Someone at Marvel apparently checked the calendar and realized it’s been a while since we had an X-Men #1, so we’re kicking off the new Curse of the Mutants storyline with an all-new ongoing series. (Okay, technically the story kicked off in last week’s Death of Dracula #1, but why split hairs?)
Writer Victor Gishler and Paco Medina pick up on the X-Men in San Francisco, a city where they seem to have finally found some acceptance. Their peace is shattered, though, when a terrorist sets off a suicide bomb in the middle of the city. Thing is, this isn’t an ordinary suicide bomber. It’s a vampire, and what he’s carrying around is a lot nastier than any shrapnel.
I decided to give this series a try mainly on the work of writer Victor Gishler, who’s been doing some fine work on Deadpool lately. So far, his X-Men isn’t half bad. The characters all feel like themselves, and he’s succeeded (between this book and the aforementioned Dracula one-shot) in making me believe in the Vampires as a legitimate threat to the Marvel Universe. He also manages to pull off a truly frightening situation for a former X-Man that may just turn her into a danger to the entire world.
I’m a little surprised that the book got away with Marvel’s T+ rating (the comic book equivalent of a PG-13). There’s some real gore in here, both in the bombing itself and when Wolverine encounters the vampires. The last few pages really show us how heavy the stakes are for the X-Men in particular and for the world as a whole.
All things considered, this book is surprisingly low-key. It’s the beginning of a big crossover event and the first issue of a new X-Men ongoing. It’s a good issue, but it goes pretty far outside of the usual X-Men wheelhouse. On the other hand, this is supposed to be the title that shows the X-Men reacting to the rest of the Marvel universe, so that may be just the thing.
It’s interesting that this is the third book to carry an X-Men #1 label without either of the other two being cancelled… they’ve just been renamed (to Uncanny X-Men and X-Men: Legacy, respectively). As the beginning of a new era for the characters, it may just work.
I’ve been reviewing the hell out of comics over at Comixtreme.com lately, including two more Brightest Day reviews. Rather than repeat myself here, I thought I’d just link to those over there…
And here are some other reviews of mine that have hit in the last week or two…
Blake and Erin chat this week about the new footage from Wondercon of the Green Lantern movie! Then, Blake reviews the new movie Limitless, Erin reviews Bomb Queen Vol. 1, and they talk about the rest of the Wondercon News — Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, DC’s Retro-Active specials, the Artist’s Edition of Walter Simonson‘s Thor, and much more! In the picks, Blake loved the Jimmy Olsen one-shot, and Erin is enjoying the novel John Dies at the End. Plus: more information about Blake’s new eBook! Contact us with comments, suggestions, or anything else at Showcase@CXPulp.com!
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