Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Exodus #1 – Review

by Matt Fraction (writer), Mike Deodato, Terry Dodson, & Rachel Dodson (art), Justin Ponsor & Christina Strain (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: The ultimate showdown between the X-Men and the Dark Avengers/Dark X-Men.

What’s Good: It’s really nice to be surprised every now and then. With every issue of this crossover ranging between mild and complete suckage, I couldn’t help but expect this final double-sized issue to be a total catastrophe. Shockingly, what I got was actually pretty damned good.

Fraction still keeps it simple, but this time without falling into chasms of vacuous stupidity. This issue is nonetheless one giant action scene, but you really get a feeling that this time, all these fights actually mean something; the reasons for the giant brawl make sense.

The action is explosive, bombastic, and well-plotted out. The pairings are all logical and hence are quite fun. The fights between Daken and X-23 and Hawkeye and Archangel were particular favourites of mine.

I also greatly enjoyed the use of the Sentry this month, with Emma’s entrance to his mind being a definite highlight. Going into his mind, it was very different seeing a Bob that was completely sane and dressed like an ordinary guy (I’m talking a t-shirt clad, short-haired Bob that is pretty much unrecognizable from the golden god we’re used to). For once, the vulnerability that we so often see in Bob’s dialogue actually manifested itself physically– sort of.

I guess Fraction’s greatest achievement though is finally grabbing a hold of characterization in a way that he hadn’t managed thus far. Osborn sounds like the frustrated, tantrum throwing villain and Scott sounds like the intelligent, heroic leader. Both characters finally felt engaging and true to their roles. Moreover, I especially liked how Scott essentially takes a tactic Norman has been living off of since the beginning of Dark Reign and uses it against him.

That said, I’ve saved the best part of Exodus for last: the art. This crossover has been very uneven art-wise, but make no mistake, this book is absolutely gorgeous. There are so many images and splashes here that will have your jaw dropping. Sentry leaving the planet was a highlight for me, as was Mimic’s battle with Iceman. Just beautiful, glittering superhero action that pushes both Deodato and the Dodsons to their maximum potential. The art transcends “summer blockbuster” territory, delivering something that feels utterly enormous and breathlessly explosive. It’s hyper-detailed, bright, and features some dynamic panel layouts. One would worry that splitting art between Deodato and the Dodson’s might be disastrous, but it’s actually put to good use, with each artist getting whole separate scenes and not interspersed panels.

What’s Not So Good: The very first scene of the book is abyssmal. If it had taken place in the first issue of the crossover, it may have worked, but at this point, it feels rather pointless. What’s worse is that it was accompanied by a caption advertising a future tie-in book. Yes, this issue essentially began with a promo for another book.

A minor complaint, but while I enjoyed the Sentry this month, I’m not entirely sure if Fraction’s treatment of the Void makes sense. Seeing the Void in physical form is a little weird and I didn’t realize that the Sentry thus far has essentially been the Void the entire time, with Bob unaware of everything. It completely goes against those great conversations between Osborn and the Sentry in Dark Avengers.

Conclusion: I actually enjoyed this! Quite a bit!  For once, I got the “everything has changed” vibe I’m supposed to get out of a crossover, and in a way that actually has me excited for what’s to come.

Grade: B+

-Alex Evans

X-Men: Legacy #210 – Review

Mike Carey (Writer), Scot Eaton, Greg land (Penciler), John Dell, Andrew Hennessy, Jay Leisten (Inkers), Brian Reber and Frank D’Armata (Colorist)

First off, I must mention that I have only recently returned to reading X-Men comics after the Messiah Complex drew me back in. I mention this because it surprises me how much I have enjoyed the X-Men: Legacy story even though it is heavily steeped in mutant history and seems meant more for longtime readers. I have made an effort to catch up with said history that I have missed, but I can’t help but feel that Legacy wasn’t really written for people like me. With that said, however, I have to say that I am quite impressed with the story that has been told so far and this latest issue ensures that I will be keeping this series on my reading list for quite some time.

X-Men: Legacy #210 picks up right where the last issue left off – with Magneto and Omega Sentinel looking on as Exodus and Xavier square off on the psychic plane with Xavier’s mind, and sanity, on the line. As with previous issues, the story is told through three different types of sequences: The present situation involving the Acolytes, Magneto, Omega Sentinel, Exodus, and Xavier, the Mindscape situation involving the mental battle between Exodus and Xavier, and the flashback sequences that are being manipulated by Exodus in an attempt to break Xavier’s resolve. All three sequences are visually gripping in their own way. The choice to use a different art team for the flashback sequences continues to keep the book fresh while adding a distinctiveness of its own. Both art teams do an excellent job all around.

Mike Carey’s writing continues to do a fine job of conveying just how incredibly respected Professor Xavier is as both a powerful mutant and a leading figure within the shattered mutant community. Magneto, Exodus, and the rest of the Acolytes clearly look up to the mentally shattered Xavier and the dialogue that takes place between the characters and Xavier elegantly shows just how complex their relationships have become. The gravity of Xavier’s situation could easily come across as overly dramatic or even hokey, especially when considering how all the characters are intertwined, but Carey deftly handles the dialogue well enough that the book never seems to lose its way.

While both the art and most of the writing score high marks with me, I have some issues with the overall storytelling. To put it bluntly, not a whole lot happens as far as moving things forward. I like where it leaves off Xavier’s tale, but the small teaser of things (and characters), to come feels almost entirely disconnected from everything else. Another issue I have to mention is the appearance of Emma Frost and Cyclops that really doesn’t seem to fit into current continuity in any reasonable way – especially when considering that up until this point no one gave much thought to Xavier disappearing at the end of Messiah Complex. It could be a sign of things to come, but it still felt somewhat tacked on.

Overall, I really enjoyed this issue of X-Men: Legacy despite the few storytelling kinks. I really like Carey’s portrayal of the characters and the different sequences feature some strong artwork that keeps me hooked even if it’s regarding some X-Men history I have yet to catch up on. (Grade: B)

-Kyle Posluszny

X-Men: Legacy #209 – Review

By Mike Carey (writer), Scot Eaton (pencils), John Dell (inks), Frank D’Armata (colors)

Oh yes, I am digging this story arc! This book is the best thing to come out of Messiah Complex and for the first time in almost 5 years (Grant Morrison’s run), I’m actually hooked on an X-Men story line. I’ve read lots of Mike Carey’s past works, but nothing’s ever come across as memorable to me until now. This isn’t a mindless brawl fest we usually get from our mutant books – it’s a stripped down character driven piece that explores the relationship between Magneto and Xavier. And I know we’ve seen this told before, but with the aftermath of House of M, Magneto losing his powers, and now Messiah Complex, the world is a different place. The questions and answers Carey poses to the characters are fascinating and engaging.

One mutant poignantly states that the original dreams these men had are over. Times have changed and so now must the dreams. This brilliantly sums up what’s happened and foreshadows what’s to come in the mutant world. With Exodus and his gang having lost any respect for Magneto and now threatened by a reawakened Professor X, I can’t wait to see what happens next. Will this eventually become the Erik and Xavier road trip show? I won’t lie. I’d love to see it happen!

John Romita Jr. isn’t around to do the dream sequences this time, so everything falls into Scot Eaton’s capable hands. He not only does a spectacular job throughout, but seeing him do the dream sequences and the old school renditions of our favorite mutants is a lot of fun. Again, here’s another person who’s previous work never left an impression on me. Well, you can now consider me a fan of Mr. Eaton. Excellent work!

I realize a lot of people feel cheated about Professor X’s supposed death in Messiah Complex (I know I was), but the way Mike Carey’s built this story around him is nothing short of excellent. And in the end, that’s what really counts. (Grade: A)

– J. Montes

X-Men: Legacy #208 – Review

By Mike Carey (writer), John Romita Jr. & Scot Eaton (pencils), Klaus Janson & John Dell (inks), Christina Strain & Frank D’Armata (colors)

As Xavier lays dying on a table, he finds an unlikely savior in Exodus. Though they are enemies, Exodus sees the importance of a man like Xavier. The problem is, even as Xavier struggles to live, he continues to keep his mind shielded from what he deems a hostile threat. We learn this is a self-defense mechanism he has used from a time dating back to the Korean War. Exodus can repair Xavier’s mind, but in order to do so, he’ll have to destroy what’s left of it first.

Mike Carey does a nice job transitioning back and forth from flashback to present events. The events we witness in Xavier’s mind harkens back to the X-Men’s origins and the moral dilemmas he faced. We even see a young Moira McTaggert grill him on his true intentions for the team. It’s character driven stories like this that make the X-Men books good, and Carey deserves praise for fleshing out this story so well. John Romita Jr’s art is an unexpected surprise as he pencils the flashback sequences, while Scot Eaten does a good job keeping an art style relevant to current mutant continuity.

I honestly expected this issue to be crap, but instead I was pleasantly surprised. The issue’s ending is somewhat predictable, but I’m interested to see where Carey takes this story. I’m just hoping they don’t do the whole “Xavier’s a bad guy now” story. (Grade: B)

– J. Montes