Magneto #6 – Review

By: Cullen Bunn (writer), Javier Fernandez (artist), Dan Brown (color artist)

The Story: The Marauders; or, The Modern Prometheus.

The Review: If you’re like me and have, at some point, sought a summary of the complicated mess that is X-Men continuity you’ve probably heard of the Marauders. The villains of the highly successful 1986 crossover “Mutant Massacre”, the Marauders name has long carried connotations of power and sheer black-hearted villainy. The group decimated the peaceful Morlocks, nearly killed Kitty Pryde, forced Colossus to kill before paralyzing him, and cost Angel his wings. The massacre of the Morlocks was long held up as one of the few long-lasting tragedies of the Marvel universe, before finally being eclipsed by bigger and more recent events like the destruction of Genosha or M-Day.

The Marauders have escaped true retribution thanks to their fairly unique ability to be cloned back to life by Mister Sinister, but Magneto’s decided to change that. What follows is a roaring rampage of death and destruction through the ranks of the Marauders that highlights just how vicious Magneto can be when properly motivated. As Bunn introduces a weapon so natural for Magneto that it’s almost shocking that it hasn’t become a staple of the character, Erik whispers, “I discovered how it could be used to slip past your defenses[…]the third time I killed you.”

Though we’ve been conditioned to only acknowledge the elements of violence actively considered by the story, it’s hard to overlook just how frightening Magneto is here. In one of the most interesting lines of the issue, Bunn affirms that there is no continuity between the different lives of the Marauders. While I’m personally fascinated by what changes and remains consistent between clones, this moment humanizes some of the worst that Marvel’s mutants have to offer and reminds us that each time Magneto catches up with them it is murder.

The way I describe it there, the issue sounds a bit like torture porn, and maybe it is. Nevertheless, while the book has more than earned the small parental advisory notice on its front cover Cullen Bunn does have a method to his madness. Bunn uses Magneto’s monologues to distract not only from the gruesome deeds his protagonist commits but from the dramatic arc he’s crafting throughout the issue.

X-Force #10 – Review

By Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost (Writers), Mike Choi (Art), and Sonia Oback (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: X-Force is one series that I can’t help but root for. While inconsistent and far from deep, there is almost no denying it’s appeal. A team of X-Men assigned to take down various villains from “X” lore by any means necessary? As an X-Men fan, I find the concept almost impossible to resist despite it’s inherent (or inevitable?) flaws. X-Force #10 marks the conclusion of “Old Ghosts,” the second arc of the series that’s doing a lot to build my confidence in the long term viability of a concept that, admittedly, seems quite shallow at first.

The Story: Warpath and Ghost Rider deal with the rampaging Demon Bear as the rest of the cast battles Cameron Hodge’s Army of the Right over possession of the deadly Legacy virus. I really can’t go into much more detail without heading into spoiler territory since the issue relies so heavily on its twists and turns.

What’s Good: While I still think that the artwork by Mike Choi and Sonia Oback is a bit too slick considering the gritty, violent tone of the series, that doesn’t change the fact that X-Force #10 is one nice looking book. And it’s a good thing too, because the visuals definitely go a long way towards making up for the somewhat lackluster storytelling throughout the issue. That said, there are still enough good plot seeds planted to make the whole thing worth reading despite its hang-ups. In fact, now that I think about it, the future looks pretty bright for X-Force, especially considering that the Messiah War “X”-event is fast approaching.

What’s Not So Good: From start to finish the conclusion of “Old Ghosts” feels rushed. It’s as though Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost were more convinced about delivering in the future than in the present. There is just far too much action, explanation, and set up for the future crammed into twenty-two pages. As a result, the quality of the arc as a whole takes a hit and the individual issue feels less than satisfying.

Conclusion: X-Force #10 is definitely what I would call a (very attractive) mixed bag. Why? Because it disappoints as an ending, but succeeds as a beginning. I like where the series is headed, I just wish it didn’t have to frustrate so much on the way there.

Grade:  C

-Kyle Posluszny

X-Force #9 – Review

By Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost (Writers), Mike Choi (Art), and Sonia Oback (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Despite the problems I have with X-Force from a continuity standpoint, I have found the series to be entertaining and visually impressive enough to keep reading. That said, I am feeling a bit let down by the latest arc. Maybe the addition of Domino will change my opinion of things…

The Story: The latest issue of X-Force juggles a number of story threads at once. One of them follows Warpath as he comes face to face with the Demon Bear and gets a little unexpected assistance from someone who knows a thing or two about taking down a demon. Another gives a brief glimpse of Wolfsbane’s current and worsening situation. The main plot however, is told through Domino’s perspective. It offers a glimpse inside the character as Vanisher informs the team about what really happened to the Legacy virus.

What’s Good: Despite jumping around all over the place in order to fit all the necessary characters into the story, X-Force #9 proves to be mostly satisfying both visually and plot-wise. Domino’s narration is a large part of the reason why. She is written in a way that benefits her (in catching people up with the character) and the team (in relation to the events taking place and her past). Great work all around by Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost as far as Domino is concerned. My verdict concerning the Warpath and Wolfsbane segments is still up the air at this point, but at least they provide some nice-looking artwork. Speaking of which, props to Mike Choi and Sonia Oback for the bloody, brutal fight scene in the issue as well.

What’s Not So Good: I have two main complaints with this issue. The first is that it attempts to fit far too many things into too few pages. For example, the segments featuring Elixir, S.H.I.E.L.D., and Wolfsbane feel more like distractions than additions to the plot. The second complaint is that the artwork, while extremely nice, just doesn’t feel right for the book. While it doesn’t effect my score in any way, I feel it is worth noting. The artwork by Mike Choi and Sonia Oback just feels too…I dunno…pretty and polished.

Conclusion: While it isn’t breaking any new ground or amounting to more than the sum of its parts, X-Force is a solid, dependable source of entertainment for X-Men fans. This is continues that trend.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny