X-Campus #2

Now this is really starting to feel like an X Title.  Logan is an outsider, Hank is nerdy with that touch of brawn and Rogue is filled with so much angst!  Magneto is evil again with his minions and the whole thing is wrapped in a veil of secrecy that only an educational facility can generate.

So much good writing and illustration all in one book, any aficionado is going to be well served with this in their collection.  It’s a crying shame that it all comes to an end in 2 issues time.  Perhaps there is a petition somewhere that can be signed to make this book the new X-continuity or similar.

While it may seem somewhat exuberant to rally to a book in this matter, let us consider the context for a moment.  So much depression and destruction has occurred in the other X titles (Even the whimsical X-Men Forever) that it’s refreshing to take the franchise back to it’s roots.  This is a book about kids with powers who don’t know what to do with them.  No government, no time travel, no inconsistent loops of continuity.  Just X-Men.

It’s hard to not appreciate that. -Bretzke

X-Factor Forever #3

I’m worried that somewhere in the Marvel offices, a large, floating ramp is being brought along side a tank filled with at least one shark.  Jumping would be likely to ensue shortly after such an arrangement.  Sharks are hard to procure and rent I am sure.

Issue 3 is getting towards the really, really bad end of the spectrum.  In true ‘Forever’ style, possibilities are being pushed to their greatest extremes, bordering on the incalculably unlikely.  It is a shame that ‘Forever’ in a title has come to mean storytelling smörgåsbord; throw it all in the mix and see what happens.

I can tolerate improbably long and complex dialogue during a microsecond fight.  I can handle staggeringly stupid lead characters with similarly stupid decisions.  I can even handle writing that exceeds juvenile in it’s excess.  I cannot, however, stomach the sheer ridiculousness that this title has come to represent.  The final character introduction makes for disinteresting reading.  Not uninteresting, disinteresting.  You’ll want to distance yourself from this book in a legal way aswell.

This title was going so well!  Where did the wheels fall off?  Introducing Thousand foot tall demi-gods would be my guess. -Bretzke

X-Factor Forever #2

The title says it all really.  The main action is a diversion.

The alternate universe/storyline/fantasy/brainfart that this story exists within troddles along nicely with Apocalypse creating a rather conspicuous diversion (See first sentence) to keep the majority of the X-Men busy while he ninja’s something rather important.  This isn’t a new tactic.  At least to anyone who isn’t the X-Men, who fall for it completely. This is troubling.

See, this ‘Forever’ title is starting to feel a lot like the other ones: juvenile.  We’ve previously talked about wish fulfillment and how X-Men Forever is an exercise in ‘What if…’.  Thankfully X-Factor hasn’t walked that path so far, but that turn off is approaching and we’re in the right lane to exit.

In fairness, the action is sufficient to make the book entertaining and the reveal at the end does tend to be on the less horrid side of curious.  Recommendation would be to stick with it for now, but when Cyclops warms up the speed boat to jump the shark, I’m out. -Bretzke

X-Men Forever Giant Size #1

If you were to spend any time looking for a text on how not to write a comic book, this could perhaps be your seminal work.  Fear not, this is unlikely to make my “Worst of..” list, the piece is not diabolical nor is it something that will be completely without praise; there will be at least one person out there who may find some pleasure in this.  I found none but that is not to rule the book without merit.  Let us appraise it as a teaching exercise.

If we are to spend any time on the artwork, it is universally bad.  Describing both the art and the time spent looking at it.  Under a normally capable hand the X-Forever series has had a certain quality to it, retro while remaining accessible to any who take it in.  This issue features art that is overly dark with low colour quality and a heavy line that dominates the pages.  In fairness this is likely a product of the reproduction to “Giant size” rather than any reflection of the talent of the artist.  This reproduction has acted to highlight any of the errors or weaknesses in the art.  Pay particular attention to the vulgar manner in which a certain sundered starship is rendered.  Clumsy!

Moving on from the imagery to the narrative; the story is juvenile and an act in indulgence.  The series of events portrayed requires such ludicrous machinations that the story itself becomes a farce worthy only of enjoyment in an ironic sense.  Have you been to a bad movie night?  If you have that aspect of mind, then this’ll be a hoot.  However if you are looking to actually enjoy your comic reading time then please, please just pass on this one and find something worthy in the Vertigo titles.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly in our teaching exercise; the packaging.  Should you survive the onslaught that is this book, seeking refuge in the final pages, then I am afraid you will be left wanting. See packaged within this book is another X-Story, placed there with the tenuous link of also involving space.  Some will argue it’s placement is due to recurring characters.  By that logic any X-Story could have been included for involving Cyclops.

Skip this one, find something else.  Buy nothing if you must.  Just don’t do this book. -Bretzke

The Forever titles get a bit of a bashing and sometimes its not entirely undeserved.  The premise is that these are the stories that could have occurred either after the series was axed (X Factor) or there was a significant change in the writing staff (X-Men).  It would be easy to dismiss them as mindless games of “What if…” and it would be easy for them to get out of control, “What if Xavier has to have a mind battle with his own Birthday Cake?”.  Thankfully that hasn’t eventuated yet.

X Factor presents events that would have occurred after the events in Age of Apocalypse.  While its would be handy to have a passing knowledge of what transpired, it’s not mandatory.  I have brief recollections of that story arc and truth be told that’s the most rewarding form, in that X Factor Forever acts as a conduit to relive the moments as they unfold, almost in parallel.  Regardless of this however, the opening sequence fills the reader in on all they need to know.  Additionally Marvel have packed a kind of Cliff Notes to the previous stories at the back of the issue.  Interesting reading!

And that’s what this essentially is.  While the start feels very Fantastic Four meets Full House, the story quickly develops into something worthy.  The gloss at the superficial level belies a great and malevolent evil brooding and gathering it’s forces.  No prizes for guessing who, considering what the previous paragraphs are talking about cough*Apocalypse*cough.

So is this a book worth reading?  If you considered Age of Apocalypse your Bee Gee’s in White moment (That all music died after that day), then probably not, as this will be going over old territory.  However, as an aside from the death and destruction of Second Coming, this is a welcome title with a fresh look on previous events.  Isn’t it odd that if this were launched at any other time, it may not be as enjoyable for lack of a dark backdrop to shine against. -Bretzke

You can feel what the writer was attempting here: a wrenching tale of betrayal and ultimate triumph.  It doesn’t come off that way however.  What you get is predictable and trite.  By predictable I mean “Does Titanic sink at the end of the movie” predictable.  If you walk away surprised at the end of this, you don’t know what an X-man is. -Bretzke

X-Men Origins: Iceman