational tone) and it made me realize the series would be much better off as a MAX title. Clayton Crain’s artwork (which I’ll get to in a moment) is already shockingly (MAX level) graphic, so why the need for censorship for some commonly used swear words? I know that’s a discussion for another day, but I feel it’s worth bringing up.

Crain’s artwork (see, I told you I would get to it) has never been better. The color palette is still a bit too dark and the characters occasionally look oddly proportioned, but those flaws can’t overshadow how visually compelling the action in this issue is. It is brutal, disturbing, and (oddly enough) beautiful all at the same time. Some of the pages have to be seen to be believed.

I really don’t know how much more I can say. I went into X-Force #6 fearing the worst and came away from it more than pleasantly surprised. If the momentum from this issue can be sustained, X-Force is going to be one series worth keeping an eye on. Action fans and “X” fans, consider this one a must buy. (Grade: B+)

– Kyle Posluszny

X-Force #5 – Review

By Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost, (Writers) and Clayton Crain (Artist)

The previous issue of X-Force was, in my opinion, the strongest yet. Everything about it seemed to suggest that the series was finally moving in a positive direction as the story, characters, writing, and artwork came together really well. Unfortunately, X-Force #5 isn’t quite as strong as I had hoped, but it does take the story in an interesting direction that I believe will pay off well when the arc concludes next issue.

This issue focuses mostly on the division between Matthew Risman and Bastion, the leaders of the Purifiers. Risman comes to recognize the error of his ways in allowing Bastion to seize control of the Purifiers and plans to take action into his own hands by using the winged-warriors (created last issue). Bastion, meanwhile, continues to manipulate the Purifiers through William Stryker in order to bring about the total destruction of the remaining mutant race. For a Purifier-centric issue, the story works well, but it makes the inclusion of X-Force seem like an afterthought. To be honest, the team doesn’t do a whole lot. Wolfsbane is once again in Purifier captivity while the rest of the team chases down an enraged Archangel and that’s about it! The issue lacks any sense of balance between the two storylines and suffers because of it.

By framing most of the issue around Matthew Risman, readers are given a glimpse into the humanity of some of the religious extremists. When Risman is in control of the narrative, things work extremely well. But I must say that Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost disappoint when it comes to everything else. There are a few solid lines of dialogue, but, as a whole, anything outside of the Purifier storyline feels like filler. In short, the storytelling style works well, but the rest of it is average at best.

Visually, X-Force #5 is a pretty good looking book, but a little bit of light would go a long way. I understand the dark, gritty look and it fits the style of this series extremely well, but sometimes it gets a bit out of control. When the action comes across as more confusing and muddy than kinetic and bloody, it might be time to lighten things up. That said, the larger scenes are quite impressive and the character work continues to improve so I can’t come down too hard on Clayton Crain.

Overall I feel that X-Force #5 presents an equal measure of the good and bad aspects of this series. It is a decent, but slightly below-average read. (Grade: C-)

-Kyle Posluszny

X-Force #2 – Review

By Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost (writers), Clayton Crain (art)

X-Force continues to stumble along. It’s greatest offense is that its simple storyline could probably easily fit into three issues. Instead, it’s completely drawn out, filled with an overabundance of expository dialog. Heck, within the first 12 pages of this second issue, there’s already two recaps on what happened in the first issue. Is this really needed? It’s most likely because Marvel hopes to collect all six-parts into a trade paperback later.

Continuing where the first issue left us, Risman is holding Wolfsbane hostage and Wolverine’s ready to stand down. But X-23, being the loose canon she suddenly is, goes against Logan’s orders and unleashes a powerful explosion in the church, killing just about everyone. Yet, somehow, Warpath manages to survive unscathed while Risman escapes with Wolfsbane (even though they were pretty much right in the center of the blast). This event plays out incredible stupid and makes Wolverine look like a fool – especially in front of Cyclops when he has to later explain his team’s failure.

After their debriefing, the team goes back out on a murdering spree, destroying Purifier bases across the land in hopes of finding Wolfsbane and Risman. Meanwhile, Risman and Bastion come to the realization that if they want to really destroy the X-Men, they’ll need some serious help. They venture to the bottom of the sea to find Warlock? Yes, that Warlock from the New Mutants!

Okay, the whole Warlock thing surprised me – it even made me grin a little. It’s a character I’ve been missing for a long time. But honestly, concept aside, I don’t trust Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost. Plus, this idea is pretty hokey. So far, this writing team has done nothing but stumble with this story line and the concept behind it. This book is below average on all fronts – art included. Clayton Crain is good with a Wacom tablet, but his art is so inconsistent that I can’t say it’s good. Sometimes it looks decent (though over-rendered), other times it looks like a step up from refined thumbnails. His action sequences are also very stiff. I’d like to see this book succeed, but I just don’t see it happening without a lot of help or new creative team. (Grade: D)

– J. Montes