All reviews by; Josh Rushinock
WE... ARE ROBIN! #8
This has been a series that's mostly skirted under the attention of most of the readers I know, yet it's been a wholly interesting experiment on the mythos of Gotham City as a whole and seems a natural evolution of the Robin concept itself. It's intriguing to see the idea of swarms of kids wanting to make a difference after a major terror event attempt to don the cowl of Robin and go at it with no training, as it allows for an interesting dynamic between well-meaning kids and a city and idol that don't wholly approve of their antics. It makes for a very interesting reading experience. This week was really no different; however, I would say that it was a bit of a slow issue though through no fault of the issue itself.
This has been a series that's mostly skirted under the attention of most of the readers I know, yet it's been a wholly interesting experiment on the mythos of Gotham City as a whole and seems a natural evolution of the Robin concept itself. It's intriguing to see the idea of swarms of kids wanting to make a difference after a major terror event attempt to don the cowl of Robin and go at it with no training, as it allows for an interesting dynamic between well-meaning kids and a city and idol that don't wholly approve of their antics. It makes for a very interesting reading experience. This week was really no different; however, I would say that it was a bit of a slow issue though through no fault of the issue itself.
This week's issue revolves around the introduction of a new character, Bender, who suffers from a very rare nerve issue that prevents him from moving the muscles that one would normally associate with facial reaction. Thus his rather well-off parents forced plastic surgery on him at a very young age in order to give him that smile they could approve of, which leads to both his incarceration in juvie as well as his worship of The Joker. Quickly, the situation escalates into dangerous territory when he is released, meeting the unkind looks of his parents and their total lack of sympathy for him.
Meanwhile, on the Robins gang side of things, this becomes the first issue since Robin Wars ended that has allowed the young Robin gang to operate without the government cracking down on their existence. That, however, isn't heavily covered in this particular issue but instead shifted to the side for the main character, Duke Thomas, who left The Robins gang after the Robin Wars, and his eternal search for his parents, who had been lost to him in the terror event that turned the entire city into The Joker's puppets. It leads to a terribly heartbreaking reunion that, while not covered in excess, shows just enough to make it clear that his parents might never be the same.
This was a good issue, all in all. The art was mostly on point. The story was okay, but it was incredibly obvious that this was the first step in the series next story-arc, and, because of that, it was a little light on content. While I wouldn't say it's something you should immediately pick up, if the recent history of this new concept is anything to be judged upon, this new story arc should be highly interesting. The promise is there; it just happens to be hidden behind a slow build-up.
Rating: Wait for the trade.
Meanwhile, on the Robins gang side of things, this becomes the first issue since Robin Wars ended that has allowed the young Robin gang to operate without the government cracking down on their existence. That, however, isn't heavily covered in this particular issue but instead shifted to the side for the main character, Duke Thomas, who left The Robins gang after the Robin Wars, and his eternal search for his parents, who had been lost to him in the terror event that turned the entire city into The Joker's puppets. It leads to a terribly heartbreaking reunion that, while not covered in excess, shows just enough to make it clear that his parents might never be the same.
This was a good issue, all in all. The art was mostly on point. The story was okay, but it was incredibly obvious that this was the first step in the series next story-arc, and, because of that, it was a little light on content. While I wouldn't say it's something you should immediately pick up, if the recent history of this new concept is anything to be judged upon, this new story arc should be highly interesting. The promise is there; it just happens to be hidden behind a slow build-up.
Rating: Wait for the trade.
GRAYSON #16
Grayson, as a whole, has been an extremely mixed series thus far. There have been some phenomenal issues put out there with some terrific ideas behind them, but, by the same token, a lot of the issues have been met with a total lack of direction or general tone of story that is often thrown aside for the sake of a cheap swerve. Alas, this is a continuing issue that has been brought into this week's review.
Without so much as a nod to the massive undertaking Dick took at the end of Robin Wars, this issue throws us right into the insane chase to take down the company he had infiltrated at the request of Batman before his memory was lost, picking right up where issue fourteen had left off with Dick and Agent 1's choice to take down the company.
Unfortunately, this issue opts to have the two characters get to know each other under the pretense of being chased and taking down the other agents in the company, one by one. This chase, however, is cheapened by the general lack of attention these faceless pursuers and former coworkers get, when instead they are given away by simple splash page. Instead, the comic decides that the bulk of this chase should be perpetrated by known assassins attached to Dick's former partner and lead of Spyral, Helena, in a mind-boggling decision by the writers.
Really, this issue seems a waste, an attempt at character development that, while not wholly ineffective, is instead misguided. The idea of being chased by people you cannot see the face of because of the very same technology you yourself have in your system because of the company you infiltrated is one that is simply slid aside with ease, removing all the danger to the situation. In a perfect world, this would have lead to six or seven issues of a tireless chase, but what we get here is more akin to a hammed up jump in storyline. That seems a terrible waste of potential, despite the fun attitude of the comic.
Rating: Skip it.
Grayson, as a whole, has been an extremely mixed series thus far. There have been some phenomenal issues put out there with some terrific ideas behind them, but, by the same token, a lot of the issues have been met with a total lack of direction or general tone of story that is often thrown aside for the sake of a cheap swerve. Alas, this is a continuing issue that has been brought into this week's review.
Without so much as a nod to the massive undertaking Dick took at the end of Robin Wars, this issue throws us right into the insane chase to take down the company he had infiltrated at the request of Batman before his memory was lost, picking right up where issue fourteen had left off with Dick and Agent 1's choice to take down the company.
Unfortunately, this issue opts to have the two characters get to know each other under the pretense of being chased and taking down the other agents in the company, one by one. This chase, however, is cheapened by the general lack of attention these faceless pursuers and former coworkers get, when instead they are given away by simple splash page. Instead, the comic decides that the bulk of this chase should be perpetrated by known assassins attached to Dick's former partner and lead of Spyral, Helena, in a mind-boggling decision by the writers.
Really, this issue seems a waste, an attempt at character development that, while not wholly ineffective, is instead misguided. The idea of being chased by people you cannot see the face of because of the very same technology you yourself have in your system because of the company you infiltrated is one that is simply slid aside with ease, removing all the danger to the situation. In a perfect world, this would have lead to six or seven issues of a tireless chase, but what we get here is more akin to a hammed up jump in storyline. That seems a terrible waste of potential, despite the fun attitude of the comic.
Rating: Skip it.
OLD MAN LOGAN #1
There was a lot of buzz coming off of Secret Wars for this comic, and, while Secret Wars ultimately proved to be a confusing adventure into half thought out ideas with too many editorial mandates, I was still incredibly excited to see this character come back in a regular series. The Old Man Logan elseworld tale is, and has been, one of the most endearing and intriguing Wolverine stories, or stories in general, to come out this decade. So it seemed a natural fit to bring him along when moving the players from the multiverse that made Marvel the most money to the main Earth, yet he perhaps represents the most unique character story that has come from that idea to date.
Old Man Logan awakes in the middle of 2015 New York City, battered and naked, confused as to who he is, with only one name to his memory: Scotty. As he escapes the police and searches for proper clothes, he begins to remember his life and how the world had gone wrong, leaving him with the question: how was everything that had fallen in his time still standing? His search leads him to confirm that he somehow, to his best knowledge, has been sent back in time, and Logan takes this as an opportunity to right the wrongs that his inaction in the future caused. This is perfectly illustrated by his hunt for a low-level supervillain who attempted to raise a fight out of him by slapping his son many years later. With that done, Logan centered his eyes on the cause of his worst tragedy, one that hasn't happened yet.... and, perhaps, the biggest game in the modern superhero world.
In the same way that most stories of heroes turning old are intriguing, this was an interesting adventure. While a bit too much like The Dark Knight Rises and Captain America: The First Avenger in its homages in art, it's ultimately still a completely engrossing tale of an old man righting the wrongs of his own future, and, while not much was done in the way of moving the plot along in this issue, a ton was done in character development in Old Man Logan himself. Ultimately endearing, with just enough grit to let one know that this will be a very serious and bloody series, Old Man Logan's first issue in the modern Marvel universe is an incredibly well handled first foray into an intriguing idea that I'm extremely excited to see further expanded upon.
Rating: Buy it!
There was a lot of buzz coming off of Secret Wars for this comic, and, while Secret Wars ultimately proved to be a confusing adventure into half thought out ideas with too many editorial mandates, I was still incredibly excited to see this character come back in a regular series. The Old Man Logan elseworld tale is, and has been, one of the most endearing and intriguing Wolverine stories, or stories in general, to come out this decade. So it seemed a natural fit to bring him along when moving the players from the multiverse that made Marvel the most money to the main Earth, yet he perhaps represents the most unique character story that has come from that idea to date.
Old Man Logan awakes in the middle of 2015 New York City, battered and naked, confused as to who he is, with only one name to his memory: Scotty. As he escapes the police and searches for proper clothes, he begins to remember his life and how the world had gone wrong, leaving him with the question: how was everything that had fallen in his time still standing? His search leads him to confirm that he somehow, to his best knowledge, has been sent back in time, and Logan takes this as an opportunity to right the wrongs that his inaction in the future caused. This is perfectly illustrated by his hunt for a low-level supervillain who attempted to raise a fight out of him by slapping his son many years later. With that done, Logan centered his eyes on the cause of his worst tragedy, one that hasn't happened yet.... and, perhaps, the biggest game in the modern superhero world.
In the same way that most stories of heroes turning old are intriguing, this was an interesting adventure. While a bit too much like The Dark Knight Rises and Captain America: The First Avenger in its homages in art, it's ultimately still a completely engrossing tale of an old man righting the wrongs of his own future, and, while not much was done in the way of moving the plot along in this issue, a ton was done in character development in Old Man Logan himself. Ultimately endearing, with just enough grit to let one know that this will be a very serious and bloody series, Old Man Logan's first issue in the modern Marvel universe is an incredibly well handled first foray into an intriguing idea that I'm extremely excited to see further expanded upon.
Rating: Buy it!
TEEN TITANS #16
The New 52 has not been entirely kind to the Teen Titans. A bit of a problem child from day one, it's really hard to keep the audience you had before the multiverse jump when you refuse to give them at least a glimmer of what once existed whilst every other comic in the verse did not want to make large changes, doing everything between starting from the beginning to opening at what was basically where the Pre-52 left off. When the Titans made that jump, it was immediately jarring, because not only was the team's existence erased, but the characters were either relocated, completely rewritten, or forced to start from the beginning of their existence, essentially creating regression.
The second official series started off hitting a stride that gave me, as a lifelong Teen Titans reader, a littler bit of hope, but it has since fallen into confusing infighting and editorial mandates that put the Titans in the wrong place at the wrong time with no real bearing on the events they are dragged into. This has been the biggest issue with the series, and, before this week's issue, it seemed at least some of that was being fixed.
This week, we find ourselves at the end of the Titans loose affiliation with The Robin War and a returning Tim Drake finds that one of his own, Chimera, is wanted by her people in the most desperate of ways. Fighting that leads to her leaving the team, the problem character of rewritten Bart Allen taking off, and the Titans deciding to task themselves with dealing with the plight of superpowered teenagers on the wrong side of the law in smaller towns in the US.
The series' new direction seems to be a smart move, but, after four issues of breaking and rebuilding the team, it's incredibly jarring to have the cast continuously changing issue by issue, especially in the case of Kid Flash, whose dense history of being a supervillain rebellion leader in the distant future has been an issue pretty much since the ground floor of the Titans series in The New 52.
His exit is poorly handled, as if Bart is only suddenly remembering a Titan that was only a major character in the series as far as a year back and yet was forgotten about with the exception of quick jabs, and makes his exit from the series seem to make his inclusion at all messy and forced. Chimera was a promising new character, and, while she could easily end up coming back as is set up in this issue, it's really hard to put faith in a series that seems to derail its positive spins at every turn.
In short, Teen Titans continues to hold its problem child moniker in the DC line-up. The new direction is interesting, but, considering the past, it's incredibly difficult to put one's faith in it being properly executed. One step forward, three massive steps back.
Rating: Skip it.
The New 52 has not been entirely kind to the Teen Titans. A bit of a problem child from day one, it's really hard to keep the audience you had before the multiverse jump when you refuse to give them at least a glimmer of what once existed whilst every other comic in the verse did not want to make large changes, doing everything between starting from the beginning to opening at what was basically where the Pre-52 left off. When the Titans made that jump, it was immediately jarring, because not only was the team's existence erased, but the characters were either relocated, completely rewritten, or forced to start from the beginning of their existence, essentially creating regression.
The second official series started off hitting a stride that gave me, as a lifelong Teen Titans reader, a littler bit of hope, but it has since fallen into confusing infighting and editorial mandates that put the Titans in the wrong place at the wrong time with no real bearing on the events they are dragged into. This has been the biggest issue with the series, and, before this week's issue, it seemed at least some of that was being fixed.
This week, we find ourselves at the end of the Titans loose affiliation with The Robin War and a returning Tim Drake finds that one of his own, Chimera, is wanted by her people in the most desperate of ways. Fighting that leads to her leaving the team, the problem character of rewritten Bart Allen taking off, and the Titans deciding to task themselves with dealing with the plight of superpowered teenagers on the wrong side of the law in smaller towns in the US.
The series' new direction seems to be a smart move, but, after four issues of breaking and rebuilding the team, it's incredibly jarring to have the cast continuously changing issue by issue, especially in the case of Kid Flash, whose dense history of being a supervillain rebellion leader in the distant future has been an issue pretty much since the ground floor of the Titans series in The New 52.
His exit is poorly handled, as if Bart is only suddenly remembering a Titan that was only a major character in the series as far as a year back and yet was forgotten about with the exception of quick jabs, and makes his exit from the series seem to make his inclusion at all messy and forced. Chimera was a promising new character, and, while she could easily end up coming back as is set up in this issue, it's really hard to put faith in a series that seems to derail its positive spins at every turn.
In short, Teen Titans continues to hold its problem child moniker in the DC line-up. The new direction is interesting, but, considering the past, it's incredibly difficult to put one's faith in it being properly executed. One step forward, three massive steps back.
Rating: Skip it.
DAREDEVIL #3
The story of Matt Murdock has always been one of extreme lows. A man who, on any other day and in any other life likely could have and should have, ended up playing for the other team, could have lost his morals in the face of tragedy after tragedy and turned into something evil, something bitter, something broken and hollow, yet, somehow, he survives, he perseveres in order to become a hero.
The last series to hit shelves for the Lawyer from Hell's Kitchen was intended to be the antithesis of this. To give the character of Matt Murdock a moment of reprieve, of happiness, of self-assessment and positive character development, and, while that series was an incredibly interesting adventure into a somewhat post-war Matt Murdock and what that means for Daredevil, it was bound not to last especially after being introduced to the masses in his own TV series. Now, just three issues into a world where all of that has been stripped from Matt, it becomes clear just how much the appeal of Daredevil trapped in the muck and dirt of New York City hasn't dissipated.
After infiltrating the church of New York's newest threat, The Church of the Sheltering Hand, Daredevil finds himself in the middle of a deadly war between his old foes in The Hand and their wayward son turned prophet of their stolen powers, Tenfingers. After a moment's consideration if he should even interfere in this deadly battle between his old foes and newest foes, he finds himself defending the corrupted people of the church in a battle to the death. Meanwhile, Matt Murdock finds himself demoted excessively in the face of his failure to protect his informant from the many fingered hands of Tenfingers' men and questions why he gave up his defense practice with former love interest Kirsten McDuffie and endangered his friendship with Foggy in order to switch from defense attorney to representing the city's prosecution.
All in all, this issue continues to play into the mystery of just how Matt managed to lose so much of his personal attachments in the face of the public forgetting who he truly was, while returning a sense of grit to the series. The art, while not exceptional, is incredibly dull and grey, giving the comic a real sense of blurred lines in a similar way to Miller's run, and Matt finds himself questioning his decisions at every interval, playing into the rightful difficulty the character has in walking the line. This is a return to Daredevil at its finest, and I'm excited to buckle in and see where it goes from here.
Rating: Buy it!
The story of Matt Murdock has always been one of extreme lows. A man who, on any other day and in any other life likely could have and should have, ended up playing for the other team, could have lost his morals in the face of tragedy after tragedy and turned into something evil, something bitter, something broken and hollow, yet, somehow, he survives, he perseveres in order to become a hero.
The last series to hit shelves for the Lawyer from Hell's Kitchen was intended to be the antithesis of this. To give the character of Matt Murdock a moment of reprieve, of happiness, of self-assessment and positive character development, and, while that series was an incredibly interesting adventure into a somewhat post-war Matt Murdock and what that means for Daredevil, it was bound not to last especially after being introduced to the masses in his own TV series. Now, just three issues into a world where all of that has been stripped from Matt, it becomes clear just how much the appeal of Daredevil trapped in the muck and dirt of New York City hasn't dissipated.
After infiltrating the church of New York's newest threat, The Church of the Sheltering Hand, Daredevil finds himself in the middle of a deadly war between his old foes in The Hand and their wayward son turned prophet of their stolen powers, Tenfingers. After a moment's consideration if he should even interfere in this deadly battle between his old foes and newest foes, he finds himself defending the corrupted people of the church in a battle to the death. Meanwhile, Matt Murdock finds himself demoted excessively in the face of his failure to protect his informant from the many fingered hands of Tenfingers' men and questions why he gave up his defense practice with former love interest Kirsten McDuffie and endangered his friendship with Foggy in order to switch from defense attorney to representing the city's prosecution.
All in all, this issue continues to play into the mystery of just how Matt managed to lose so much of his personal attachments in the face of the public forgetting who he truly was, while returning a sense of grit to the series. The art, while not exceptional, is incredibly dull and grey, giving the comic a real sense of blurred lines in a similar way to Miller's run, and Matt finds himself questioning his decisions at every interval, playing into the rightful difficulty the character has in walking the line. This is a return to Daredevil at its finest, and I'm excited to buckle in and see where it goes from here.
Rating: Buy it!
CARNAGE #4
Walking into this series, I wasn't sure what to expect. The last Carnage centered series I had read was back during Axis (let's not talk about that), and that was him playing at the hero. While that was a terrific run, it only served to further frustrate the event that surrounded it. I was delightfully surprised to find that this wasn't that but instead something entirely different. An exploration of Carnage's character focused on the idea of someone escaping his grips and a wonderfully claustrophobic story of Carnage picking off the likes of a reborn Jameson's Man-Wolf, as well as an ultimate encounter with Toxin, all in the confines of an ever collapsing mine shaft.
This issue finds the FBI scattered and injured after the collapse of the foundation of the mine, with only Carnage's target, Manny, within earshot of Eddie Brock who begs her to allow him to become Toxin, to save everyone and to lead the way to Carnage. Trouble is, no one of the team trusts Eddie or his mysterious third symbiote other self, and now this decision falls in the hands of the newest member of the team, a person who doesn't know either Eddie or Toxin well. Meanwhile, Carnage explores a cult hidden below the mines that seems to worship him, and that leads him to an army to face the agents chasing him.
While this issue was incredibly interesting, as a single read it seems to bridge the gap between where the series began and its ultimate face-off. The story arc of Eddie arguing to be 'let off his leash' is the highlight, but it's not enough of a highlight to make me suggest picking up the issue. That, however, does not mean I don't think it's worth your time, quite the opposite, in fact. This is the very definition of a 'wait for the trade' review as it is incredibly interesting and shows promise, but the story most likely would have more impact as a full set rather than in small pieces. It simply deserves to be looked at as a full experience, and anything beyond that is a discredit to the work put into it.
Rating: Wait for the trade.
Walking into this series, I wasn't sure what to expect. The last Carnage centered series I had read was back during Axis (let's not talk about that), and that was him playing at the hero. While that was a terrific run, it only served to further frustrate the event that surrounded it. I was delightfully surprised to find that this wasn't that but instead something entirely different. An exploration of Carnage's character focused on the idea of someone escaping his grips and a wonderfully claustrophobic story of Carnage picking off the likes of a reborn Jameson's Man-Wolf, as well as an ultimate encounter with Toxin, all in the confines of an ever collapsing mine shaft.
This issue finds the FBI scattered and injured after the collapse of the foundation of the mine, with only Carnage's target, Manny, within earshot of Eddie Brock who begs her to allow him to become Toxin, to save everyone and to lead the way to Carnage. Trouble is, no one of the team trusts Eddie or his mysterious third symbiote other self, and now this decision falls in the hands of the newest member of the team, a person who doesn't know either Eddie or Toxin well. Meanwhile, Carnage explores a cult hidden below the mines that seems to worship him, and that leads him to an army to face the agents chasing him.
While this issue was incredibly interesting, as a single read it seems to bridge the gap between where the series began and its ultimate face-off. The story arc of Eddie arguing to be 'let off his leash' is the highlight, but it's not enough of a highlight to make me suggest picking up the issue. That, however, does not mean I don't think it's worth your time, quite the opposite, in fact. This is the very definition of a 'wait for the trade' review as it is incredibly interesting and shows promise, but the story most likely would have more impact as a full set rather than in small pieces. It simply deserves to be looked at as a full experience, and anything beyond that is a discredit to the work put into it.
Rating: Wait for the trade.
X-MEN: THE WORST X-MAN EVER #4
Sometimes, all you really want out of a comic book is a little bit of fun. A few jokes, some decent action sequences, something simple to offer a few laughs and to kill an hour or two. Unfortunately, a lot of the business involved in running the comic book industry has strayed away from that, and understandably so, especially in this day and age of general comic book acceptance by the media. That, however, makes the fun comics, the ones that don't try to grab you by the brain but instead by the laugh box, a rare breed that inevitably stick out.
The Worst X-Man, up to this point, has perfectly represented that. While a bit questionable here and there, on the whole, it's been a fun series about a kid that desperately doesn't want to be normal, desperately wants something special in his life, and that was all it had to be. A few homages, a fun ride, a nice lesson, and the short series could easily wrap up as a fun experience with a few laughs along the way. When you take a step toward the extremely serious, however, those stories suddenly become more scrutinized because they demand attention, and that's where this series has currently found itself.
Suddenly caught up in a quiet war between Charles Xavier and Magneto, Bailey goes from the man with the most useless power, explosion that of course leads to death, to finding himself as the tool of two very different regimes with the request from the Brotherhood that he kill Charles Xavier. Meanwhile, as part of a team, Bailey finds himself at odds with Riches once again after attempting to fight off The Juggernauts invasion of the mansion against orders. Sent to the higher ups' office, all seems to end on a high note, with a lesson made, when suddenly a certain someone reveals he's been with the Brotherhood all along.
There is a death at the end of this issue, and, while the comics position as non-canon allows it to play around in the sandbox, this death creates such a random tone change in this relatively fun comic that it sort of ruins it and for no good reason, considering the story presented being the only story that matters due to its state of non-existence. It may well redeem itself in the final issue, but this was the first time along this comic run's ride where I began to question things because a dark toned moment happened, and, due to that, a thousand other little issues presented themselves. Time will tell if this was for the good or bad of the series, but I certainly can't suggest it in its current state.
Rating: Skip it.
Sometimes, all you really want out of a comic book is a little bit of fun. A few jokes, some decent action sequences, something simple to offer a few laughs and to kill an hour or two. Unfortunately, a lot of the business involved in running the comic book industry has strayed away from that, and understandably so, especially in this day and age of general comic book acceptance by the media. That, however, makes the fun comics, the ones that don't try to grab you by the brain but instead by the laugh box, a rare breed that inevitably stick out.
The Worst X-Man, up to this point, has perfectly represented that. While a bit questionable here and there, on the whole, it's been a fun series about a kid that desperately doesn't want to be normal, desperately wants something special in his life, and that was all it had to be. A few homages, a fun ride, a nice lesson, and the short series could easily wrap up as a fun experience with a few laughs along the way. When you take a step toward the extremely serious, however, those stories suddenly become more scrutinized because they demand attention, and that's where this series has currently found itself.
Suddenly caught up in a quiet war between Charles Xavier and Magneto, Bailey goes from the man with the most useless power, explosion that of course leads to death, to finding himself as the tool of two very different regimes with the request from the Brotherhood that he kill Charles Xavier. Meanwhile, as part of a team, Bailey finds himself at odds with Riches once again after attempting to fight off The Juggernauts invasion of the mansion against orders. Sent to the higher ups' office, all seems to end on a high note, with a lesson made, when suddenly a certain someone reveals he's been with the Brotherhood all along.
There is a death at the end of this issue, and, while the comics position as non-canon allows it to play around in the sandbox, this death creates such a random tone change in this relatively fun comic that it sort of ruins it and for no good reason, considering the story presented being the only story that matters due to its state of non-existence. It may well redeem itself in the final issue, but this was the first time along this comic run's ride where I began to question things because a dark toned moment happened, and, due to that, a thousand other little issues presented themselves. Time will tell if this was for the good or bad of the series, but I certainly can't suggest it in its current state.
Rating: Skip it.
EXTRAORDINARY X-MEN #6
In the wake of Secret Wars, mutant-kind has been forced out of their own world and into limbo, the hell-like realm controlled by Illyana Rasputin, and are in the midst of attempting to gather and protect those that are left. In an unending series of events that have left the X-Men worse and worse off with each passing month, Ororo Munroe has assembled her best X-Men to attempt to staff and lead the last of the sterilized mutants into finding a cure, saving their own, and simply surviving the struggles of both the hell dimension and the newly rekindled hatred of humanity.
This issue picks up the second story arc in the series and somehow manages to cover a lot of bases intelligently in a relatively thin book. Cutting between the current mission into 'Weirdworld' to retrieve a lost and familiar mutant, the main team contends with hulking dinosaur-like creatures. Meanwhile, in the hours leading up to the mission, Illyana helps a child with control over demons learn to accept herself and her powers. Piotr begins to take some of the new X-Men under his arm. Bobby deals with the ramifications of his younger self coming out of the closet, and Jean and Ororo attempt to get through to a mentally wounded Nightcrawler.
I've been on record stating that I'm not a huge fan of the X-Men playing outside their strengths, meaning stories of demons and space, but that issue is rescinded with Illyana on the team since she perfectly folds into that world. This issue manages to cover a lot of character development and feels longer than it actually is for it. The series has gotten off to an okay start, with a few shaky steps here and there, and this seems to push them toward everyone settling into their new world in such a way that seems both charming and almost doomed in equal measure.
At the end of the day, this issue doesn't accomplish much in the form of advancing the plot nor should it have since it's the first issue in the next arc, but it does manage to make up for that with a ton of positive character work despite the shotty art in spots. I'd say this is definitely one to watch for and worth picking up on its own.
Rating: Buy it.
In the wake of Secret Wars, mutant-kind has been forced out of their own world and into limbo, the hell-like realm controlled by Illyana Rasputin, and are in the midst of attempting to gather and protect those that are left. In an unending series of events that have left the X-Men worse and worse off with each passing month, Ororo Munroe has assembled her best X-Men to attempt to staff and lead the last of the sterilized mutants into finding a cure, saving their own, and simply surviving the struggles of both the hell dimension and the newly rekindled hatred of humanity.
This issue picks up the second story arc in the series and somehow manages to cover a lot of bases intelligently in a relatively thin book. Cutting between the current mission into 'Weirdworld' to retrieve a lost and familiar mutant, the main team contends with hulking dinosaur-like creatures. Meanwhile, in the hours leading up to the mission, Illyana helps a child with control over demons learn to accept herself and her powers. Piotr begins to take some of the new X-Men under his arm. Bobby deals with the ramifications of his younger self coming out of the closet, and Jean and Ororo attempt to get through to a mentally wounded Nightcrawler.
I've been on record stating that I'm not a huge fan of the X-Men playing outside their strengths, meaning stories of demons and space, but that issue is rescinded with Illyana on the team since she perfectly folds into that world. This issue manages to cover a lot of character development and feels longer than it actually is for it. The series has gotten off to an okay start, with a few shaky steps here and there, and this seems to push them toward everyone settling into their new world in such a way that seems both charming and almost doomed in equal measure.
At the end of the day, this issue doesn't accomplish much in the form of advancing the plot nor should it have since it's the first issue in the next arc, but it does manage to make up for that with a ton of positive character work despite the shotty art in spots. I'd say this is definitely one to watch for and worth picking up on its own.
Rating: Buy it.
