Young X-Men #5 – Capsule Review

By Marc Guggenheim (Writer), Yanick Paquette (Pencils), Ray Snyder (Inker), and Rob Schwager (Colorist)

I like to give a new series at least one full arc to prove its worth. I mention that because Young X-Men #5 marks the conclusion of the first arc and, as such, carries a bit more weight than the issues that came before it. So, with that said, how does it fair?

As a conclusion, the book is a fairly satisfying read. It makes good on the prophetic visions seen by Blindfold early on and still manages to have a decent emotional impact. Unfortunately though, the flaws that have plagued the series from the beginning (inconsistent artwork and uneven writing) are still present. While I enjoyed Guggenheim’s twisting tale (and applaud the fact that he delivers on the death promised), I never felt that I had any investment in the characters. Simply put, I didn’t actually care about what was happening as the stakes got higher and that’s never a good sign. Couple that with artwork that is mediocre at best and you have something that is entirely forgettable. (Grade: C)

-Kyle Posluszny

Young X-Men #4 – Review

By Marc Guggenheim, (Writer) Yanick Paquette, (Pencils) Ray Snyder, (Inks) and Rob Schwager (Colors)

Since it launched, I have been fairly critical of Young X-Men. The writing has been hit or miss, the art has been either sloppy or inconsistent (or both), and the overall plot has felt somewhat disjointed. While all of those criticisms can be applied to Young X-Men #4 (to some degree), I found myself enjoying the book much more than those that came before it.

To be honest, not a whole lot happens in this issue. Ink gets some new tattoos (resulting in more powers) and Cyclops preps the team for an assault on the New Brotherhood.  As the attack begins, Cyclops is ambushed by the mysterious character that’s been stalking him since last issue. While the execution of the story isn’t particularly compelling, the cliffhanger left me wanting more. Maybe my expectations have been lowered a bit thanks to three disappointing issues in a row, but this one worked well enough.

Marc Guggenheim’s writing continues to be hit or miss for me, but his story is finally coming together. The plot twist in this issue gives the story some much needed focus and I’m confident that the conclusion of this arc will provide a decent pay off. Also, the dialogue here is much improved over previous issues, though it still has faults. Some of it is a bit melodramatic at times and the occasional attempts at humor fall flat or come across as annoying. The most surprising thing about the issue, other than the plot twist of course, is how well written the mysterious figure is. Guggenheim writes him in an effectively cryptic and threatening manner that brings a lot to the story.

While I am personally not a fan of the art style featured in this book, the visuals are significantly better than last issue. The characters look much more consistent, there is more detail in everything, the colors are well done, and the action has a nice direction to it. Worth mentioning also is a very nice looking splash page that kicks off the attack on the Hellfire Club.

Young X-Men got off to a rough start, but if the conclusion of the first arc in the next issue pays off as it should, this series could finally begin to live up to its potential. (Grade: C)

– Kyle Posluszny

Young X-Men #3 – Review

Marc Guggenheim (Writer), Yanick Paquette (Pencils), Rob Schwager (Colorist), Ray Snyder, and Kris Justice (Inkers)

Young X-Men is another series that is on notice. I was pretty excited about the potential for the series when I first heard about it, but I have found myself let down with this first arc. It has some interesting pieces, and, for the most part, I like the cast, but it feels as though both the writing and artwork are coming up a bit short. Young X-Men #3 is hardly a break from the norm, but like the latest issue of Cable, I find that improvements have been made.

With this issue, we bear witness to the chaos that is the team’s first mission. Ink has proven himself a traitor in knocking out Blindfold and, oddly enough, Dani Moonstar. Rockslide, Wolf Cub, and Dust have their hands full in a battle with Magma that pretty much levels a city block and leaves a team member in critical condition. The “new” Brotherhood of Evil mutants, as dubbed by the increasingly suspicious Cyclops, learns of this new team of X-Men. On top of all that, Cyclops is being watched by a mysterious new mutant who I honestly don’t recognize (if he is someone familiar, please fill me in). In short, things are a mess for this team. Ironically, this mess is a good thing for the book because I am actually curious to see where the team goes from here after the disastrous mission is completed.

The writingis a definite step up from the previous as the team begins to gel and characters are given some much needed definition. Wolf Cub and Rockslide in particular are given a nice bit of depth, though recent turncoat Ink comes across as a tired, “in it only for himself” cliché. Another thing worth mentioning is the creative use of mutant powers during the Magma battle that left me pretty impressed. Finally, I appreciated the sense of tension felt throughout the book. I wouldn’t be shocked if it turns out that things aren’t quite what they seem at all. If Guggenheim can bring together the various elements of this book into a solid conclusion, this series could have a bright future.

I think my biggest issue with this series so far is the artwork. While it’s slowly become more consistent overall, things are still a mess. Facial expressions look quite silly, environments are either boring or sloppy, characters are inconsistently drawn (especially Wolf Cub), and I am pretty convinced the team is more concerned with a gratuitous body shots over the best angle to convey the action. I realize sex sells, but it gets a bit ridiculous at times. Also, there is one section of the book near the end that feels wildly out of place as both the characters and colors look as though they were taken from an entirely different book. I know I keep piling on the negatives, but it is not all bad. The action does have a fairly nice flow when it kicks into high gear and the use of shadow helps to further the ominous tone. Still, I can’t help but feel that I would enjoy the book quite a bit more if the artwork was more attractive.

Young X-Men has taken a step in the right direction, now I just hope that things continue this way. I want to really like this book and it is improving, but it still has a ways to go before I can whole heartedly recommend it to anyone other than those that started with the series’ debut. (Grade C-)

-Kyle Posluszny

Young X-Men #1 – Review

By Marc Guggenheim (writer), Yanick Paquette (art), Ray Snyder (colors), Rob Schwager (colors)

Young X-Men is such a gimmicky title. Yet, I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. Of course, having a Terry Dodson cover and Marc Guggenheim aboard as writer helped a lot. But in all seriousness, this book should be called The New Mutants, because that’s what it truly is in essence.

There’s not much I have to say about this book, other than it’s modeled very much after Giant-Size X-Men #1. Instead of Professor X traveling around the world, recruiting people for his team, we have Cyclops doing it. The problem is, we’ve seen these mutants before in New X-Men, so nothing really comes across as a surprise. I suppose this book is more for new readers than anyone. I can appreciate what Guggenheim is trying to do – he tells a solid, self-contained story – but for people already familiar with the mutant line of books, this issue’s a throw away (save the last page).

Yanick Paquette’s pencil work is solid. His art won’t blow you away, but he has a firm grasp on how to tell a story. And that really sums up this entire debut issue: it’s strictly average and by the numbers. Completists will no doubt buy it without any hesitation. But for the rest of us, $2.99 might be a bit steep for just a book filled with mediocre characters and an average story. I’ll give this book two more issues to impress me before I write it off. If the last page is any indication, that just might happen next issue. Keeping my fingers crossed for you, Guggenheim. Don’t let me down! (Grade: C)

– J. Montes