X-Force #2 – Review

by Simon Spurrier (Writer), Rock-He Kim (Artist)

The Story: Sometime the ends justifies the means, no matter the cost to your soul. Apparently, Cable really believes in that line.

The Review: Simon Spurrier is a writer whose work I appreciate. Being a regular of 2000AD and the one who wrote X-Club, Six-Gun Gorilla and the delightful David Haller volume of X-Men Legacy, he has grown from nobody to a talented writer in my perception. With such a pedigree, it’s hard not to want to try some of his stuff and give him a chance, if only to see if he can recapture the magic of some of his previous work.

As it turn out, anyone can make mistakes, as the very first issue of this new volume of X-Force was unfortunately a rather clunky affair, filled with some questionable choices as well as a tendency to repeat some key information without actually clarifying much. It was a bit of a letdown, to say the least, yet a single issue is not always the best of indicative of what is yet to come. While other writers might have scared me off the title by delivering an issue that wasn’t exactly the best all-around, to put it gently, in Spurrier I trusted as I continued to buy the title. Was my choice a wise one or am I deluding myself?

For what it’s worth, this issue work a good deal better than the previous one, even though there are still some clunky bits here and there that doesn’t make the book reach the height it can attain.

X-Force #1 – Review

by Simon Spurrier (Writer), Rock-He Kim (Artist)

The Story: Getting together a new outfit, Cable gets on track with the shady side of the world with a new X-Force.

The Review: We have been spoiled by Uncanny X-Force. The Remender version, for good or ill, effectively made it so there has been a certain modicum of quality attributed to the franchise that not anyone can actually reach. While not, in retrospect, the best run in comics history, this previous iteration did leave a lot of potential for characters and the franchise in general in terms of legacy and importance.

Of course, to compare a new series with one that has attained a certain respect among fans would be unfair, yet it is almost unavoidable in this case. To compare is something that is basic in anyone’s mind, whether it is meant or not. With this regard, there are some things that unfortunately don’t really work with this new version of X-Force.

One of the problems of this book is its identity. While Spurrier makes sure readers do understand what is at stake, there is a certain repetition of some of the elements that is a bit undesirable, while some other important elements are left on the side. The Alexandria incident, for one, is the event that supposedly kicks off the team and gives a certain purpose for the team to be put together by Cable. However, it is merely mentioned in terms of importance as well as repercussions, yet not in any ways that are descriptive or entertaining. Considering the fact that this is an immensely important event, it seems like a waste to not actually show what happened and delve a bit more on the details of this tragedy.

Cable and X-Force #5 – Review

By: Dennis Hopeless (Writer), Salvador Larocca (Artist), Frank D’Armata (Colorist), VC’s Joe Sabino (Letterer)

Review: Much like I did with X-Men Legacy a while back, I caught up with Cable and X-Force by inhaling issues #1-5 in one sitting. The effect was akin to turning up late to an ice-cream party to find that the only flavor left is Peanut Butter Crunch and you’ve got to chug 5 scoops immediately in order to catch up with everyone else. Oh, and you’re allergic to peanuts. And you’re lactose intolerant. Come to think of it, why the smeg did you agree to this ice-cream party in the first place? What the hell is an Ice Cream party!? A more pertinent question: why have I spent $19.95 of my hard-earned Earth Dollars on Cable and X-Force? Because I’m an idiot, that’s why; no dodging the bullet on that one.

Cable and X-Force #1–Review

By: Dennis Hopeless (writer), Salvador Larroca (Art), and Frank D’Armata (colors)

The Story: Cable is back, and the first thing he does is make himself and his teammates fugitives. Way to go, Nate.

The Review: Vibrant art, vibrant writing. That’s the best way to describe Cable and X-Force. There is a lot of dynamic here that Larroca, Hopeless, and D’Armata bring to the comic, but this doesn’t mean that it’s a perfect book. The best comparison is the new Thunderbolts. Both books are about how the team comes together, but the difference is in the execution. This incarnation of X-Force is partly chance and partly planned. Cable  needs Forge and Dr. Nemesis, so he recruits them. But Domino and Hope arrive by other means…and Colossus’s role is not yet defined. This works well. It shows a team becoming something rather than Cable sipping tea in France watching Domino kill mimes (or whatever the hell that scene was in Thunderbolts with Deadpool). There’s a progression and a purpose. The problem is, the first issue doesn’t give us an idea of what that purpose is. We see them all on the run, not able to explain a lot of dead bodies to Havok and the rest of the Uncanny X-Force, and they have matching uniforms. They become a team–but why? This could be just a casualty of “writing for the trade.” But it didn’t leave me anxious for the next issue.Hopeless is good with the individual characters, developing them and letting us get to know them, but the plot is weak.

A + X #1 – Review

By: Dan Slott, Jeph Loeb (Writer), Ron Garney, Dale Keown (Artist), Danny Miki, Cam Smith, Mark Morales (Inker), Wil Quintana, Frank D’Armata (Colorist), Clayton Cowles, Albert Deschesne (Letterer)

The Review: Buying this book was a somewhat difficult decision; lotta great books out this week but only so much cash in my pocket. I’d collected all of AvX Vs alongside the main event book and felt like I’d reasonably gotten my money’s worth, though the $3.99 price point sometimes caused a heavy sigh. The execution is very similar here with a mix of creative teams delivering two done-in-one stories per issue, though in this case the featured Avengers and X-Men have joined forces instead of butting heads. As such, this is pretty much as close to a Marvel Team-Up book as we can get right now and perhaps that’s reason enough to consider a purchase. But does this first issue do enough to entice us back for a few more?

Let’s take a look:

Captain America + Cable: First, forget Cable, they should have called this segment Captain America + Ron Garney! I would pay good money to read an entire issue of Garney drawing nothing but Cap taking a 12 hour snooze or painting a fence. He was (as has often been said) born to draw the character, and with editorial wisely pairing him with Dan Slott, the result is a story that captures some of that classic Waid/Garney magic. With Cap and Bucky taking on a deadly mission behind enemy lines during WWII, Cable drops in through the time stream to lend a hand against Atticus Trask’s diabolical Nazi Sentinels – a perfect set-up.

Slott’s definitely in his element; he writes an assured Captain America who effortlessly orchestrates spontaneous feats of strategy with his sidekick, and styles a brash, cocky Cable for him to spar with. A new twist on the Sleeper concept, Germans getting called “Fritz,” and a sly reference to Bucky’s future as the Winter Soldier – brilliant fun. It’s a lean, compact little story without an ounce of fat, packing a satisfying beginning, middle and end within a tight 11-page window.

Avengers Vs X-Men Consequences #1

Written by Kieron Gillen, Art by Tom Raney, Colors by Jim Charalampidis

The Story: Mutants are back, baby! Cyclops has fallen. Everyone needs a mission.

The Review: This certainly is one of those “set the stage” issues. We get a lot of introductions to the stories that will be told in Consequences, but nothing that is entirely concrete yet. Individually, each of these setups are pretty good, but when compiled into one comic, it gets a little tedious. So what are these setups? Well, we have what happens to Wakanda, and if Storm and Black Panther can ever patch things up (doesn’t look too hopeful). It also shows how screwed over T’Challa was in AvX. He actually wanted to remain neutral in issues 6 and 7, and then the Avengers brought an X-prisoner to his country, prompting Emma to prompt Namor to attack. Now his country is in ruins because of a war he wanted no part in, and he blames the mutants. I’m not sure if that is reasonable or not, but considering what happened to the poor guy, I think it’s better that we don’t see him rationalize everything. Who actually could? This shouldn’t be a debate about who he blames, we should just see a man who had something terrible happen to him and his country, and that’s what we get.

The next story has Cyclops in prison, which gets the most development in this issue. And it’s probably the story you will roll your eyes at the most. Basically, some organization is already trying to exploit the mutant phenomenon and want to test their technology on Scott Summers. And we’re back to the X-Men stories of old. It’s also really similar to the Osborn mini a couple years back. The only difference is that Osborn was an actual villain. Scott might need to be detained, but why SHIELD and the Avengers would send him to a privately owned prison who are clearly anti-mutant is completely unbelievable. At first it seems Cap and the others don’t know, but he sends Wolverine to to talk to Scott. Cap doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who would send someone like Cyclops to a place like this. I think this is only thee to set up Wolverine and Cyclops teaming up again and taking the mutant-hating warden down. If that’s the case, this is very heavy-handed.

As for Hope’s part, it’s simply one of the best parts of this issue, since Gillen writes her so well. Duane Swierzcynsky deserves a lot of credit for everything he did to develop the character of Hope, and Gillen deserves equal credit for expanding and developing that character to the next stage. Now that she’s fulfilled her destiny, what’s next? This is what I am most interested in reading about, as we get hints of Cable, which is always nice.

Uncanny X-Force #29 – Review

by Rick Remender (writer), Julian Totino Tedesco (art), John Lucas (interlude inks), Dean White (colors), and Cory Petit (letters)

The Story:  The future X-Force tries to keep Psylocke alive to stop their Minority Report-styled universe from ceasing to exist.

The Review:  In most comics, the bad guys’ plans require killing the good guy.  I loved Remender’s creative reversal of this dynamic; here, the bad guys are desperately trying to keep Psylocke from killing herself.  It makes for some really great situations.  For instance, there’s a wonderful scene where the Punisher tries to get Psylocke to do what he wants…by pointing a gun at her.  Psylocke rightfully laughs at this and it shows that even the characters struggle to deal with this wacky reversal of the usual state of affairs.  There’s just something so wonderfully goofy, in a very dark way of course, about a hero desperately trying to die and diving into things with reckless abandon to accomplish this end, while the villains try to save her.

This also leads to a great little interlude where Psylocke meets Warren in the afterlife (maybe?).  Remender leaves it perfectly in the air as to whether this really was the afterlife, but it’s a highly effective scene and leads to more fantastic character work, and character development, for Psylocke.  Remender is really doing some of the best work with Psylocke that we’ve ever seen.

Remender also once again shows a fantastic handle of Deadpool.  There’s a couple of pages that are utterly hilarious here, with one visual gag involving the Punisher that is guaranteed to get a laugh.  Deadpool is, again, never over the top but adds a nice touch of zaniness to an otherwise unremittingly grim comic.  The gag with the Punisher is definitely one of the best Deadpool scenes from Remender yet.

Wolverine & The X-Men #4 – Review

By: Jason Aaron (writer) Nick Bradshaw (artist) Justin Posner (colors)

The Story: It always sucks to be the new kid.

What’s Good: While I was sad to see Chris Bachalo leave this series, rest assured that the art is in good hands with Nick Bradshaw. His round, friendly lines make the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning just as wonderful as Bachalo did, and his attention to detail is incredible. From the picture of Cyclops on a dart board, to Quire’s copy of the Art of War, to Glob’s papers sticking to him, every panel feels rich and resplendent. The change in art style also reflects a change in tone. The faculty are no longer fighting off external forces that threaten to destroy the school, but are still burdened by the day-to-day difficulties of managing and teaching twenty super-powered adolescents. As such, the atmosphere has lightened, and things no longer look ready to come apart at the seams. There are some truly beautiful shots of Angel against the sun, and everyone’s body language is as expressive as their dialogue.

One of my favorite parts of this new series has been just how well  Jason Aaron has been able to capture the dynamic between the students and the teachers, while keeping everyone in character. Wolverine and company are truly teachers, not team leaders or mentors as they’ve been in other books featuring young mutants, and this relationship informs nearly of their interactions.

The story in this issue centers around the introduction of Angel and the Kid-Apocalypse Evan, who calls himself Genesis. The two  face very different challenges; Evan will have to decide his fate, whether to be savior or destroyer. Worse, he will have go through puberty, bullies, high school drama as figure it out. This has me concerned for his treatment by writers: it will be only too tempting to repeatedly pen stories about him “going evil” only to “redeem himself” in endless and unsatisfying cycles. I’m really hoping that Jason Aaron has a very specific character arc in mind for him, and that he can convince editors and future writers to try to adhere to as tight a story as possible. For Angel, on the other hand, I think the struggle will not so much be about finding himself as it will be about convincing others that he is a very different person than the one they remember. This, I like. At the very end of the Dark Angel Saga, I was concerned that all that the only reprecusion was that he had developed amnesia, and that after maybe a few months, we’d get a story line about him regaining his memories. If the changes in him are as far-reaching as they are implied to be here, the writers have been braver than I would have dared to hope. There’s a lot of potential for some very interesting stories here, not only for this new character, but also for all of Warren’s friends as they adjust to his “condition.”

Avengers: X-Sanction #1 – Review

By: Jeph Loeb (writer), Ed McGuinness (pencils), Dexter Vines (inks), Morry Hollowell(colors)

The Story: The Avengers are dealing with a prison break from the Raft when one of their number is split off from the pack and captured by Cable.

The Review: In any series, it is important for the writer to find a story that fits with the nature of the hero. Batman hunts psychotic killers in nighttime Gotham. Thor’s best stories involve the intersection of Norse myth and the real world. Cable is a time-traveling refugee from a future of extreme mutant persecution. And he only comes in badass flavor. So this story, about Cable trying once again to avert a terrible future by changing the past is great grist for this mill.

In this case, it looks like Cable has got to off the Avengers. What’s cool in this story? The very far future with his friend Blaquesmith and their discussion of what happened. It echoed some of the feel of 13 Monkeys. What wasn’t so cool? I followed some of the Hope saga and I get that Cable misses being a dad to Hope, but the writing on this was a bit heavy-handed. Also, the very strong hints (by Blaquesmith and Captain America) that Cable isn’t playing with a full deck really cut the feet out from under this story. A story of conflicting choices, each option with its ethical costs, is the best kind of story. The set-up here with Cable being not-quite-right-in-the-head cheapens the conflict and points to a resolution of “well, he got better now…whew!” I hope I’m wrong.

On art, McGuiness and Vines laid down some fine pencils that suggested different flavors at different times. The opening double-splash felt a bit like the work of Grummett. Later on, especially when Cap was running on the deck of the ship, it had a tinge of Art Adams. This is not to say that McGuinness doesn’t have a style of his own. I just liked some of the resonances my read got me. His style is detailed enough to keep me interested and clear enough to tell an action-filled story.

Aside: Is it me or has the Avengers turned into an all-guy team?

Conclusion: Action and adventure, but this series isn’t going to reshape the comic field or anything. Cable fans may rejoice that he’s got 4 issues of center stage time. Fighting the Avengers is going to be pretty hard and he has some history with more than one.

Grade: C

-DS Arsenault

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X-Force/Cable: Messiah War – Review

Written by Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost, and Duane Swierczynski, Art by Mike Choi, Sonia Oback, Ariel Olivetti, and Clayton Crain

So far, we’ve looked at Endangered Species (the tone-setter to the Messiah Trilogy), and Messiah Complex, the first actual part of the trilogy. This week we’ve got Messiah War, the often-criticized second installment. Being hailed as the sequel to one of the greatest X-Men stories that have ever been told might have set up expectations this much smaller crossover could never live up to. However, it does seem that recent feedback of Messiah War has been much more positive than when it was originally released. Yet even with more positive criticism, the biggest question remains: Is this story actually relevant to the Messiah Trilogy?

Absolutely.

The first question is always “what happens?” Maybe this is where Messiah War is lacking, because it can be summed up too easily. Bishop teams up with Stryfe to kill Cable and Hope. That’s kind of it. Of course, Bishop doesn’t tell Stryfe about Hope or how important she is—good or evil. To gain Stryfe’s allegiance, Bishop tracks down a weakened Apocalypse and helps Stryfe kill his father…or maker. Meanwhile, Cyclops is freaking out and has Beast make time machines for X-Force so that they can go the future, retrieve Cable, and bury Bishop six feet under. When X-Force arrive in the future, they find themselves trapped in a time net…thing. There seems to be a lot going on for a seven issue story, but the one criticism I do have on the series is that it’s about one issue too long. There’s a bit of padding early in the story, especially dealing with Deadpool.

Which brings us to the writers. This goes for all three—their writing in the second half of the crossover is much stronger than the first. The consistency that was so strong in Messiah Complex got off to a rough start in War (yet there will still be a worse example) as Swierczysnki didn’t seem to understand Kyle and Yost’s style, and vice versa. By the fourth chapter, however, they begin to move as one, and for the rest of the story, that unity of storytelling is much stronger. We also get into the heads of the characters a lot more than we did in Complex or we will in Second Coming. Our three scribes move between Cable, Bishop, Stryfe, Archangel, and finally Apocalypse (though only Kyle and Yost write from his point of view, sadly) in a way that doesn’t feel unnatural. What hurts the writing most, early on, was the need to recap the events of Messiah Complex and Cable for the reader. And Kyle and Yost, who wrote the first chapter, actually take a while to do this—again, stretching time. It makes sense that they would, considering that a lot of the readers coming on would be new ones wanting the sequel to Complex, but it was a bit much.

X-Men: Messiah Complex – Review

Writers: Ed Brubaker, Peter David, Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost, and Mike Carey

Pencilers: Mark Silvestri, Billy Tan, Scot Eaton, Humberto Ramos, and Chris Bachalo

There probably will be spoilers in this about the entire Messiah Trilogy. Thou hath been warned!

Last week I wrote about Endangered Species and how it set the tone for Messiah Trilogy and everything that follows. Now it’s time to get into the real meat of the Messiah Trilogy with the crossover event Messiah Complex.  Rereading this for probably the 100^th time, I can say this right off the bat—it still gets better with every read. Complex is simply one of the best stories to have come out in comics in years. Out of all the major events in the past ten years, I honestly hold Messiah Complex as the best. Does it have its faults? Of course. Every story no matter how well told will always have a few glitches, no matter how minor. But just looking at the entire Messiah saga, Complex has the strongest writing and the strongest art (Well, Messiah War has fantastic art, but it’s not exactly the same. Next week…next week). So before we get into the story and how it works in this trilogy as a whole—and the implications of some of the scenes/motifs—let’s look at this awesome creative team.

First off, did you see that list of writers? If that’s not a perfect group of writers, then I don’t know what is. Just going by these names, anyone who picks up this graphic novel should know that they’re in for a great read. Each writer is great—and more importantly, they’re consistent. Of course it’s important for a writer to stand out on their own, but in a crossover—especially one as big as Messiah Complex and the later Second Coming, consistency in style and tone is extremely important. It may be five writers, but the story should read one. The reader should not notice a change in writers, and the fact that Brubaker and company were able to do this not only proves how talented they are, but also show their ability to work with other great writers—knowing when to pick up traits or possibly give suggestions—and create a great story as one. In one of the two sequels to Messiah Complex, we’ll definitely see instances of one writer not wanting to play with the others because the abrupt shifts in characterization and tone scream at the reader (I’ll keep you guessing for now, but I’m sure most of you know which story I’m talking about).  I am all for individuality, and if you read all these writers’ respective books, you can get that. But seeing so many talented people working together is one of the biggest treats of the book.

Uncanny X-Men #525 – Review

by Matt Fraction (writer), Terry Dodson (artist)

The Story: Hope hates Cyke for maybe killing her dad.  Utopia starts exploding.  The X-Men battle Nimrods on the streets of San Francisco. X-Force arrives in the future and finds out, yep, it blows.  Then they decide, screw it, let’s just kill everybody.  The Avengers and the Fantastic Four show up to help, but that don’t really work out.

What’s Good: Fraction redeems himself with this chapter of Second Coming by delivering a near perfect script as we enter the third and final act of the crossover.  Whereas the writer has had problems with keeping characterization consistent in the past, especially with characters from other titles, here he gets everybody almost right and the story’s breakneck pace benefits from the lack of distraction.  (Okay, Archangel acts a bit of a wuss, but I’ll chalk that up to stress for now.)  One point that Fraction seems intent on spotlighting is that Hope is, despite years of military training and being on the run, still a teenager, prone to a teenager’s angst and mood swings.  While that doesn’t always fit with her pre-established character, it works well here as she flips her lid when she discovers that Cyclops has sent her father-figure, Cable, on a suicide mission into the future.  This is exactly how a young person would react in such a situation, and the scene is strengthened by this portrayal of Hope.  Another benefit of the script is the injection of some humor into the proceedings.  While the storyline has succeeded primarily on its unrelenting direness and desperate, last stand-like tone, a little humor never hurt anyone.  If anything, it serves to make the serious scenes more weighty.  Dr. Nemesis’ reply to Mr. Fantastic’s appraisal, Cable’s first thought to the odds stacked against them in the future, and possibly the only time that I have ever liked the character of Fantomex.  “Ha Ha.  That film was stupid.”  Indeed.  Notable mentions go to raising the stakes by bringing in the Fantastic Four and the Avengers, the Professor’s peace with Scott, the “red sky” battles of the Bay Area, and the allusion to Days of Future Past.  All admirably visualized by the Dodsons.

X-Force #27 – Review

by Craig Kyle & Chris Yost (writers), Mike Choi (artist), Sonia Oback (colorist)

The Story: Bastion begins instituting his final plan as he unleashes the first wave of his Nimrod army upon the X-Men, causing several members to suffer devastating losses.  When the mutants discover that the villain has actually opened a portal to a future where humanity has won and is preparing to unleash more than 170,000 of the mutant-hunting robots, they get desperate.  The plan?  Send Cable, Cypher and X-Force into the future to cut off the threat at the source.  The catch? It’s a one way trip, whether they win or lose.

What’s Good: Let’s all breathe a sigh of relief, shall we?  Okay, done?  Good.  This issue of X-Force (along with last week’s X-Men Legacy) signals the return of breakneck awesomeness to the Second Coming crossover, and just in time.  After the saggy beginning to the second act of the storyline, the back-half has kicked us back into high gear as we head into the third and final act.  From the beat-down the X-Men receive at the hands of the Nimrods in the opening pages of the issue to Prodigy’s near-mental collapse at the realization of the odds stacked against them all to X-23’s gentle “hand” gesture to Cable’s farewell to Hope, this chapter returned  the drama,  action and feeling of desperation to the proceedings like nobody’s business!  It’s always a pleasure, as well, to see Kyle and Yost get to bring a small amount of the spotlight back onto their characters from the aborted New X-Men title.  A little Prodigy, Hellion, Surge, and X-23 goes a long way under their pen, and it’s always a joy.  Anyone who might have missed their run on that title should definitely pick it up.  (It’s actually the genesis of the Bastion part of Second Coming, so now you have two reasons.)

Uncanny X-Men #524 – Review

by Matt Fraction (writer), Terry Dodson (artist)

The Story: The X-Men regroup and mourn their fallen teammate as Bastion continues to push his machinations against mutantkind forward.  Meanwhile, now that Hope, the so-called mutant messiah, has finally returned, she finds that she wants no part of the expectations that come with the title.

What’s Good: The breakneck pace of the Second Coming storyline has come to a halt with this chapter, and, surprisingly, the story doesn’t suffer from it.  If anything, Fraction has used this issue’s primary plot (the mourning of Nightcrawler) to transform that high tension from action-oriented to character-oriented.  Not only that, he utilizes the fact that Kurt sacrificed himself to save Hope in a such a way that he can also explore how Hope’s return affects Hope herself.  Not only has she fallen headfirst into a crowd that expects her to be their savior, but she’s also looked upon as responsible for the death of their friend.  Not an easy first impression to have to live with.    As is usual with every chapter so far of Second Coming, there are many wonderful small moments thrown in amongst the forward momentum of the tale.  Beast’s return to Utopia and his condemnation of Scott, Colossus’ catering to Kitty, Pixie’s annoyance, Scott’s look on his face as he finally meets the one person he’s hedged everything in his life on, including his morals.  The strongest character work here, as expected, falls on Wolverine.  His reaction to his best friend’s passing is a slow burn that works it’s way subtly through the book until he finally explodes on the final page.  Everything that he says and, more importantly, doesn’t say is excellently portrayed by both Fraction and Dodson.  If most X-fans had to imagine what Logan would speak at Kurt’s funeral, I’d imagine it would read a lot like what’s presented here.

X-Force #26 – Review

by Craig Kyle & Chris Yost (writers), Mike Choi (artist), Sonia Oback (colorist)

The Story: While the X-Men’s Alpha Team helps Cable act as a decoy to Bastion’s forces and the New Mutants hurry home after one of their own has been gravely injured, Rogue and Nightcrawler race to get Hope to Utopia before it’s too late.  However, when confronted with Bastion himself, one of them doesn’t  survive.

What’s Good: I’m running out of ways to heap praise on the X-titles these days, but I’ll give it another go.  This chapter of Second Coming, the conclusion to the first act of the storyline, comes to a mournful denouement that is every bit as riveting as the previous installments have been.  Kyle and Yost, back to form on this title after the shaky Necrosha crossover, deliver a nail-biting script full of (forgive the pun) killer moments that make you happy to be an x-fan these days.  From Bastion’s silent tactical epiphany that Hope would be placed with Nightcrawler and Rogue to the variation on the classic Fastball Special to Colossus’ single-minded concern for his sister to Logan’s extending of his claws at the end, this issue is littered with pitch perfect character beats and events that make you smile to yourself in that special way that lets you know you’re reading good comics.  The most unexpected bit has to be Bastion’s early entrance onto the theater of war.  I’m going to assume most readers, like me, figured we’d have to get through a few more of his cronies until we got to see the big bad show up to chew bubblegum and kick some ass.  However, with his sudden appearance and subsequent murder of a beloved X-Man, the stakes have been appropriately raised and things have gotten very personal.  And really, what x-fan who slogged through the crap-fest that was Operation Zero Tolerance thought they’d ever think of Bastion as badass?  Kyle and Yost did it!  They get kudos for that feat alone.

Mike Choi delivers the goods this issue and boy am I happy to see him back on this title.  Choi has always been my preferred artist on X-Force.  While Clayton Crain has his moments, Choi consistently delivers wonderful artwork that always tells a strong story.  From his kinetic action sequence involving Rogue and Bastion to his well-handled “acting” and facial expressions.  Take a look at Rogue’s and Hope’s reactions at the conclusion of the battle with Bastion and the look on Wolverine’s face at the end of the issue.  The man knows his stuff.  Of particular note is Choi’s depiction of Bastion.  He truly looks like an artificial man here, and the way that he continuously reforms, bringing him closer and closer to the Nimrod appearance is magnificently handled by the penciller.  He also draws a cool-looking Warlock.  I’d be remiss to not mention colorist Sonia Oback’s contribution to the artwork.  It’s her colors that really make Choi’s pencils pop on the page.

The Death: Okay, here we go:  SPOILER ALERT!  Do not read any further if you haven’t picked up the issue yet and don’t want to be angry with me.  Although you could be angry with me for a completely different reason, so, carry on then.

X-Men Legacy #235

by Mike Carey (writer), Greg Land (artist)

The Story: Karma’s out for the count, and in order to save her and the rest of the New Mutants, one member of the team must cross a line.  Meanwhile, Rogue discovers a link to mutant messiah Hope and so joins the X-Men’s Alpha Squad to track down her and Cable.

What’s Good: Wow.  I keep waiting for this crossover to lose steam or to go off the tracks and this issue has just about cinched what I’ve suspected for the last few weeks:  Maybe it won’t.  I’ll hold off any definitive prejudging until next week’s chapter, though, as I figure if they can keep up the breakneck pace for an entire month, then maybe they can do it for another two.  Here’s hoping.  Anyhow, there’s a lot to like in this month’s issue of Legacy, and the plot was full of “Oh crap!” moments that had me on the edge of my seat for the whole read.  Carey does a magnificent job of ramping up the suspense in the scenes concerning the New Mutants’ suicide run against Hodge and his Right soldiers, in particular.  Any comic reader worth his salt is well-aware that it’s highly unlikely any of the primary kids are going to take a dirtnap (at least not without Marvel plugging it for three months beforehand) but boy, was I almost convinced that it could happen here!  The scribe effectively sells the team’s desperation, and when they pull the wild card of using Warlock as a game changer I have to admit to being caught off-guard.  While it seems perfectly obvious in retrospect (not only is Warlock a member of the race who’s techno-organic circuitry is responsible for reanimating Hodge, but Hodge himself “killed” Warlock twenty years ago during the X-Tinction Agenda crossover), I still never saw that ending coming.  Warlock’s lethal force and Cypher’s speech to him about the needs of war also flowed nicely with the “excessive force” sub-plot running through the crossover ever since X-Force’s existence was revealed.  Combine all of this goodness with additional kick-ass moments like the sudden death of another Utopia resident and Rogue’s multi-powered reveal, and well, this issue is a blast to read.

Deadpool & Cable #25 – Review

By Duane Swierczynsk (writer), Paco Medina (pencils), Juan Velasco (inks), Edgar Delgado (colorist) and VC’s Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Cable fights his way through the hospital where Hope (the potential savior of mutantkind) has just been born. He manages to take her, but becomes overwhelmed while trying to flee. Fortunately his backup arrives just in time in the form of Deadpool. The pair make their escape, and must deal with further threats as they fight to protect Hope at all costs.

What’s Good: I needed to cleanse my ‘Pool palate pretty badly after reading the less than stellar inaugural issue of Deadpool Corps. Thankfully, Deadpool & Cable #25 proved to be the perfect antidote. This is the Merc as he should be written—quick thinking, cavalier, and absurd. Cable fares equally well, acting as the voice of logic and reason that grounds the reader in both the plot and emotional center of the story. He is every inch the soldier, and naturally finds the presence of an infant in his life quite distracting; but the cold, hard logic he uses, for example, to solve the problem of Hope’s incessant crying (“Remember Maslow’s hierarchy of basic needs? Food, warmth, shelter, sleep? You just go down the list til you hit the right one”) is not born out of callousness, but simple pragmatism. He clearly cares about the child, even as he curses the significant handicap she gives him in combat.

One thing I really appreciate about this book is that it plays the story completely straight. (Well…almost completely. This is Deadpool, after all.) This could so very easily have degenerated into an Odd Couple-esque sitcom about the two characters trying to deal with the responsibility of caring for the baby. Instead we got a great action story with plenty of non-baby related humor thrown in, and learned a little bit more about how Hope will fit into the X-universe in the process. Also, Swierczynsk limited himself to a single diaper-changing joke, and for that I thank him profusely.

Cable #22 – Review

By: Duane Swierczynski (writer), Gabriel Guzman (artist), Thomas Mason (colors), Axel Alonso (editor)

The Story: Homecoming, Part 2: This issue is part of the build-up to the X-Men: Second Coming event. Seventeen-year-old Hope has decided it is time to join to X-Men in the present. Cable’s time gizmo isn’t very precise. It keeps landing on the past or the future, but gets closer and closer (the opposite of what the time traveler did in Wells’ Time Machine). The problem is Bishop keeps getting dragged along with them.

What’s Good: Swierczynski is writing a pursuit plot, which can be a lot of fun. The secret to the chase plot is never letting the quarry get too far from the hunter, and Swierczynski certainly did that here. Even when they manage to make some major gain, Hope and Cable can’t get any real distance between themselves and Bishop. Also, some of the traps and attacks that Cable and Hope devised were pretty fun to watch. Ever thought you’d see Cable shooting muskets? It is cool, and the camera angle that Guzman chose was a good one.

The Rest of the Stack for the Week of 11-4-09

Deadpool Team-Up #899

By Fred Van Lente (Writer) and Dalibor Talajic (Art)

The Story: Deadpool and Hercules, both plagued by nightmares, find themselves trapped in a strange labyrinth created by villains Nightmare and Arcade.

The Good And The Bad: The first issue of Deadpool’s new series delivers everything I want from a comic featuring a team-up between Deadpool and Hercules. Fred Van Lente’s script is funny, action-packed, and surprisingly clever. And since the writer manages to find a sweet spot between what a Deadpool comic is like and what a Hercules comic is like to great effect, Deadpool Team-Up #899 is filled with all the violence, wacky comedy, and mythology you could ever want from a team-up between Wade Wilson and the Lion of Olympus. The only real downside to Van Lente’s script is that it follows a fairly predictable team-up formula. The heroes meet, they fight, they team, and they win out in the end. You’ve seen it before.

Dalibor Talajic’s work in Deadpool Team-Up #899 is impressive all around. His action scenes are dynamic and brutal, his character work is solid (I especially like how accurate his Hercules looks), and his storytelling compliments the script extremely well. My only real complaint about his work is that a few scenes look slightly “off.” Bodies look either disproportionate or awkward at times.

Grade: B

Assault on New Olympus #1

“Assault on New Olympus Prologue” by Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (Writers), Rodney Buschemi (Art), and Guillem Mari (Colors)

“Godmarked” by Jeff Parker (Writer), Gabriel Hardman (Artist), Elizabeth Breitweiser (Colors)

The Story: “Assault on New Olympus” begins with a reveal about what the mysterious Continuum project is and a fight between Hercules and Spider-Man over the affections of Hercule’s wife Hebe. In “Godmarked,” the Agents of Atlas take on the god Phorcys in order to save Venus.

The Good And The Bad: While previews make the plot of Assault on New Olympus sound fairly promising, there really isn’t a whole lot to the first part of the Incredible Hercules event. Sure, the Continuum reveal is interesting, the confrontation between Herc and Spidey is fun, and the visuals by Rodney Buschemi and Guillem Mari are very nice, but, as a whole, it’s clear that Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente are saving the most interesting stuff for later.

The strongest part of the Assault on New Olympus prologue is the Agents of Atlas backup story. Thanks Jeff Parker’s entertaining dialogue and Gabriel Hardman’s outstanding visuals (I seriously think Hardman’s Phorcys attack is one of the coolest scenes of the year), I wouldn’t be surprised if “Godmarked” ends up being one of the year’s best surprises.

Grade: C+

Psylocke #1

“Kill Matsu’o” by Chris Yost (Writer), Harvey Talibao (Pencils), Paul Neary (Inks), and Ulises Arreola w/ Brian Reber (Colors)

“A Girl Called Hope” by Duane Swierczynski (Writer), Steve Dillon (Art), and Matt Hollingsworth (Colors)

The Story: Psylocke heads to Japan and finds out that her past isn’t as far behind as she thought. In the backup story, Hope deals with a wound and Cable deals with a sniper.

The Good And The Bad: The story that begins in Psylocke #1 isn’t all that inviting to people new to the title character, but Chris Yost deserves credit for attempting to make sense of her twisted continuity regardless. Yost does a fine job of letting Psylocke’s somewhat cold personality come through in the dialogue and it goes a long way towards helping make up for the inaccessible nature of Yost’s continuity heavy story. The artwork throughout the book is pretty slick (thanks, largely to the impressive color work), but it’s also obnoxiously heavy on T’n’A fan-service and posing. Also, it must be noted that Harvey Talibao has a problem keeping Psylocke’s face looking consistent. She looks like a completely different character in a more than a few panels.

The backup story about Cable and Hope is an effective character piece that establishes the relationship the characters share for those that haven’t been following the Cable series. There isn’t much to Swierczynski’s tale, but Steve Dillon’s visual storytelling more than makes up for that. One odd thing about the backup story is that it makes Hope seem younger than I believe she is supposed to be at this point. I could be wrong through, so if I am, feel free to correct me in the comment area.

Grade: C+

Haunt #2

By Robert Kirkman (Writer), Greg Capullo (Layouts), Ryan Ottley (Pencils), Todd McFarlane (Inks), and FCO Plascencia (Colors)

The Story: Daniel Kilgore finds himself getting pulled deeper into his brother’s former life as he learns to adjust to his new powers.

The Good And The Bad: In all honesty, Haunt #2 is only a tiny bit better than the first issue of the series. In other words, it’s a pretty bad comic. Alex covered all that’s wrong about the series in his review of Haunt #1, so instead of repeating everything he said, I’ll just say that the only thing Haunt has going for it is a somewhat interesting story. A nugget of potential exists somewhere within the plot Kirkman and McFarlane are developing. I’m sure of it. It needs to reveal itself soon though or else Haunt is going to be remembered as nothing more than a failed vanity project.

Grade: D

-Kyle Posluszny

 

X-Force #16 (Messiah War Chapter 7) – Review

By Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost (Writer), Clayton Crain (Art), and Duane Swierczynski & Ariel Olivetti (Epilogue)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: One… more… comic… Just one more… The Messiah War is almost over…

The Story: The Messiah War comes to a close as everything comes to a head. Apocalypse, followed by Death, seeks to end the age of Stryfe. X-Force tries to figure out how to deal with the time devices. Hope is in peril as Bishop tries to take one final shot…

What’s Good: As you’ve probably guessed, the best thing about X-Force #16 is that it finally brings an end to the Messiah War storyline. That said, if you’ve been enjoying the Messiah War storyline for what it is, you’ll probably find a lot to like about the arc’s conclusion. All the elements of the story come together for one final confrontation as Apocalypse says epic stuff (which is almost fun to read in a “wow this sounds silly” way), putting Stryfe in his place.

What’s Not So Good: I really can’t say what the biggest sin of the Messiah War is without heading into spoiler territory so… SPOILER WARNING!!…  Here’s the biggest sin of the X-Force/ Cable crossover – When it’s all said and done, everything goes back to how it was before the crossover started. Bishop winds up somewhere in the time-stream, Cable winds up somewhere else with Hope, X-Force is back in the present…Seriously…what was the fucking point?!

Alright, so with that complaint out of the way, I can now tell you the other awful thing about X-Force #16: Clayton Crain’s artwork. Dark, muddy, unclear, smeary (didn’t know that was a word until now), and hard to follow. Crain’s work makes a really poor story seem even worse. Look, I generally like Crain’s work. I think his style is a great fit for the X-Force series and when all of his art clicks, it looks incredible. However, the conclusion of the Messiah War is a great example of how horrible things can look when absolutely nothing clicks…

Conclusion: Save your money and skip X-Force #16. Also, do not even consider picking up the Messiah War trade if you have been waiting for that.

Grade: F+

-Kyle Posluszny

Cable #15 (Messiah War Chapter 6) – Review

By Duane Swierczynski (Writer) and Ariel Olivetti (Artist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: At best, the Messiah War crossover has been disappointing. At worst, it’s been a complete waste of time and money. I wonder if the final chapters can make a difference?

The Story: Deadpool, X-23, Vanisher, and Domino find the source of the interference that’s disrupting the time-travel devices. Meanwhile, Cable, Bishop, and the rest of X-Force try to stop Stryfe from capturing Hope. Also, Angel helps Apocalypse do something that may cause everyone to pay a price…

What’s Good: The very best thing about Cable #15 is that it brings the Messiah War one step closer to a conclusion. I know that that’s not exactly high praise, but the sooner Cable and X-Force can get back to business, the better. The only other positive thing about the sixth chapter of the Messiah War is that Ariel Olivetti’s style actually works quite well for a handful of scenes.

What’s Not So Good: Man…where do I begin? I guess it’d be best to start by saying that Cable #15 might be the worst Messiah War chapter yet. It fails in some way at every level…

The storyline disappoints because the two big plot twists introduced in Cable #15 are strange and frustrating. One of them makes X-23 act completely out of character. The other twist seems like a desperate “WTF!?” moment tossed in just to…you know what? I actually have no idea what the creative team was going for with it.

Duane Swierczynski’s writing makes reading Cable #15 a chore. What’s odd though, is that the writing isn’t actually all that bad. The problem is that Swierczynski seems far more intent on hammering out plot points than actually entertaining the reader. Simply put, a little personality would have gone a long way.

Despite what I said in the “What’s Good” section, the visuals by Ariel Olivetti are truly awful for most of the book. They are inconsistent (Why does Cable look 20+ years younger at times?), awkward (Why is Wolverine’s head so tiny?), ugly (I swear that Olivetti uses the Vanisher reference for every female character), and surprisingly static (some sense of motion would be wonderful). Even fans of Olivetti’s style will have a tough time defending the artwork in the latest issue of Cable.

Conclusion: The penultimate chapter of the Messiah War does nothing to improve the crossover event. Buy it at your risk…

Grade: D-

-Kyle Posluszny

X-Force #15 (Messiah War Chapter 5) – Review

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

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The “Messiah War” storyline has been extremely hit or miss. It’s had a few good moments but as a whole, it’s been rather unsatisfying. I’d love for it to find some sort of consistent, quality groove, but at this point, it doesn’t look like it’s going to.

The Story: Bishop, Stryfe, and Warpath fight over a confused Hope as Cable and the others make their way to Stryfe’s place. Meanwhile, Angel confronts Apocalypse….

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: If you’ve been following the “Messiah War” storyline, X-Force #15 is going to feel like a whole lot more of the same. Hope is in danger, Stryfe talks about how powerful he is, Bishop tries (unsuccessfully) to eliminate his target, Cable tries to rescue hope, Deadpool cracks jokes, Angel talks to Apocalypse….you get the point. The entire issue has a “been there, done that” vibe that makes me feel incredibly bored with the whole “Messiah War” thing.

Sure it has a few entertaining character moments, and sure Clayton Crain’s artwork is pretty cool to look at (when it isn’t completely dominated by darkness and grit), but X-Force #15 as a whole really isn’t worth the time it takes to read. You’ve seen pretty much all it has to offer if you’ve picked up an issue of Cable or X-Force in the last few months, so why bother spending the cash for it?

Conclusion: X-Force #15 proves just how flimsy the “Messiah War” story is. While it’s cool to see Stryfe and Apocalypse back in action, don’t let the nostalgia fool you into thinking the “War” is living up to the hype. The wheels are spinning, yes, but the story is going absolutely nowhere…

Grade: D

-Kyle Posluszny

Cable #14 (Messiah War Chapter 4) – Review

By Duane Swierczynski (Writer) and Ariel Olivetti (Artist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’ve pretty much given up on any hope that Messiah War is going to end up being a truly worthy follow-up to the fantastic Messiah Complex event. While the crossover has been entertaining enough, it lacks the sense of urgency and intensity that made Messiah Complex one of my all time favorite “X” stories. Still, I know I’ll stick with the X-Force/Cable crossover regardless of my disappointment. And that’s because I’m genuinely interested in finding out what direction Hope takes following the War being fought because of her.

The Story: Warpath is stuck in a torture device designed by Stryfe. Hope is a captive of both Bishop and Stryfe. Cable, Deadpool, and most of X-Force try to work out a plan to get inside Stryfe’s citadel. On top of all that, Archangel answers the call and confronts Apocalypse…

What’s Good: I’ve been pretty hard on Duane Swierczynski in the past. Most recently, I thought he really dropped the ball when first handed the reigns of the Messiah War crossover (for chapter two). That said, I give credit where credit is due. And credit is definitely due in this case.

In Cable #14, Swierczynski does a really nice job of ramping up the tension of a storyline that definitely needed one more push to get to the next level. He effectively uses a mix of dialogue and internal monologue to bring out the best in a number of the characters. A few scenes in particular really stand out, like Warpath’s reaction to torture, Archangel’s reunion with Apocalypse, Cable’s battle with remorse, and Bishop’s reaction to the current situation. They feature character moments or bits of information that leave me thinking that the Cable/X-Force crossover might actually be able to overcome it’s rocky start.

What’s Not So Good: Unfortunately, there are two things holding Cable #14 from earning a higher grade. One of them is the artwork by Arial Olivetti. The other has to do with how Hope is handled.

The artwork looks either far too static or, in some cases, downright silly. I understand that it can be difficult to show pain or surprise, but a few of Olivetti’s character shots are just simply hilarious. Two choking scenes are the main offenders, but Warpath’s torture scene doesn’t exactly make a great visual impact either. Sure the device looks nasty, but the results are less than spectacular. I mean it looks as though Warpath is just having a particularly nasty visit to the dentist in one panel.

The problem with Hope (outside of looking really odd) is that she is written in a way that is really inconsistent. She is either sounds too much like an adult or too much like a dumb teenager. It’s like Swierczynski sort of dances around a desirable sweet spot for the character, but never really nails it.

Conclusion: Good, but still not great. That’s the best way to describe both the issue and the crossover that it is involved in. A lot of it works, but enough of it doesn’t to keep it from earning higher than a…

Grade: B-

-Kyle Posluszny

X-Force #14 (Messiah War Chapter 3) – Review

By Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost (Writers) and Clayton Crain (Art)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The Messiah War crossover event really hasn’t even started yet. So far, it’s been a whole lot of expositional dialogue and very little action. I’d expect that to change in chapter three, especially considering how chapter two ended.

The Story: X-Force, Cable, Hope, and Deadpool fight off Stryfe’s warriors in a bloody battle. During the fight, Archangel hears a voice calling out to him. Meanwhile, Stryfe waits for the best moment to attack. As for Bishop, well he’s in charge of most of the exposition.

What’s Good: The latest part of Messiah War is definitely a step up from the last one, though that really isn’t saying much. While most of it is driven by crazy action sequences, the writing team does a nice job of balancing the book by effectively using character moments and slower scenes to move the plot along. It helps that Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost have a very good handle on the fairly large cast. The characters could easily be lost among the bloody violence, but that is, thankfully, not the case. Everyone gets a chance to make an impact under Kyle and Yost. Especially in the case of Vanisher, who manages to bring dark humor to the story more successfully than Deadpool, a character that pretty much lives and dies by how well a writer handles his particular style of black comedy.

What’s Not So Good: The artwork in the third chapter of Messiah War is very much a mixed bag. While I firmly believe that Clayton Crain is a great fit for a series like X-Force, he tends to be his own worst enemy. When everything in his work manages to click (which it does quite often), it looks extremely good. But when something is off, an entire panel can be ruined. And too many panels are ruined in X-Force #14. Sometimes the work is far too dark. Other times everything looks very muddy and undefined. The worst though, is when the character work bounces from one extreme to another, sometimes in the same panel. The art looks either too hyper-detailed, and over-exaggerated or so indistinct that characters look like little more than blobs of color.

As for the story, it still feels like it’s plodding along. While the action in X-Force #14 is welcome and the ending is intriguing (if a bit too predictable), the whole thing lacks the kinetic urgency that drove the Messiah Complex along. I find that a bit surprising, especially because the stakes are just as high, if not higher in some ways.

Conclusion: The Messiah War is definitely gaining momentum, but it’s still a ways behind the Messiah Complex in terms of both scope and excitement.

Grade: B-

-Kyle Posluszny

Cable #13 (Messiah War Chapter 2) – Review

By Duane Swierczynski (Writer) and Ariel Olivetti (Artist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Messiah War got off to a solid start last week despite the fact that half of chapter one was spent on recapping the past. Now, with the pieces in place and the main players introduced into the event, I look forward to where the Messiah Complex sequel will go next. Hopefully, it’s somewhere good.

The Story: Much like the first chapter, the second part of Messiah War spends a lot of time going over past events. Only this time, the past events offer up information that’s new, regardless of whether or not the reader has been following X-Force and/or Cable. What that means is that Cable #13 reveals just what future-Deadpool has been up to all these years. Also, the issue reveals how the present future came to be and what is up with the partnership between Stryfe and Bishop.

What’s Good: The Messiah War story continues to hold quite a bit of potential. Thanks to the funny segment featuring Deadpool and the bits of effective narration from Bishop, it’s possible to come up with a fairly clear picture of what type of future the characters are operating in and how it came to be that way. In other words, with the set-up hopefully finally out of the way, it seems as though the X-event can finally start moving forward comfortably.

What’s Not So Good: In my review of the Messiah War one-shot, I expressed concern over how the event would fare in the hands of the Cable creative team. As it turns out, Cable #13 proves that my concern was more than justified. And Duane Swierczynski and Ariel Olivetti are both at fault.

With the exception of how Stryfe is written, Duane Swierczynski does a pretty poor job of handling his series’ guest stars. Deadpool comes off way too strong (his comic fan “in jokes” are more annoying than funny), Wolverine’s dialogue is at times, atrocious (asshat?! honestly!?), and I really can’t picture X-23 expressing much concern about how someone feels when such an important mission is going on. Two chapters in, and I’m already starting to think that Marvel should have just let Christopher Yost and Craig Kyle handle the entire event.

As for Ariel Olivetti’s work…well…he uses a very “love it or hate it” style. As a whole I can’t really stand it and as a result, I’m not a fan of the visuals in Cable #13. That said, I will give him credit for an appropriately hideous looking Deadpool and some pretty cool looking scenery.

Conclusion: Cable #13 pretty much justified and made real my fears about what would happen when Swierczynski and Olivetti took the reigns of an interesting story. I look forward to what’s coming next in the Messiah War, but at the same time, not really because of anything that took place in its second chapter. Consider me currently disappointed, but optimistic for the future.

Grade:  C–

-Kyle Posluszny