T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #5 – Review

By: Too many to list—check out the review.

The Story: Apparently, even a simple question of “dead or alive” has no straight answers.

The Review: Of course, the thing about having a huge relaunch of your entire line of titles is you’re not only thinning out all the weaker series, but the strong ones as well.  While DC made certain to preserve its anchors (e.g. Batman, Green Lantern) more or less intact, its young critical darlings did not receive such protection, sending perfectly strong titles to an early end.  I would definitely list T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents (as well as the underappreciated Xombi) as example.

This miniseries is thus something of a weird beast.  You’d think DC going through the trouble of releasing it in the first place would be an indication of their faith in the property, especially since they have no shortage of more popular ones to invest in.  Yet from the first issue, it’s clear the series doesn’t make itself out to be accessible or attractive to new readers.  Rather, this mini feels mostly like a continuation of the spare plotlines Nick Spencer left behind on his ongoing.

At the same time, Spencer’s plotlines aren’t of the kind that resolve neatly or quickly; if you’ve ever read Morning Glories or any of his other works, you’ll know his strength lies in letting his stories ferment, giving you the occasional potent taste, but otherwise reserving the rest.  For that reason, I find it hard to believe he ever intended for us to discover Colleen’s true loyalties this soon, or what her (and Emil Jennings’) ultimate goals are.

Green Lantern #6 – Review

By: Geoff Johns (writer), Mike Choi (artist), Alex Sinclair (colorist)

The Story: In which Sinestro finds prophecies to be heavy reading.

The Review: At some point in every superhero’s life there comes a time when they have to face the prospect of hanging up the cape/putting away the spandex outfit for a while, even for good.  You can understand why this is such a popular plotline in comics.  There’s a certain fascination in figuring out the person beneath the costume, and having our hero take out of it for a while is a huge opportunity to see exactly who we’ve been idolizing all this time.

And if any of you saw the Green Lantern movie, I think you understand for Hal especially it’s important to find out what the deal with this guy is.  Basically, when he’s not ruining planes left and right, he’s slinging energy blasts while in colorful wardrobe.  Clark writes, Bruce invests money, Diana’s royalty, Barry gets his CSI on, and all of them have non-vigilante people around to do it with.  Even Hal’s love interest slips into a hot pink number and exacts justice now and then.  If the life of Green Lantern isn’t available to him, how would Hal fare?

Actually, it seems like Hal takes to civilian life pretty well, despite being essentially homeless, unemployed, and broke.  Even more interesting, he doesn’t seem all that enamored with his piloting life either.  In fact, he’s so well-adjusted to being grounded that you might very well share Carol’s sentiment that “I’m not sure I can get used to this.”  Going from intergalactic cop/flying ace to house husband—or, more accurately, house live-in partner—seems too major a switch for him to act like everything’s fine and dandy.

X-Men: Second Coming – Review

Writers: Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost, Matt Fraction, Zeb Wells, and Mike Carey

Pencillers: David Finch, Terry Dodson, Ibraim Roberson, Greg Land, and Mike Choi with Stuart Immonen, Lan Medina, Nathan Fox, and Esad Ribic.

And so here it is: the last installment of the “Messiah Trilogy” or Messianic X Cycle (Say it. Make it catch on!). We’ve been through Endangered Species, Messiah Complex and Messiah War. Now it’s time for Second Coming, the event that concludes three years of X-Men stories. It’s been some of the darkest times in X-Men history. They’ve exiled themselves to an island nation after Norman Osborne and the Dark Avengers attacked them in San Francisco (Read Utopia for that), which then caused Magneto to return—with his powers back—and pledge allegiance to Cyclops. The Black Queen raised an army of dead mutants to attack their new home (Necrosha). In the meantime, Cyclops has been sending his own wet works team out to kill every threat to mutant kind, and they kill plenty. And Cable is off the future raising Hope, the mutant messiah, in a wasteland of a timeline literally blown to pieces by Bishop.  But X-Force has killed pretty much all except for their first target: Bastion, the robot-made-man-then-decapitated-and-later-made-cyborg-by-attaching-the-head-onto-a-Nimrod-sentinel-from-the-future. You know, one of those. And Cable has stranded Bishop in a future so distant that the sun is about to consume the Earth. It’s time for Hope to go back to the present and join the X-Men.

Now, that creative team. Well…it’s not the magic we had in Messiah Complex, nor is it the uniqueness we had in Messiah War. Kyle and Yost basically own this series. Pretty much every majorly important thing that happens in Second Coming happens in their issues.  Still, Mike Carey and Zeb Wells are both fantastic too. In fact, Zeb Well’s is surprisingly good as he was the one writer everyone expected to fall short. Unfortunately, it’s Matt Fraction’s writing that sticks out like an ugly chick in a swimsuit catalog. It’s not always bad, but it’s hard to believe that Fraction read a single issue of Cable or X-Force before writing Hope. When Wells, Kyle, Yost, and Carey are writing, the character is consistent. Yet Fraction writers her (and I’ve said this before) like a bipolar Pixie. His transitions are awful. At the end of the first act, Colossus is freaking out about Illyana being sent to limbo but shuts up when he sees Kurt’s dead body.  Fraction begins act two with Colossus smiling and suggesting a vampire movie to Kittie as she’s confined to her ghost chamber. What the hell? Everyone who was in the field are still standing around Kurt, he’s scared to death that his sister is dead too, and for some reason he takes the time to rent Twilight for his ghost girlfriend? And the thing is…that’ not even the only inconsistent part. Let’s move to the transition between act 2 and 3. In the end of Act 2, Beast gives an update of the wounded, including the fact that “Iceman has third degree energy burns over 25% of his body.” That sounds relative serious and a good reason why Iceman should be out of the game, right? Apparently not because we see Iceman without a scratch taking down a Nimrod with Psylocke and Fantomex. At this point, the other writers seem to have said “F it. Fraction ignored his injuries, we’ll use Iceman too.” What made Messiah Complex and Messiah War awesome was the proof that the writers were working together. In Second Coming we get four writers who do and one who ignores his peers. Having said that, the times Fraction is good, he’s really good. When Nightcrawler learns about X-Force in the second chapter was very well written as was the very last segment of the crossover, which we’ll get into later since it’s the end, but Fraction makes up for a lot of his bad writing there. Nightcrawler’s funeral…. not so much. But back to the writers who really brought their best to the plate. Carey is unsurprising. His last full issue of Cypher taking down the Nimrods is superb (in its writing…we’ll talk about art next). He writes every character perfectly. Even when he’s thrown a new one like Hope, it’s like he sat down, read every issue of Cable took a deep breath and said “yeah, I see what Swierczynksi’s doing with her. She’s not just young female Cable, but she is her father’s daughter nonetheless” and then wrote her. Prodigy describes Hope as the “voodoo doll for the whole mutant race.” Carey is basically the voodoo doll of every X-writer, and yet, like Hope, still has his own kind of power. Wells gives the best line of foreshadowing ever. When Hope and Dani are fighting, Dani says “I’m not the person you want to be putting your hands on.” The fact that Hope powering mutants by touch doesn’t happen until after Second Coming, and only for newly powered mutants, makes this line pretty awesome when returning to the crossover. But his best writing is in the first chapter of the last issue (confusing, I know) when he writers from Professor X’s point of view after Hope destroys Bastion and simply wants to curl up next to what is left of her father, and then when she wakes up and talks to Magneto for a little bit. We get the two seniors of the X-Men and both written so wonderfully. And Kyle and Yost? Well, seriously, their last X-Force issue when Hope comes into power is just fantastic, but it’s also their little beats along the way. For instance, at the end of act two, as Cyclops is about to send Cable and X-Force on a suicide mission. Wolverine blames Hope for what happened to Kurt,  but instead of telling Cable to hurry up and move out, he tells him to “get on with it.” “Get on with it” basically telling Cable to go to Hope, tell her he loves her, and goodbye. They (Cable and Wolverine) both know they’re going to die. Not even Wolverine can be callous towards a daughter about to lose her father, even if she doesn’t know it. And it prepares the reader. Why would Wolverine think it important to make sure Cable does this? Because a few pages later, Cyclops admits to having sent them all to die.

Onto art…sadly, the crossover falters a lot in this department. The only main artists that fit here are Ibraim Roberson and Mike Choi (all the “with” artists do no harm). And while Terry Dodson’s art isn’t bad in any way, it just doesn’t match the story. It’s jarring. His art would be great for a fun Spider-Man story, but for the story about the X-Men making their honest-to-god last stand? It’s just not serious enough. But at least Dodson’s art has quality. Because the fact they not only included Greg Land and his pornographic style, but paired him with one of the best writers of the series is just a sin. A comic book sin. His style doesn’t match, and his art is just bad. Every woman looks exactly the same. At one point it really looks like he just drew the same female boy twice but gave one a gun to indicate which was Hope and which was Rogue. And let’s not forget the most awful double page spread ever where he cuts out Hope’s legs but gracefully leaves her vagina. But we’ve heard every Greg Land complaint a thousand times before, so let’s just move on. You know who really should have been the artists here? Well, everyone from Messiah Complex would have worked, but instead, I would have loved to see Ariel Olivetti and Clayton Crain. Pairing them with Choi and Roberson would have given that “this is it” feeling to the entire story. And I really would have loved to see Olivetti’s Nimrods. That would have been awesome. Oh well.

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-Force #28 – Review

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

Spoiler Alert, people.

——————

While in chapter designation, this issue serves as the penultimate installment of the Second Coming crossover, it might as well be the conclusion because the only thing that’s left after the events of X-Force #28 is the clean-up.  Let’s discuss the two big events of this issue.

“Please…  Please…  Please come back to me.”

First, Cable’s death.  It might seem that he died fairly suddenly and ingloriously within the context of the issue, but in the context of the entire storyline, Cable went out like a hero.  If this crossover’s A-plot was all about Hope’s return, then it’s B-Plot was definitely about Cable’s mission being accomplished and his letting her go.  While his death might have been telegraphed like all hell from the beginning, ruining a lot of the emotional weight of the event, it still gave me the necessary pang of sadness.  A lot of that sadness has to do with Kyle’s, Yost’s & Choi’s handling of the sacrifice.  Letting Nathan give in to the techno-organic virus, which has been pretty much a constant since the character premiered, served as a nice reminder of how much the character has struggled and of his long history.  The smile he gives Hope at the end, and Hope’s reactions to her mentor’s return and immediate destruction, also added a huge amount of feeling to the scene.  The cherry on top was the writers’ decision to throw in a flashback after Cable has died, of Nathan explaining to Hope how she’ll know when it’s time to go home.  Letting Cable’s words “play” out over Hope’s confrontation with Bastion  was a smart move, as that final action scene could have been nothing but a loud, colorful dust-up.  This way, Hope’s defeat of the big bad was about Cable as much as it was about Hope.

“It’ll be like a switch turned on inside you.  Like a fire.  And once that fire’s lit, everything will change.”

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.)

X-Force #19 – Review

By Craig Kyle & Chris Yost (Writers) and Mike Choi & Sonia Oback (Art)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Things were looking pretty grim for X-23– one of my favorite characters, at the end of last month’s issue of X-Force. Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost wouldn’t actually kill her, would they?!

The Story: X-23 is saved from more torture by an unlikely ally. Meanwhile, Wolverine desperately tries to locate X-23, while Elixir fights for his life. Also, the seeds continue to be planted for the upcoming Necrosia crossover.

What’s Good: X-Force #19 is at its best when the focus is on X-23’s current situation. Thankfully, the bulk of the book is devoted to it. X-23’s scenes are intense, brutal, and executed in a way that takes advantage of the character’s past and unique and slightly odd personality. Now, that’s not to say that the rest of the book is forgettable or anything because on a creative level, X-Force #19 is quite impressive.

Writers Craig Kyle and Chris Yost continue to weave a compelling, ambitious plot threads that take advantage of all different areas of “X” continuity. In that sense, X-Force #19 continues the trend of the series reading like no other “X” book on the stands. With Necrosia creeping closer, Kyle and Yost hammer home the sense that pretty much anyone could make a return (possibly even from the grave).

The artwork in X-Force #19 by Mike Choi and Sonia Oback is as expected, extremely slick, clean, and polished. From X-23’s bloody escape, to Wolfsbane’s battle with the Frost Giants, the cinematic visuals hit all the right notes. The characters look great, the action is executed with style, and the storytelling gets the job done.

What’s Not So Good: The problem with X-Force #19 is that you can’t help but get that sense that Craig Kyle and Chris Yost tried to cram too much into one book. The flow of action is often broken by a jump to either another set of characters or some sort of scene that’s laying the foundation for the near future. While I understand the need to jump around because so many threads are being juggled at once, each jump tends to kill whatever momentum is built up.

Visually, my only complaint is that the art team’s females all look pretty similar. While I’ve noticed that in the past, it’s particularly a problem in the latest issue of X-Force because so many females show up throughout the book. Sure they are all attractive and realistic looking, but they look like they all might be related in some way.

Conclusion: A comic like X-Force #19 is tough to grade. It does a lot right, yet for a couple of reasons, it never manages to come together in a satisfying way.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

X-Force #18 – Review

By Craig Kyle & Chris Yost (Writers) and Mike Choi & Sonia Oback (Art)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The last issue of X-Force gave me the feeling that the creative team behind it was desperately trying to get the series back up to speed after the miserable Messiah War storyline. I look forward to seeing where they take things, now that the series looks to be close to getting back on track.

The Story: X-23 gets taken away by the H.A.M.M.E.R. people. Wolfsbane and her lover deal with the frost giants. The rest of X-Force save lives, human and mutant.

What’s Good: From the awesome opening (nice to see Warpath really making an impact like that) to the brutal ending (not one of my favorite characters!), X-Force #18 delivers all the action, intensity, and violence I’ve come to expect from the series. But, while that’s definitely great and all, the best thing about the latest issue of X-Force is how effective the storytelling is. The threads that got interrupted by the crossover are effortlessly picked back up (and, in ways, wrapped up) while new ones are established in a way that feels natural to the way the series has been playing out since it began. Especially notable is how writers Craig Kyle and Chris Yost once again show their appreciation for recent (and not so recent) “X” continuity by throwing a number of things into X-Force that longtime fans should really enjoy. An interesting character thought dead makes a rather chilling return, X-23’s past catches up with her, and Wolverine’s scene with Cyclops really takes advantage of the tense, respectful relationship they share.

The artwork by the team of Mike Choi and Sonia Oback is, as expected, very slick and incredibly polished. While I still wish the art was a bit more gritty, there’s no denying how great X-Force #18 looks. The character work is particularly impressive as nearly every single character displays a realistic level of emotion in almost every panel. Also worth mentioning is how cool the full page images that are sprinkled throughout the book look.

What’s Not So Good: While it lends itself well to some nice artwork, the whole Wolfsbane storyline continues to leave me a bit bored. Frost giants fighting wolves is cool and all, don’t get me wrong, but it really breaks momentum and distracts from the main plot. The Wolfsbane scenes could easily be cut in favor of something a bit more relevant and therefore, they fall into “Not So Good” territory.

Conclusion: X-Force #18 gives readers everything they should be looking for in an issue of the popular X-Men series. Pick it up!

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

X-Force #17 – Review

By Craig Kyle & Cristopher Yost (Writers) and Mike Choi & Sonia Oback (Artists)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The less said about the Messiah War, the better. I still have *shiver* flashbacks from the trenches. So instead of diving into my nightmares, let’s just move forward…

The Story: X-23 attempts to rescue Boom-Boom from the Leper Queen and, as a result, becomes a H.A.M.M.E.R. prisoner.Meanwhile, Rahne Sinclair and Hrimhari are attacked by Frost Giants. Hellion and Surge are helped by Wolverine and Archangel, but Surge can’t seem to control her powers. As for Domino, she arrives back in the present just in time to see…

What’s Good: Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost write the latest issue of X-Force as though the Messiah War never even took place. A good move that I appreciate quite a bit, especially since it allows the writers to hit the ground running at almost the same speed they were traveling before a brick wall (roughly the size of the Great Wall and with the words “Messiah “War” painted on it) got in the way. The story by Kyle and Yost is frantic, violent, and pretty thrilling, just like an X-Force story should be.

I didn’t realize how much I missed the work of Mike Choi and Sonia Oback until now. The artwork in X-Force #17 is sleek, detailed, attractive, clean, and clear. In other words, it looks much better than the work done for the last few issues of the series. A few scenes, like the Frost Giant attack or the final spread, are great to look at and show the range Choi and Oback are capable of.

What’s Not So Good: The only real problem I have with X-Force #17 is that its storyline never really comes together all that well. It’s a bunch of little segments that continue where the series left off months ago, but it never completely stops feeling disjointed and jerky. It brings a bit of closure to the recent past and sets things up for the future, but there just isn’t a whole lot to really chew on as far as story is concerned. Understandable, but not exactly satisfying.

Conclusion: It’s nice to see X-Force get back into the swing of things. Once it settles down a bit, I’m sure the series will regain its spot as one of the best “X” books

Grade: C+

-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/Cable: Messiah War One-Shot Review

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

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The X-event The Messiah Complex was one of the reasons I got back into reading comics. So, needless to say, I’ve been looking forward to the sequel. That said, I’m not really sure what to expect from it, quality-wise. I really like what Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost, Mike Choi, and Sonia Oback (along with Clayton Crain) have done with X-Force. However, Duane Swierczynski and Ariel Olivetti have left me feeling fairly indifferent towards Cable. While I’ll readily agree that Cable has improved quite a bit since its rocky start, I can’t help but wonder if the crossover will maintain a level of consistency between the different creative teams.

The Story: The Messiah War kicks off with…well… mostly a summary to get readers caught up on the events that have lead to the crossover. Cyclops sends X-Force into the future to help Cable protect Hope, where they run straight into a familiar, unstable mercenary. Meanwhile, Lucas Bishop hits a bar in an attempt to persuade a returning “X” adversary to help eliminate Cable and Hope.

What’s Good: Event one-shots are something of a necessary evil. They must accomplish the rather tricky task of explaining enough about the past in order to make new readers feel welcome while at the same time advancing the story enough to satisfy longtime fans. And as far as that task is concerned, I have to consider the Messiah War one-shot to be a success. Simply put, the creative team manages to present a comic that keeps the old information from feeling stale and the new stuff from feeling too stunted. The narration and dialogue from Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost adequately sums things up by establishing what’s at stake. As for the visuals, Mike Choi and Sonia Oback do a nice job telling the story while, at times, putting forth some of the best work I’ve seen them do. Especially worth noting are the scenes featuring Deadpool, as they are almost worth the price of admission alone. Hilarious and disturbing, just like something involving the Merc with a Mouth should be.

What’s Not So Good: Despite being well handled by the creative team from both a writing standpoint and an artistic standpoint, there is no shaking the “been there, done that” feeling the first half of the one-shot gives off. It seems as though the whole section might have been better suited to being part of one of those free Saga releases so more time could be spent on advancing the War plot. In all honesty, the situation is understandable. But it still warrants a mention or else I wouldn’t be doing my job.

Conclusion: Messiah War definitely gets off to a slow start, but things pick up well enough by the time the first chapter reaches its conclusion. I look forward to seeing where things go next. Hopefully it involves more Deadpool.

Grade:  C+

-Kyle Posluszny

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

X-Force #8 – Review

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

The Story: As Warpath continues his journey to his brother’s grave, the rest of the X-Force team hunts down Vanisher in an effort to recover the lethal Legacy virus. It turns out that Vanisher is quite the wanted man, as the team finds that Domino is aiming for the exact same target.

What’s Good: While Clayton Crain’s dark, gritty work is a better fit for the series, there is no denying how nice this issue looks. The violent action flows well and the characters are well done (though a bit shiny). Mike Choi and Sonia Oback make a great team.

What’s also good is the return of Domino and the way the Legacy virus has been injected into the storyline. While I have my issues with how things are playing out, I am interested in finding out where things will go from here.

What’s Not So Good: Simply put, X-Force continues to be an extremely confusing series.  There is little information regarding where the storyline might fit into current continuity, and it seems as though the very concept of the team has been completely forgotten. Angel’s storyline is a complete mess, Warpath seems completely disconnected from the team at the moment, and for a “secret” team, there sure are a lot of people aware of what X-Force is doing.

A lot of stuff is happening in this series, but not enough of it is coming together all that well.

Conclusion: X-Force entertains and frustrates in equal measure. It has interesting ideas and attractive visuals, but really it’s making a mess of things from a continuity standpoint. Average at best.

Grade: C

-Kyle Posluszny

Uncanny X-Men #499 – Capsule Review

Ed Brubaker, (Writer) Mike Choi, Ben Oliver, (Artists) Sonia Oback, and Jason Keith (Colorists)

While this arc has felt like every bit of the filler that it is, I’ll be the first to admit that it has been enjoyable. This issue brings some closure to the San Francisco mystery (expect some aspects of it to pop up again later) and allows Wolverine, Colossus, and Nightcrawler to team-up against Omega Red for one last battle in Russia.

As a whole this issue is really nothing special, but it’s still a decent read. Brubaker fits in some genuinely funny character moments and the art teams, different for each storyline, make this a nice looking book. As a whole, this issue’s the same solid we come to expect from the X-Titles, but also completely forgettable. (Grade: C)

-Kyle Posluszny

Uncanny X-Men #498 – Review

By Ed Brubaker (Writer), Mike Choi (Artist), and Sonia Oback (Colors)

All by itself, this issue isn’t too bad. But when one looks at the issues preceding this one, they will see it is more of the same. Given we learn the identity of the “Goddess” in this issue, the story of how she changed San Francisco into “Hippieville” isn’t really a story – she just did it! We also see Scott and Emma as they confront familiar faces in their quest to stop the Goddess. As I’ve mentioned before, the whole hippie storyline hasn’t been that entertaining. Sure, I wouldn’t want to be part of an entire town that was transformed, but surely Ed Brubaker could have thought of something more interesting and threatening than a bunch of “social non-conformists.” Perhaps to add to the annoyance level, we get cheesy new “Hippie Name” boxes for the aforementioned renamed familiar faces. Thankfully, there’s only one more issue until this mediocre storyline is resolved.

What should have been the saving grace of the story, the continuing plot thread of Logan, Kurt, and Piotr in Russia, is once again more retreading. Last time we saw them captured by the Russian Mutant Department’s “Red Room,” and this time we see yet another fight scene as they attempt to escape. However, this issue remains (barely) more satisfying for three reasons: One, while fight scenes are always more fun than “talking heads,” Mike Choi’s depictions of fights are both beautiful and entertaining. The action he brings never feels tired. Two, we finally get an interesting twist at the end as an old nemesis comes back to haunt these three characters. And three, there is a complete lack of hippies. ‘Nuff said.

So while this issue may be nothing spectacular, if you have picked up the rest of this arc you might want to get this one just to keep the story complete. I’ve got a good feeling Brubaker will give us a satisfying conclusion next month. Also, I’m quite interested to see what he does with the baddie that has returned. (Grade: C+)

-M. Staples

Uncanny X-Men #497 – Review

By Ed Brubaker (writer), Michael Choi (art), Sonia Oback (colors)

Since the X-Men have been divided, this title has been on a slump. The whole time warping plot in San Francisco (where everyone’s reverted to hippies) has dragged its feet for two months now, and the boys in Russia have done nothing but get into mindless brawl after brawl.

In this issue, we get more of the same, but this time the dressing’s more refined. Logan, Colossus, and Nightcrawler get into yet another fight, but this time it’s more epic in scale. Mike Choi renders this scene beautifully; he pulls the camera back and lets the action play out from afar. The end result is a more cohesive, and better flowing fight. Ed Brubaker refrains from muddling up this scene with dialog. Instead he lets Choi’s pencils do the talking.

Eventually, we get back to Emma and Scott’s investigation in San Francisco. This time, the plot advances at a much quicker pace, with a “by the numbers” obstacle thrown into their path to slow them down. This “woman” who’s altering reality, if I didn’t know better, is just another take on Scarlet Witch and what she did with House of M. The thing here is it’s on a much smaller scale and she’s completely aware of what she’s doing (i.e. not as insane, well then again…). I’m not sure where this is going or why we’re being treated by a storyline that’s so similar in nature, but if there’s no connection to Scarlet Witch and this is all just “coincidence”, I’m going to be severely disappointed. (Grade: C+)

– J. Montes

A Second Opinion

Like last issue, this issue focuses on two main storylines, that of the “hippified” San Francisco and that of the “road trip” of Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and Colossus. And, like last issue, the latter story is definitely the more enjoyable of the two. Once again, these three get into a fight, but this time it is a much more desperate one (and therefore more fun to read). Of course, a large part of what makes this scene so entertaining is Choi’s beautiful pencils, which are not only pleasing to the eye, but also convey the action clearly.

The second thread is not nearly as interesting as the first. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t really care all that much that San Francisco has become Hippyville. I mean seriously, when was the last time that you met a hippy that seemed threatening? Aren’t hippies all about being mellow? A “mellow threat” seems a bit contradictory to me. That said, when we do meet the “Goddess,” things finally turn interesting. Her ambiguous discussion with Eli, as well as his older reflection in the mirror and other mysterious elements present finally engaged my curiosity. So while I may not be a huge fan of the hippies, I definitely want to know more about this Goddess and the reasoning behind her actions. Knowing Brubaker, I’m sure he has some elaborate scheme cooked up, and I’m eager to see what it is.

So in conclusion, this issue wasn’t too bad, and the story finally did progress to something really interesting, but I would have enjoyed it more if the larger portion was devoted to the Russia storyline instead of the hippy storyline. Although, the hippy story does deserve this defense: call me crazy, but seems like something that would have happened in the 90s X-Men cartoon, so it does earn a few bonus points for nostalgia. (Grade: B)

– M. Staples

Witchblade #116 – Review

By: Ron Marz (writer) & Stjepan Sejic (artist)

The phrase on the cover says “The start of a new era”. By the look of the redesigned logo, I’d say it’s not a good one. Why change the logo now? Does Top Cow not want to pay Peter Steigerwald any more royalties? This change bothers me big time. If you want change, kill Sara Pezzini. She’s old, worn out her welcome, and we’ve seen her for #115 issues. I know a lot of people won’t notice the change, but I’ve been reading this book since #1. I have rights (well, not really, but you know)!

The good thing is that Top Cow hired Sejic to draw the series until issue #150, the longest an artist has been on the series. I like consistency between issues and Sejic is my third top Witchblade artist (after Turner and Choi). He’s also the only reason why I continue to buy this book.

The story deals with Sara visiting her sister in prison, while Dani tells David everything about the Witchblade – which seems like a stupid move on her part. She barely knows this guy and she’s spilling all these secrets?! What’s the point of this? Is it because she’s blonde? Why was Ron Marz chosen to make her so dumb? Finally, Sara leaves her baby with a sitter and investigates some weird religious murderers, setting up the storyline for the future chapter.

The cover for the next issue tells me exactly what I’ve said the first time that this “David” character appeared: He’s after the Witchblade. Surprise, surprise. I might have given this book a grade of B+, but the new logo change pisses me off. (Grade: D+)

-Daniel Yanez

Uncanny X-Men #496 – Review

By Ed Brubaker (writer), Mike Choi (art), Sonia Oback (colors)

What is it with good writers failing on mutant books? Once again, Ed Brubaker delivers a below average story that’s nothing short of being a complete yawn fest. Picking up where last issue left off, we’re given a vague hint of what’s taking place in San Francisco – someone’s turning the city back in time. Emma and Cyclops arrive on the scene to investigate but we’re given nothing more than that. At least Hepzibah finally turns up.

Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and Colossus, now in Russia, go to visit the graves of Peter’s parents. Afterwards, they hit up a local bar and exchange useless dialog. The biggest offense to this conversation is that it gives a glaring spoiler as to what’s going to happen in the delayed Giant-Sized Astonishing X-Men #1 (who knows when that book’s due out). If you’re enjoying Joss Whedon’s run, you shouldn’t read this book until he wraps things up. I was already bored with this story as it was, but reading this spoiler completely ruined it for me. Throw in another obligatory and meaningless bar scene brawl and you can see that Brubaker is just going through the motions.

Mike Choi and Sonia Oback continue to dazzle my eyes with their art. But it’s not perfect: Logan looks too youthful and too much of a pretty boy, while the fight scene in the bar is completely uninspired from an action standpoint. The nod to Neil Gaiman’s Eternals mini-series was probably the only thing I really liked. (Grade: D)

– J. Montes

Witchblade #115 – Review

By: Ron Marz (writer), Sami Basri (pencils), Imaginary Friends Studios (colors)

Cue the soap opera music! Today, on Witchblade, Dani must face a decision bigger than life: Which dress to wear to her date? Meanwhile, Sara has gotten herself in a lot of trouble. Can she find a diaper before her baby gets a rash? Stay tuned after the break!

Oh my God! What a ridiculous plot for an action adventure comic book. It seems that Ron Marz has been reading a lot of Danielle Steel novels (or something). Sara’s baby needs to mutate, die, or become a Darkling. Stop this nonsense of diapers and baby powder and milk reheating. If somebody kills the baby, Sara can avenge her and kick asses again. This story needs progression. Not down with killing babies? Here’s another option: Get a full-time nanny! Problem solved. Wouldn’t that would be great? Weekend visits are allowed.

So what’s up with David (Dani’s boyfriend) fondling things he shouldn’t be touching? Isn’t this giving away his true intentions? I hope that what he said about his apartment’s view and art collection is not a red herring.

Anyway, I’ve read enough. This issue is available in two connecting covers to choose from by Mike Choi and Sonia Oback. I’m sure next issue (Sejic’s run begins) will be much better… at least I hope. (Grade: D+)

-Daniel Yanez

Uncanny X-Men #495 – Review

By Ed Brubaker (writer), Mike Choi (art), Sonia Oback (colored art)

This issue kicks off the X-Men: Divided story line. Reeling from events of Messiah Complex, Cyclops and Emma Frost now live in seclusion in the Savage Land. I don’t know if Marvel is trying to expose Iron Man as much as possible before the movie’s released or if it’s just because he’s that important to Marvel continuity now, but Tony Stark makes an appearance in this book (surprise, surprise). He asks Cyclops to get his team registered to which he gets snubbed off (as usual). From here, we catch up on the rest of the X-Men. Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and Colossus are off making mischief in eastern Europe. And Angel stumbles onto something odd in San Francisco.

New to the book is artist Mike Choi. Backed with Sonia Oback’s colors, this duo creates a lot of eye candy. If you’re on the fence about picking up this book, Choi’s art should be enough to sway you – he’s that good.

This isn’t your typical Brubaker story. There’s usually an agenda in every book he writes, so this being an “X-Men on vacation” story, it feels a bit off. There’s some character building going on here and Brubaker tries to liven it up with some humor, but most of it falls a bit flat. The ending isn’t your typical cliffhanger; it’ll most likely leave you feeling perplexed, but I’m sure there’s some method to Brubaker’s madness. I’ll stick around and see what happens next. (Grade: C+)

– J.Montes

A Second Opinion

I agree with Jay on many aspects here. The story doesn’t have any action, mostly character development, which is nice and all, but I hope to see more action next issue.

I hated the whole Civil War storyline and Iron Man, himself, and his “registration” act. Why must he still pop up in almost every other character’s comics. Enough already! “They are pushing me to officially register all of you,” he says twice in this issue. Just grow a pair already!

Choi and Oback are great as usual on art chores. (Grade: C+)

-Daniel Yanez

Witchblade #114 – Review

By: Ron Marz & Ian Edginton (Writers), Sami Basri (Pencils), Imaginary Friends Studios (Colors)

I want to start by criticizing the bad choices made with this series. A baby in the life of the main character is usually for the worst. X-Files and Friends did it with awful repercussions. I just hate to see Sara Pezzini saving her child in every single issue now. Another problem I have is that the Witchblade is now split with two bearers. And third, I hate to see artists come and go at drawing it (some are awful). That being said, I’m sure Stjepan Sejic will do a great job for #116 to #150.

The story in hand follows Sara Pezzini moving to a new apartment, but it seems that some of the previous tenants (in the form of ghosts) haven’t completely moved out. It’s a good story for a stand alone issue. The romantic dinner with Dani and David (the new mysterious guy) is pretty bland, but it’s made to set up the story for things to come. Maybe he’s an art dealer hired by Kenneth Irons? One can only hope.

The art and cover is done by Sami Basri while the alternate variant cover is done by Mike Choi (somebody give this guy a permanent job!); I would love Choi as the ongoing artist if anyone at Top Cow is reading this! I’m curious to see where everything goes from here, but I kind of lost hope after several bad issues. (Grade: B)

-Daniel Yanez