X-Men Issue 4: “Curse of the Mutants, Part 4”

X-Men Issue 4: “Curse of the Mutants, Part 4”

Things just keep getting worse for the X-Men; Wolverine is now a vampire and the bloodsuckers are running rampant over San Francisco. Historically, the X-Men work best when their backs are against the wall, so the second half of this first story arc for the new title should be entertaining. The comic starts out with the X-Men finally going on the offensive, with the focus being on the team of Blade and Angel. At first, it seems like an awkward pairing and, functionally, it is. However, the banter between the two and the way their personalities go together make for a fun read. Blade gets to kick some vampire ass, so it’s all good in the end. Paco Medina’s artwork is always solid, but really shines when the action starts. A solid amount of time is spent with the vampires this issue. Xarus’s plans are starting to come together, though some of his subordinates are growing impatient. We start to believe that he truly does want as many mutants left alive as possible in the coming battle, though not for any humanitarian reasons; he wants them to grow his ranks. I’ve enjoyed these scenes so far, though the vampire rhetoric from Jubilee and Wolverine is getting a bit tiring. The highlight of this issue is the conversation between Xarus and Cyclops. Xarus tries to sway Cyclops over to his side; again, it’s a fairly convincing argument and I really like the parallel between the mutants and vampires. Whether Xarus is sincere in his statements remains to be seen, but I like the concept. On the other hand, Scott Summers is in full alpha male mode and I love it every time. When Cyclops speaks, you damn well better listen. He never loses his poker face, even when Wolverine is revealed to the X-Men; I think it’s the visor. Anyway, we get some great dialog between Wolverine and Cyclops, bringing back a lot of the old animosity between the two over the years. Just like the previous three, Issue 4 of X-Men is more build-up for the inevitable clash between the mutants and the vampires. There’s been a lot of dialog and story development with only small tastes of action up to this point. I’m all for story development, especially when it’s as interesting as X-Men has been, but eventually you need to get to some action. I think Gischler understands this, which is why we’ve gotten the small bits of action mixed in to hold us over. If the next two issues deliver the big, fun action the X-Men franchise is known for, it will be worth all the build-up. If they don’t, X-Men could go from “promising” to “disappointing” real quick. Personally, I can’t wait to see Medina unleashed on a huge brawl and I’ll be heartbroken if I don’t get it. X-Men Issue 4: “Curse of the Mutants, Part 4” Marvel Comics Story: Victor Gischler Art: Paco Medina, Juan Vlasco, Marte Gracia...

Shadowland Issue 4 of 5

Shadowland Issue 4 of 5

Hell’s Kitchen is coming apart and the gloves are off. Luke Cage and his allies have realized Matt Murdock is likely beyond their help and the only thing remaining is to take down the Daredevil. At the end of the last issue, it was revealed that Murdock is possessed by the Beast of the Hand, a powerful demon. The Punisher joined the heroes’ side, while Elektra showed up to help her former love resurrect Bullseye, further increasing Daredevil’s ranks. Issue 4 brings Shadowland to its breaking point. Elektra’s true intentions are revealed and Wolverine even shows up. While it’s not uncommon for Wolverine to show up EVERYWHERE, he fits this story nicely; he has a long-running history with the Hand and has worked with Cage many times as a member of the New Avengers. Additionally, he serves as a solid indication that the heroes are serious about taking Daredevil down by any means necessary. Once the fireworks start, it’s quite the spectacle. Cage and crew go in with a battle plan, and it’s a treat watching it play out. Of course, in comics, nothing ever goes according to plan and everything quickly breaks down into an all-out melee. These fight scenes are where Shadowland really shines; the art is a amazing and, more importantly, detailed. The environment, the debris, the fights going on in the background; there’s very little filler to be seen in the fight scenes. The details are where Tann and the rest of the art team really step up. I absolutely love the panels from Daredevil’s perspective, drawn and colored the way he “sees” things. The bottom half of page 6 really caught my eye; it’s a scene with Luke Cage, Master Izo and Iron Fist talking to Wolverine. It’s laid out as a single panel of art, broken up into three separate panels, one for each character and their dialog, with Wolverine in the foreground, overlapping the other panels. It’s a very minor detail, but things like that are what take a good comic and make it a great one. I’ve read other comics with Tann’s art, such as New Avengers and Uncanny X-Men, but his work here will definitely have me looking for his name in the future. Traditionally, the next-to-last issue of an event comic is the weakest, plot-wise. It’s purpose is just to set everything up for the climax, and that holds true for Shadowland. That being said, the “weakest” issue of this miniseries is still better than most anything else I’m reading. For an event that I was initially hardly interested in, I’m eagerly anticipating the finale. Shadowland Issue 4 of 5 Marvel Comics Story: Andy Diggle Art: Billy Tann, Victor Olazaba, Guru eFx...

Uncanny X-Force Issue 1: “The Apocalypse Solution, Chapter 1”

Uncanny X-Force Issue 1: “The Apocalypse Solution, Chapter 1”

X-Force is back with a new team and a new adjective. Rick Remender’s Uncanny X-Force picks up where Crag Kyle and Chris Yost’s recent X-Force run left off. In the previous version, X-Force was a black-ops team, proactively taking out enemies before they could become true threats to the dwindling mutant population. Due to the extreme nature of X-Force’s tactics, the team was kept secret, known only to Cyclops. Consisting of Wolverine, X-23, Archangel, Domino and several other members, X-Force took down nutjobs, racists, psychic vampires and even traveled to the future to help Cable. Following the “Second Coming” event, Cyclops decided there was no longer a need for X-Force and disbanded the team. Ever the realist, Wolverine decided to keep X-Force alive, this time a secret even from Cyclops. He turned to Archangel as co-leader and recruited a new team; psychic ninja Psylocke, world-class mercenary Deadpool and infiltration specialist Fantomex. It’s an interesting team, full of fan-favorite characters that also fit the theme of the comic. Wolverine is, of course, the best there is at what he does. However, he also tends to go a bit overboard at times, so he’s sharing leadership of the team with Archangel. Warren, though, has his own issues, attempting to sort out the two personalities warring for control of his body. Psylocke fills an obvious role on the team as the lone psychic, but Betsy needs Warren’s support as much as he needs hers. Deadpool… well, he’s Deadpool. The goofball of the Marvel universe, I truly feel Remender will be reining in some of his more outlandish traits, and bringing the character back to his roots as someone who will do whatever is necessary to get the job done, but also have fun doing it. At least in this first issue, none of the bizarre (and honestly, stupid) effects recent writers have been using to turn the character into nothing more than a clown are present. There really is more to the character than we’ve seen since his resurgence a couple years ago. The one character poised to be the breakout star of this series is definitely Fantomex. One of the many intriguing ideas Grant Morrison came up with, but never quite followed through on during his run on New X-Men, I’m glad to see Fantomex get another chance. The character is a product of the Weapon Plus program, itself an offshoot of Weapon X, the same agency responsible for “creating” Wolverine and Deadpool. Essentially, just like Deadpool, he was an attempt to create the next Wolverine; the three characters are tied together. While not a mutant, Fantomex still has powers, most notably his unique nervous system. Technically, Fantomex has more than one brain, giving him slight psychic abilities, as well as several more interesting powers. I thought it was a good call by Remender to have Fantomex narrate the bulk of this issue; it allows newer readers unfamiliar with the character a chance to connect with him. Fantomex is definitely one Marvel character to keep your eyes on next year. As for the issue itself, it’s a solid setup for what’s to come. We start with Deadpool investigating an enemy base, then move on to the rest of the team assembling for a rescue mission. Each character has a moment in the spotlight, and we see how the members of the team are going to interact with each other. There’s some camaraderie, and there’s some tension; all the elements of a good team book are present here. Yes, there’s also some fighting and explosions, giving the book a solid balance of story and action. Everything a fan could want is in this first issue, elevating Uncanny X-Force above other recent first issues. (Wolverine, I’m looking at you.) At this point, it’s not much of a spoiler to say Apocalypse is the first villain X-Force will be facing, though the reveal at the end of the issue is still a great twist. On the art side of things, Opena does a solid job. Wolverine and Archangel are as badass as they should be, but his Deadpool seems a tiny bit off in some aspects, mostly the mask. His interpretation of Psylocke is a bit more “athletic” than traditional portrayals, but the feelings associated with that will vary from reader to reader. There seems to be an overuse of certain color schemes, mostly blue and gray, but I’ll need to see more to decide if it’s a trend or just the way this particular issue worked out. Still, it’s an improvement over the “All BLACK, all the time!” style of the last X-Force. Uncanny X-Force is just a solid comic. It gives fans enough of a taste to feel good about where the title is heading, as well as enough cool stuff to bring some new readers to the franchise. I highly recommend this one to fans of the X-Men, Wolverine, Deadpool or anyone just looking for something new and different. Uncanny X-Force Issue 1: “The Apocalypse Solution, Chapter 1” Marvel Comics Story: Rick Remender Art: Jerome Opena, Dean White...

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