X-Men #7 – Review

By: Victor Gischler (writer), Chris Bachalo (pencils), Tim Townsend (inks), Bachalo (colors), Joe Caramanga (letters) & Axel Alonso (editor)

The Story: The X-Men are trying to boost their public image and then get called off to investigate some weird reptiles in NYC.

What’s Good: The second story arc is usually pretty telling for a new title and this seems headed in a good direction.  There is a pretty big spoiler for this issue staring at us on the cover.  Hmmmm….who is that hanging upside down and what could HE have to do with this story?  Two things that I love about Spidey’s involvement.  For one thing, I like it when the X-Men get out there an interact with other heroes in the Marvel U.  My biggest general complaint with Marvel recently has been that too often their characters exist on these little islands unto themselves until they come together during a crossover.  If the X-Men are embracing their role as true heroes, it makes sense that they’d check out some rumors of big reptiles in the sewers of NYC and it makes sense that they would run into Spidey while they’re in town.

The other thing that I love is that this is picking up some story threads from the Zeb Wells/Chris Bachalo “Shed” storyline that was around ASM 630 or so.  That was a great story and it seems like it’ll find new life here.  I know we all groan as fans when we have a crossover forced down our throat, but this isn’t that at all.  The Shed story is over and it was 20 issues ago (in dog years that ASM counts by), you can go read it if you like, but I strongly doubt it’ll be required.  It seems this move hearkens back to the old days when something could happen in Avengers and then be picked up a year later in Defenders.  We’ve really kinda lost that feeling of cohesiveness to the Marvel U now that creators are scattered around the globe AND there is an editorial mandate to make the collected editions approachable for newbies.  There are even a lot of nice little references to the previous story arc with vampires that stick out only because references to past issues are so rare nowadays because they would be confusing to the trade paperback reader.  Yet another way that trade waiters are ruining comics.  🙂

Gischler is also going back to the bright and sunny attitude that pervaded the X-books at the beginning of Fraction’s run on Uncanny when the X-Men were new to San Francisco.  They loved SF and the city loved them right back.  I LIKE seeing the X-Men as heroes and it makes sense that SF would embrace them.  Heck…they cheered for Barry Bonds!

So…. the story hits a lot of happy spots for me.

And, of course, it is drawn by Chris Bachalo who is one of my absolute favorite artists.  I read a ton of comics and get exposed to a lot of artistic styles, but I still think that Bachalo’s cartoony style is the best for most superhero illustration because it allows for an easy sense of humor (which comics need) and it doesn’t have to be married to fundamental human anatomy.  To see what I mean by that, just look at the cover.  I love Terry Dodson and think he draws an awesome pretty woman, but look at Emma Frost.  Her shoulders look like they’re kinda in the wrong place compared to her hips and it jumps out at you as odd anatomy because he is generally drawing in a realistic style.  If Bachalo wants to do that exact same scene with his style, it just accentuates that she is thrusting her chest out and you ignore the fact that the dimensions are off a little bit.  This style allows Bachalo to play it straight when he needs to, but also just go nuts in a few panels of every issue.  And, of course, his level of commitment to unusual layouts, frenzied panel designs, detailed backgrounds, etc. makes your other comics just look bad in comparison.  Love it.