Review: X-men #4

X-men #4

Two good stories fitting in one satisfying issue. We follow Wolverine and Jubilee as she takes her new baby to Cali her home, filled with memories of her California life and how she came to the X-men while Storm and the rest of the gang have their own issues to deal with as they’re in the X-jet and on a plane rescue mission.

RECAP

Wolverine, Jubes and Shogo are enjoying a Day at the beach, meanwhile “Storm and the X-men” are on the black assisting a commercial aircraft's who’s engine’s on fire but can't land. Storm takes Rachel aside to speak - because she’s having obvious issues with Storm’s seeming exerted leadership- while asking Rogue and Psylocke to come up with a plan to save the aircraft. Rachel still very much disagrees with Storm’s decision on their last mission to sacrifice Karima. Storm stands by her decision (I support her too lol). “Who died and made you leader of the X-men? Here’s a hint : It’s not Karima Shapandar”.

Jubilee and Wolverine visit her old home. Now for sale wolverine offers to buy it. She declines. Then they go for lunch in the very mall Jubilee first encountered the X-men.

The X-men begin executing their plan to same the commercial plane which involves TK grapple hooks and power sharing between Psylocke and Rogue. Storm continues her passive aggressive discourse with Rachel while Rogue goes prodigal with Psylocke’s powers. By the time they’re done plane saving Psylocke cuts Rogue off sending her sailing from the jet, luckily skydiving Storm is able to catch her in time (and the team dynamic drama continues).

WHAT I LIKED ?

There’s too much that I liked and too little that I didn't like about this issue (as opposed to Wood’s work over in the UCXM title).

As someone who isn't too familiar with the comic version of Jubilee I could appreciate the nostalgic glimpse into her and how she has grown since then to be who she is today - when i started reading comics Jubilee wasn’t in any of the titles I read till the whole depowering thing… even then I never read much about her.

The exploration of the team dynamic over on the rescue mission side of the story was rather intriguing as we begin to see how this team functions together, both the pitfalls and the strong points. Rachel still has a big problem with storm asserting her leadership, especially since the last issue where Storm almost ordered Karima’s death. She get’s pretty self righteous about it and declared that it’s an issue she won't let go. Rogue after being inconsiderate in using Psylocke’s TK gets cut off and with no powers to secure her is flung from the plane. I mean, Psylocke must have known that Storm or Rachel would have saved her… right?

I can see that trust is going to be one of the future challenges this team will have as they continue to work together. Will Rachel trust and give into Storm’s leadership? How is Psylocke and Rogue gonna get along after this? And it looks like Kitty is about to become the middleman.

I have to mentioned that I continue to love the art in this title. The depictions of Each character’s racially distinct appearance is excellent – Storm is HOT and Shogo utterly adorable. The artist does a good job of capturing expressions and Portraying mood (expect for that one panel where I wasn’t certain if Psylocke was rolling her eyes, about to faint, or both lol).

WHAT DIDN’T I LIKE ?

Rachel’s heavy eye shadow; she need to go easy on that.

I’m really hoping the title picks up a little more though, especially during and after the Battle of the Atom crossover. I’m not the biggest fan of Wood’s pacing, but it has been sufficiently appropriate thus par with this title. I’ve been enjoying it. Here’s to hoping for more good issues.

I give it a 7.8

Review: X-Factor #261

X-factor #261

Another interesting installment of ‘The End of X-factor’. Following the fallout of the last hellraising arc, this issue finds Monet and Darwin finding each other in Vegas. Not much happens, but enough to tickle my curiosity and leave me wondering, ‘is this really the end ?’ ‘What’s going to become of these characters that this title has really drawn me into over the years?’ .

RECAP

Darwin goes gunning for Hela in Las Vegas at a place he thinks he “senses” her there or something. Turns out he ventured into the wrong neighborhood and ended up in the middle of a stolen car ring with all guns pointed at him. Needless to say he survives the fiasco and runs into Monet of all persons.

Having seen her die previously he assumes this Monet is not who she appears to be and during their brawl she explains to him that she is Monet, resurrected by Guido the new Hell Lord. They go for a drink where Monet explains why she came looking for her teammates in Vegas (The team has ended up in Vegas on several occasions). Darwin explains to her that his wanting to kill Rahne’s son was misled by a vision and possessed. He also tells her about his love for her (something he’s been keeping inside for a long time) and she ends up sleeping with him just to see if she’d feel anything (was she resurrected soulless?). It is Hela who finds Darwin in the end and he sends her away saying he’s fine with who he is.

WHAT I LIKED?

There isn't much to speak about. It was just an ok story. It raised questions of whether or not Monet was resurrected with a soul (I’m still not sure though the comic seems to point to the fact that she wasn’t) and what Darwin is going to do with his God like powers in the long run. It’s one thing to be effectively immortal, it’s another to acquire Godlike powers that you kind of don't want and pissing off Gods in the the process. Certainly both characters will have demons to wrestle with, and that’s one of the things I’ve always liked about this title and it’s characters. Its has always featured stories with the characters battling as much on the inside along with on the outside while remaining nicely removed from the mainstream and the stories always play out in a grappling way whether over a few issues or the span of the series.

As for Darwin deciding to keep his new powers in the end… maybe he sees it as a way he might restore Monet in the future.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE?

hmmm…  I dont know

I give it a 7.5

Review : Ultimate Comics: X-men #30

Ultimate Comics: X-men #30

World War X continues and this issue had me wincing all throughout. There were good moments though, a thing or two that I actually liked, but for the most part this title continues to rub me the wrong way.

RECAP (In Brief)

We start with Jean and Jimmy in Tian having breakfast of fresh fruits, something Jimmy evidently is not used to since the sentient seed provides them... what?... chicken feed?... in Utopia. Meanwhile, Rogue is bawling over the dying seed (big surprise) and Colossus is fighting the invading Tian-bots bots with his new friend (lover?) “like the cagefighting the guards set up at the camps”.

Also kitty does another one of those melodramatic monologues, I’ve grown to despise, while rushing into battle with her Utopian peeps (someone let me know who this new guy ‘Revolto’ is or if he’s new to the Marvel Universe like, it would seem, Mach 2). Eventually Jean sends a message to them through the drones “We will become one people. Tian has spoken” Kitty’s answer to this is to have storm destroy all on the remaining drones in typical storm flashy fashion and her new resolve, “violence will be met with violence”. She also ends up handing leadership of Utopia over to Colossus.

WHAT I LIKED ?

Well... Just about the panels with Nomi and Amara and right at the end with Kitty and Piotr (up until she offered him leadership of Utopia then I winced again). I was particularly impressed by Magma’s display of powers and how Kitty wisely classed her as having non combat-adaptive powers because she doesn’t want too many people out there knowing there were mutants who could shake continents. Mostly I liked the art and the feel in these panels, The dialogue felt a little more organic.

It’s clear that Kitty has been having issues with her leadership and this issue examines that. It also examines the cognitive dissonance she experienced having to deal with so much violence while being a pacifist herself.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ?

This issue had me wincing - a lot- as I tried to like everything that was happening. But all in all, this event feels like much like a repeat of everything I’ve been seeing so far. It wasn’t quite Kitty centric as before, but still, I’ve had quite enough of her in this series.  She’s been much of the same for the last couple of arcs, in fact, the last couple of arcs have been much of the same. I feel like they fight these battles that take them nowhere at the end of the day. There’s no big shake up, probably some amount of change, but none that really CHANGES anything and everything just seems to drive them further off the deep end.

Character development is slow and even so, not very progressive. Characters pop up and disappear from issue to issue and the more consistently appearing ones are always much of the same. I don't find the dynamics of the current group of Utopia mutants intriguing.

Did we need three or four arcs to establish Utopia, then a schism, make the sentient seed, then undo the schism, and start and end World War X?

I fear the end of this arc might be where I throw my hands in the air and give my beloved mutants or the Ultimate universe a break. I’m tired of the constant anticlimactic story arcs this title has been giving me.

This whole Jimmy/Jean thing? Eew... I’m looking at the possibility that Jimmy might have defected as a means to keeping an eye on Jean. You know, the classic ‘wolverine takes out the phoenix’ thing. But even so... the relationship he seems to have taken on with her.... ummm?

This may not be the experience for other readers, and maybe it’s just my own mental rejection of the storyline and where UCXM has been going over the last million issues, but so much of the comics feels forced, inorganic. The extreme’s that are Jean Grey’s , Kitty’s and Rogue’s mental state (I still think they're all a little crazy) just seem... well... unbelievable.

To be honest, when Karen Grey was introduced, I LOVED her, the concept of who she was and where she was coming from was completely understandable, but somewhere between the end of Karen and the re-birth of Jean, I feel I’ve gotten lost. I get that the full story of Jean and Tian etc is yet to be revealed, but still this Jean is a far cry from Karen and the previous Jean I’ve know. I’ve said before that ultimate Jean has always been a little nuts in my interpretation of the character, but now ….. well.... you can see for yourself.

There’s a detached way to how some of the story is being told, where we are left to fill in the blanks about certain things until we are told. It doesn't work well with this title as the parts we do see doesn't help us feel anymore involved or in the know of what’s happening as we would like to be. Neither can the story pull off the air of mystery that would normally peak our curiosity and have as squealing at every little reveal and wanting to know more (or maybe that’s just me). Take Colossus for example. I have no Idea where he’s been and am not sure why he stayed so long before coming to Utopia. I have no care to know about this or what his new friend is to him or even where they’re going with that angle.Colossus has just been popping in and out of this title so much that I’m left here wondering ‘When is he gonna leave again?’.

I can’t seem to connect with these characters and their motivations anymore.I can't figure out what or who to care about .The story is different from what I’m used to. Different can be good, but not always.

I give it 6.5

Review: Wolverine and the X-men #34

Wolverine and the X-men #34

Another jam packed installment of the Hellfire Saga and it was a pretty enjoyable read. I’m not so certain it beats the last issue but it takes the story another step forward with its customary action, zest and comical tone brought out in its bright, animated art. Umm.. what happens in this issue is far too much for me to do a recap (considering how my recaps are it’d be way too long) but I’d encourage you to pick it up if you haven’t already. Just know that the X-men have finally found the Hellfire Academy and the battle is on between the x-men and the horde of Krakoas bred by the club while Idie and Quentin try fight their way out contending with their classmates.

WHAT I LIKED ?

Just about all of it- from Iceman’s Power Ranger megazord style ice golem (which makes little sense to me when you observe iceman operating it from the inside) to husk beating Toad to a pulp. The battles that take place are full of little quips and nice visuals that fills the issue with comic book battle awesomeness. Doop is in it so you know that’s gonna  add to the hysteria.

Of note is what appears to be the fall of Kilgore, the Black King and the apparent disloyalty of the rest of his elite who don’t seem to think he’s much worth saving from the attack of Broo. In fact, they just sit back and let Broo have his way. It becomes clear at the end that they disagree with and no longer trust the judgement of Kilgore. They believe his “little experiment is a flop” and he should pull the plug. Kade seems almost delusional in the fact that they’ve lost in fact, he down right believes they’ve won. He could always be right… we’ll never know till the next issue. But objectively, their victory seems bleak.

From what Quentin’s telepathy picks up during the battle, it doesn't seem all the Hellfire Academy students are in love with being evil, particularly infestation and Blob. Also that big space scientist guy has decided to make his escape during the commotion and take Broo with him. These seem to set the stage for where the books might be going after this arc. We already know Idie and Blob end up back at the Jean Grey School (based on appearances I’ve seen in other titles that I assume are currently ahead in the timeline). The issue leaves us with a lot of questions and curiosities like ‘What is up with Glob?’ ‘What is up with Husk?!’ ‘Is Kade as hopelessly delusional as this issue would have him appear?’. These are all things I’m looking forward to finding out later on or in the long run.

I’ve always loved the visuals involved with Idie and Quentin’s display of powers. They are two character’s that I love to see on panel and the art does them justice- particularly Quentins pink hair *hehe*. I haven’t always been a fan of the art the last couple of series but in this case it only added to the goodness of this issue and arc.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ?

Well this is something I’m not certain I don’t like. But the Broo story is part of what’s been moving the series along (if you hadn’t noticed) and I’m not so sure that I’m not tired of it. On the one hand, I kind of want them to give him a break (evidently he won't get it just yet if he’s going to be taken out into space) but on the other hand without Broo getting shot in the head and reduced to a less intelligent form, we wouldn't have had all this awesomeness. They’ve used him and his story, among other things, as plot points leading for the broader stories of some of the arcs and I’m not so averse to him leading Idie and Quentin out into space. The only thing is, if they do, I’d like to see more of some of the new JGS students as well as some of my old fave X-kids. But I’m in love with Quentin at this point so….

About Idie in that Black Queen getup?... last time it was a bit of a shocker. This time, while forgetting she’s 14 (thereabouts), I seemed to have been desensitized a bit. But still...

I give this issue an 8.9

Editorial

Review: X-factor #260

X-Factor #260

This week’s End of X-factor one shot focuses on Lorna handling the fallout of their last hell raising (literally) saga. Let’s put it this way, Lorna went bat shit crazy lol. Actually, she just went and got drunk out of her mind and started wrecking the bar around her to boot. That was basically all this issue was about. A drunk Lorna walks into a bar, ends up trashing it, getting on the wrong side of the law, Quicksilver steps in, they have an epic fight, he knocks her out in the end, she ends up in jail where some weird guy in glowing light breaks her out.

Not much happens story-wise, which is why it can be summed up so easily and I skipped my usual recap, but it was a good read.

WHAT I LIKED ?

The book was a simple exploration of Lorna as a character and how she handles the fallout of her experience with the X-factor. Sure the drunkenness was a little gratuitous, but her behavior is a very human representation of her, that strips away some of the (emotionally) stronger and holier than thou image of being a superhero and gets right down to the humanness of hitting rock bottom. It happens to the best of us. And boy does she hit it hard. We also see that she's still dealing with other issues such as the fact that she killed her parents (by accident) and Magneto covered it up.

Words cannot describe the epicness I found in her duking it out with Quicksilver, both visually (I LOVED the art) and in terms of what happened. She pulled GUNS on him and did not hesitate to fire! (Move over drunk texting). It was interesting to see how the speedster and the Mistress of magnetism get down in a battle and fun to watch. Bringing Quicksilver in, as opposed to any other avenger, also made it interesting in that I’ve hardly ever seen her interact with any of her half siblings (I’m still fairly new to comics though its been five or six years) and I took interest in seeing how they relate.

The guy who comes in at the end, yeah that “x-factor” guy, has be coming with all sorts of questions about the future of X-factor. It’s a nice little tease. I really loved this title (even though I wasn't a fan of the Hell Lords’ mumbo jumbo) and I wouldn't want to believe this is really the end (I should probably do some research on that since I don’t even really know for sure).

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE ?

Well, you would expect me to hate this for the mere fact that I can suitably sum up the issue in a few short sentences. But I don't. This book could get away with that because it was so dang fun to read and the visuals were amazing. So i really had nothing to hate about it.

I give it a 7.5

Review: All New X-men #15

All New X-men #15

Another enjoyable installment of the time displaced old (new ?) x-men chronicles. The story had a light feel/tone complemented by the artwork and seemed to be centred mainly around how the new (old?) x-men are still coping with being in the future (present?), particularly Jean.

RECAP (skip if you read the issue)

The starts with Rachel returning to the school from superhero-ing and having an awkward encounter (the first of two) with the young mommy dearest while on her way to the showers. Cyclops is wrapped up in his age old predicament (it seems) of how he’s gonna tell jean... what exactly?.. well he crushes and discards the letter before we get to see. Iceman, not being able to handle seeing his future self making out with that godawful Ms. Pryde decides to go out on an adventure with Cyclops, stealing wolverine’s car in the process.

While training to use her telekinesis with old (blue) Beast Jean manages to completely dismantle Wolverine’s motorcycle displaying a feat that Beast later explains to a riled Wolverine as showing a “level of telekinetic aptitude she only hit while she was in phoenix mode” and doing it “as a pure mutant.” Wolverine just wants his bike fixed though and his car back from the delinquents ‘clops-ice duo, who, by the way, end up impressing a bunch of girls at a carnival with their time travelling stories and mutant prowess.

While working on fixing the headmaster’s bike, Jean overhears beast thinking about how much he was in love with her when he was young and wondered what would have happened if he had the guts to tell her. This sparks her confronting young beast (who’s studying his future mutations) about and kissing him in the process.

The rogue old (new?) x-men manage to further impress the ladies  by assisting in a police car chase, just before the get busted by the headmaster but with time to spare to exchange numbers with the ladies ;) . There’s a panel where we see Dazzler (well Mystique disguised as Dazzler) watching from a distance.

Back at the mansion Jean get’s in a second awkward, wordless encounter with Rachel, then goes into her room, sighs and looks at the wedding invitation for her and Cyclop’s wedding before putting it under her mattress.

WHAT I LIKED ?

Just about everything. Even without much action, contention or (melo) drama taking place it was a wonderful bit of storytelling; a solid and satisfying issue that moved the story nicely along.

The new (old?) x-men are seemingly a little better adjusted to the future and the situation they are flung in. But even so they still have things to deal with. Things that Bendis brought to the forefront (particularly for Jean) in this issue.

Bendis plays expertly on the lighter tone in the storytelling while still managing to be profound in his themes. There were three separate pages with no dialogue whatsoever and yet it still felt like a full part of the story, none was necessary because the panels said enough. Two of such panels had very awkward encounters with young Jean and Rachel (both, interestingly, time displaced) and the third was all about some Jean-Beast smooching. It all is quote telling of how Jean is handling everything she now knows about her future (or what was supposed to be her future). It can be quite awkward as we’ve seen as well as troubling to think that somehow all of this was supposed to be “destiny”. I’m sure at this point Jean just wants to feel like she’ll have some control of her life and how it’ll turn out in the long run. Things can be different. She doesn’t HAVE to end up with Scott or die or do anything that she’s heard she’s done.

It’s evident that all the old (new?) x-men are thinking about how their future selves turned out and how disconcerting some of it is. Iceman doesn't quite like that his future self is dating Kitty, Scott couldn't possibly like that he killed Xavier and Beast is caught up studying his future mutations. This all makes for a nice theme and great story to follow and its carried out in such a manner that it doesn’t seem to get boring.

Bendis also does well with the subtle hints of things to come, raising questions of why is Mystique STILL on the case of the youngins and why Jean’s power seemed to have taken such a quick boost upon arriving in the future. I’m sure these elements are to play out later and in the story on a whole and can’t wait to see what’s next.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ?

I pretty much liked it all. Just a little confused about Jeans power boost and see’s the obvious cliche in it (because, come on, when HASN’T and out of control, far too powerful Jean been and issue?). Yet still I eagerly await to see how it plays out.

I give it an 8.5

Review: X-men #3

X-men #3

I really enjoyed this issue. It’s the final installment of the “PRIMER” arc - and what a fitting name it is as it seems to set the stage for other exciting adventures to come - and it brings to a somewhat abrupt conclusion (or is this really the end ?) the battle the x-men have had to face with Arkea (Sublime’s machine possessing sister).

RECAP

We’re right where we left off from the last issue, Bling discovers a ticking bomb that goes off. Only nothing really happens (as far as they can tell) as there is no explosion or anything. Kitty asks Pixie to take the bomb into orbit (which I found odd, I would have expected Hank to swing in and say let me check it out or something).

We find out Arkea has left some kind of virus in the schools system when the doors seal and oxygen starts getting sucked out of the room. Bling knocks the doors off and then takes out the danger room Arkea clones (Well.... Arkea in the body of Omega Sentinel aka Karima clones) that attacked them afterwards.

While Kitty is dealing with matters at the school the rest of the team (Storm, Rachel, Rogue,Psylocke and Jubilee) are on Arkea’s tail across the globe in Budapest. Arkea is able to possess humans with medical cybernetics and takes over a whole hospital full of them (which is evidently how she was able to travel through the baby, who Storm figures was a patient there).

On the home front the X-Kids are busy battling the danger room projections of Arkea and Kitty has to take out the entire computer system at the school to stop it. In Budapest, the team have to battle their way through possessed cybernetic patients till Psylocke gets to Arkea, with her psychic knife at the head of the Arkea possessed Karima she’s faced with the decision of taking out her fellow X-man in order to take out Arkea. Storm is all for taking out Arkea that way but Rachel is staunchly opposed.In the end it isn’t any of them who make the decision but Karima is able to take control of her body long enough to drive the psychic blade through her own head and sacrifice herself.

WHAT I LIKED?

There’s so much of it that i really liked, from the panels with Jubilee and the baby to the inclusion of some of the students that we haven't seen much on panel since Academy days. The action is amazing and the art so beautifully done that I’ll excuse the empty panels of Pixie going out into orbit for the mere fact that she was so cute and the panels still engaging (for some reason I still don’t excuse similar panels with Storm from Ultimate X-men).

I’m really happy we get to see the likes of Bling, Julian and Primal with hints of seeing more of Mercury. I’ve always been sad about the sidelining of the old students (which we’ve gotten to know and love from the X-men Academy days) for the newer ones. And it had become somewhat of a trend. We saw it when that annoying girl Hope and her lights came in and then again when wolverine started the Jean Grey academy. New students get brought and the older ones fade into the background. But my grouse with this is for another time. For now I’m just really pleased with seeing some of them back in action (I miss you surge :( *hints at Brian* ).

Jubilee’s scenes with the baby are to die for. It’s becoming pretty evident how attached she is to the child, I don't know how this is going to work out her being a Vampire and all (but i hear she’s sooo over that lol) and still being pretty young herself. Keeping a baby and being an X-man - which by definition means you’re danger prone - will prove to be a difficult task enough.

The art was AMAZING!

Brian Wood has a way of dropping hints of things to come in his usual slow unraveling plotlines that seem to be working well for this title. He leaves us with questions of what’s to come with this Bling-Mercury conflict, Jubilee and this new baby she’s so attached to, Storm and Rachel’s different ways of seeing things. Even the much smaller things you might not have noticed like Oya’s appearance and Sublime sitting too close to Rachel all bring up questions of what Brian is up to with this story and what is to come. Really this is a primer and good one at that.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ?

There wasn’t much to NOT like. And even going the issue over, i find some of the things I initially had a problem with seemed not much of a big, like at times the tone and dialogue can feel just a tad cheesy or melodramatic. But then when I read it again... it’s not there so much (Kinda like when I re-read my own writing and hate it then not hate it then hate it again -_-)... So really it is a good Issue.

I’m not a fan of when the dialogue does too much narration of things we can (or at time’s can’t) see, especially when I don't really think its necessary. This happened with Julian when he put up his shield against the danger room projections.

My recap was brief so if you haven’t read it yet. You Must! Definitely prefer Wood’s run on this than over in the Ultimate Universe.

I give this issue an 8.5

Review: X-men Legacy #14

X-men Legacy #14

If there’s one thing you come to expect from this series is a twist. David Haller always seems to think and stay one step ahead even when it appears otherwise. All in all, I’ve liked the series. Can’t say it gives me that thrill factor, but it doesn't quite disappoint and this issue, part two of the “Hope and Glory” arc, was as good as I’ve come to expect. This issue wasn't the best run,but I’m not so sure it was that terrible either. I won't get into too much detail but...

RECAP

The issue kicks off where we left off in issue 13, Peter Wisdom seemed to have killed David and Blindfold goes apeshit on him. He’s barely able to tell her that it would appear Haller still has them both caught up in a psychic projection and not of what happen was real; they’re still in Peter’s Mind.

Wisdom begins to cut his way through scene after unpleasant scene of mental projections as it becomes evident that what’s happening is a stalling tactic by David while he carries out (what he’s fooled Wisdom into believing) rather devious acts of terrorism with the help of his fellow British mutants in an effort to “wipe mutophobic Britain off the map”.

Eventually Wisdom and Blindfold end up in Haller’s mind where, after a threat to call David’s mother, David finally releases Wisdom from his mental Captivity.

In the customary weird twist of events, Haller manages to use Wisdom to save the life of mutant oppressing President (or something like that) of Aquiria from assassination by one of his marginalized citizens. Turns out after all that all of Haller’s plans were in fact to improve mutant/human relations and thereby put an end to mutophobic Britain.

In the end, Wisdom is still not impressed or pleased with David’s actions and arrests him anyway for obstructing him,Wisdom, in the course of his duty (or something like that).

WHAT I LIKED ?

Blindfold going apeshit. I really like how, in this series, Blindfold’s power and powerset seems to have been increased and diversified from what we are typically used to (I always though of her as having limited short range telepathy). But even from the beginning of this incarnation of the series we were told that her initial powerset was vast but her brother stole most of it. So far we see less of her creepy divination and more of her other psychic abilities.

A lot happens in this story, which is both a plus and a minus,oddly. When there’s tons going on but without good reason, sometimes I take it as a waste of page (like Wisdom going through all those mental projections while trapped in his mind just as a stalling tactic).Usually its the end result that might be redeeming in a situation like this and it sorta was. There was a lot of interesting visuals and action. And it did end up bringing the story along considerably, wrapping up and resolving David’s plans while putting him in the new situation of being locked up.

This title in general has been a breather from everything else going on in the mainstream. I tend to be attracted to these stories as often I’m not a fan of crossovers and events (though I do get caught up in them like the rest of us). Both this current X-men legacy and its previous incarnation (to some extent) as well as X-factor are the comics I look to for this “other” feel. I tend to prefer stories which include B,C,and D-list characters because then the stories feel less sensationalist and more rooted in character development and intriguing plotlines (but that’s for another article).

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE ?

Didn't get to see much of Brits mutants in the story. talk about a brief cameo? And the plot wrapped up a little too quickly.

I’m not a fan of the art.

Even though the end was a “twist” … I can't say it wasn’t expected. The mystery of it all was what really carried the story and Wisdom’s narration being none the wiser of Haller’s plot.

I give it a 6.5