KoolAid's Weekly Comic Reviews!
(Scale: Excellent-Very Good-Good-Okay-Eh-Awful-Crap)
Uncanny X-Force #12: Halo talked(read: screamed) about it last topic, but I can go in more spoilerly details. It's a big story arc, so there's a lot of set-up, but Remender is moving the characters closer together, so he can break them apart later in the narrative. Most of the book's tenure has been getting in the heads of the other members of X-Force, so its nice to see Logan in the limelight here. That's that strange connection between Jean and Logan, even from other dimensions entirely. Two mutants who's seen a lot of terrible things, who have to deal with hiding their fierce rage inside from their friends.
Logan even gets to meet his daughter from Mariko, who's a mutant with claws like her father. Despite the years apart(world apart, even), there's an instant father-daughter bond between them. But, of course, this being a Rick Remender book, he will quickly stomp on your emotions for drama purposes! Last page reveal is a mixture of "oh shiiii- 0_0" and "oh man :("
There's an intense confrontation between Betsy and Fantomex. As a master of illusions himself, he sees through her facade and gets a theory of his own; Psylocke doesn't love Angel, but the idea of loving Angel. The man she wants is long gone, but she tries to rationalize it anyway, lashing out at Fantomex physically and emotionally. She continues to hold out on the past, denying everything else around her, including the connection her and Fantomex feel towards each other.
Buuuut, in case you were wondering if this was just some big character drama issue(in an X-men book! Remember when that used to happen all the time?), there's also Samurai Sentinels, that last page reveal guy, and his crew of badasses which includes, but not limited too, Beta Red, Zombie Sentry, The Blob, Demonic Ock, and the Grimm Reaper(which is, of course, a demonic version of The Thing).
So, the relationships are set, the characters are in motion, and not everybody gonna survive. Remender has set up what looks to be a great X-men adventure, with intense character drama, unexpected twists, fun ideas, and lots of action. AND Jerome Opena is drawing the last five issues!
VERY GOOD issue, now that I think about it. I'm looking forward to seeing all these dominoes being set up tumble over.
Amazing Spider-man #666: Despite the title, no Mephisto involved! But as far as opening issues to big events go, this is about as good as it gets. Spider-Island affects a LOT of people in Spider-Man's huge supporting cast(alongside everyone else in Manhattan Island!), and Slott masterfully sets up these characters and their relationships and situations. It's 30 pages, but not a single one goes to waste, packed with humor, action, and genuine intrigue. There's a few very interesting teases and questions Slott(and now Wacker!) have given us, like Madame's Web riddles about Spider-Man having to kill someone to save the day, the clone business, and the mysterious woman helping The Jackal.
All drawn by the wonderfully talented Stefano Caselli. He nails all the exaggerated facial expressions and emotions any good Spider-man comic needs with its colorful characters and superheroic soap opera narrative. His action scenes are fluid, with a real sense of energy and motion to them. I hope he gets to do more then just prologue/epilogues; hell, give Ramos a rest and put him on that big Sinister Six story coming up!
The best thing I can say about this issue is just how totally accessible it is. Its built up on over a year's worth of comics with their various sub-plots and back-up stories, but you can give this issue to a person who only has the vaguest concept of Spider-Man, and they'd be able to follow it.
EXCELLENT work, Spidey-creators.
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