Welcome back ComicAttackers and X-fans to this week’s edition of the All-New Uncanny X-Piles where a handful of our merriest mutant loving reviewers have dropped by once again to regale you with their thoughts on that one X-Title that has impacted them the most, be it good or bad, from last week’s releases. So keep reading, true believers, to discover what The Comic Book Clergyman, Infinite Speech and SpidermanGeek have to say about your favorite Marvel mutants’ adventures of the week and don’t forget to leave a comment to tell us what YOU think!
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Cyclops #3
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Russell Dauterman
It was announced recently that this creative team is leaving the book, which is a shame because I think this small run is one of the best Cyclops stories I’ve ever seen.
Let’s start with Dauterman’s art. While his line work is clean and detailed, what caught my eye in this issue was the panel layout. He uses such a diversity of engaging yet atypical panels. Cyclops and Corsair are traveling through space, and the way Dauterman arranges his panels gives the feel as if we are floating in space along with them. Near the end of the book, when they crash land on a planet, the panels are more grounded, which gives the page more weight emotionally and visually. Dauterman is one artist I’m going to be watching from here on out.
One of the things I have wanted them to explain was Corsair’s resurrection after Vulcan killed him. For young Scott, Corsair died when the Shi’ar attacked and abducted the young parents when they had to push Scott and Alex out of the plane. But for us, Corsair “died” again more recently after Vulcan’s rise to power in the Shi’ar Empire. No explanation was made during the “Trial of Jean Grey” as to Corsair’s return, but leave it to Rucka, who did a great job of telling us what happened. I liked the explanation and felt like it made sense. The only thing I’m still curious about is Hepzibah’s return to the StarJammers after being with the X-Men for a while. Unfortunately, we don’t get that explanation, nor should we in this issue, as it wouldn’t have fit.
This story is clearly about Scott and Christopher’s relationship, and Rucka really excels at the quiet, honest moments between the father and son. It is tender in parts, reflective in others, and just plain wonderful. The Cyclops that will grow up from this point will undoubtedly be a better Cyclops than the one we have now. -JJ
Rating: 9/10
X-Men #17
Writer: Brian Wood
Artists: Paco Diaz & Phil Briones
Finally, the conclusion to the Bloodline story arc. In case you have no idea what’s going on, the recap page does a very good job at bringing new readers up to speed, but if you’ve only thought about jumping onboard with the all-female team of X-Men, this is not the issue to do it. Part of the reason for even reviewing this issue for you folks is to make sure that you are aware of the new creative team hopping onto this title as of NEXT issue.
On one hand, I have to applaud Brian Wood for bringing together an all-female team of X-Men. I thought it was a brilliant idea and I’ve supported that ever since issue #1 of this newest volume of the title, but on the other hand I can’t help but be awe struck by the bonehead story elements that he decided to run with which includes pretty much anything to do with Shogo. I just never understood why so much importance was attributed to this character. Since all 17 issues of this current volume pretty much revolve around the kid, I found myself not caring a whole lot about this team’s adventures. I did however give Wood a standing ovation when he brought Monet onto the team and I felt like he has a real knack for writing her character. So, kudos for that.
Diaz and Briones handled the art duties. Luckily, their styles blend well and chances are that you’ve hardly noticed a difference from one page to the next. With that being said though, I found the artwork overall to be a little sub-par. Paul Mounts did what he could with the colors, but having to work with those thin ink lines probably wasn’t very easy. There’s barely any depth or shading provided by the inks, so all of that work fell onto the colorists shoulders. The final result is a bit of a mess, but not a complete assault on the eyes either. Passable.
The issue ends with Kymera ultimately deciding to part ways with her yet-to-be mother, Storm. She leaves behind a note explaining her motives and devotion to Shogo. Since I found myself not caring about those 2 particular characters, the final page had no emotional impact on me other than to have me say that I’m happy this is the last we’ll see of Kymera in this book for a while.
The bottom line is that Brian Wood’s final issue couldn’t have come at a better time. The X-titles have been in a bit of a slump these days, but with Marc Guggenheim picking up the reins as of next issue we will hopefully see a bit of a shake up within this team and get back to some kick-ass female superhero action! –SMG
Rating: 4/10
To see what Infinite Speech thought about the Original Sin “tie-in” that is Uncanny X-Men #24 click here!
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What did you think about this week’s X-books? Let us know below! You can check out more X-Piles right here!
infinitespeech@comicattack.net – @InfiniteSpeech
jeff@comicattack.net – @FrJeffJackson
spidermangeek@comicattack.net – @SpidermanGeek
