X-Men Gold
"X-Men Gold" continues telling modern day X-stories with a '90's feel in the next six issues of the series. In these issues, the Gold team play their part in the Marvel-wide "Secret Empire" crossover, Kitty and Peter take a trip to Washington and an old enemy returns to challenge the team.
 |
| Art by Ken Lashley |
"X-Men Gold" #6-7 Manhattan is being shrouded in the Darkforce dimension and Captain America has been turned to the side of Hydra. Now that the X-Men are in the middle of the city, Kitty decides to send Storm, Nightcrawler and Logan out to help handle crowd control. It's then that the new X-Cutioner decides to invade the mansion.
Tie-ins can be tricky things. I have found the most successful tie-ins use the main event as a backdrop to further whatever threads have already been established in whatever series is tying in. The Gold tie-ins to "Secret Empire" are successful, because they do exactly that. Enough background is given that someone who wasn't reading "Secret Empire" would know what was going on, but the rest of the issue is focused on things regular Gold readers are familiar with. In this case, the X-Cutioner coming to the mansion to kill some mutants.
Marc Guggenheim frames this two-parter as a sort of horror movie. Three of the most powerful X-Men are gone, Colossus is unable to transmute due to his fight with the nanite Sentinel. So, the X-Cutioner is free to terrorize the students. The scene above where he goes after Eye Boy is genuinely terrifying and unsettling. You don't know where X-Cutioner will pop up next and even though you have a feeling that everyone who matters will make it out, you're still not sure.
Ken Lashley's artwork is the perfect complement to Guggenheim's story. His gritty lines add to the feeling of unease that permeates the two parter.
Grade: B+
Ken Lashley's artwork is the perfect complement to Guggenheim's story. His gritty lines add to the feeling of unease that permeates the two parter.
Grade: B+
 |
| Art by Ken Lashley |
X-Men Gold #9 - For the most part, this issue is a standalone tale that sets up the next two-parter. In "Kitty Goes to Washington," Kitty Pryde, you guessed, it goes to Washington, D.C. to testify before Congress to try stop a bill that would deport all mutants from being passed. Colossus joins her and they also take this time to re-evaluate their relationship.
This issue does a lot of table setting for things to come in the series. I've mentioned this a few times, but I really love the throwback feel that this series has. It continues that by bringing back Kitty's old dance teacher from Chicago, Stevie Hunter, now a Congresswoman. Now, I don't recall if she has had any political clout prior to this, but I'm all for it. It's great to see this relationship again and it sort of re-iterates how important these outside relationships are to Kitty.
There is also some good old fashioned X-relationship drama between Kitty and Peter and of course Kitty's testimony is interrupted by Whiplash attacking. This is all fine, but that's all it is. Just fine. Everything sort of goes the way you expect. The mutant deportation bill is set to pass to create more tension for the X-Men down the line. The best part of the issue is probably the Omega Red resurrection reveal.
Ken Lashley remains on art duties for this issue and while I'm a fan, I'm not sure his style really fits the more low key, intimate moments of the issue.
Grade: B-
X-Men Gold #10-11 - The Gold team faces off against the resurrected Omega Red in the two-part "En'kane" arc. A group of Russian gangsters has been able to bring the X-Men's old enemy back to life temporarily. They are alerted to this by Peter and Illyana's ne'er do well uncle. Once the Gold team arrives, they quickly learn that they have been tricked and Magik is the last piece of the puzzle to bring Omega Red back permanently.
This is a fun, fast paced two-parter. I liked them bringing in this heretofore unseen Rasputin uncle even though it was painfully obvious from the get go that he would end up betraying them. To Guggenheim's credit, he never makes it seem like that is going to go any other way. This is an action-packed two-parter and it's nice to see Omega Red back in a action even for a short while. Colossus armors up again and he and Kitty officially get back together.
Lan Medina takes over the art and his animated, cartoony style is fun but an odd fit for this story. His action scenes are kinetic and well plotted, but the dramatic scenes lose a little oomph.
Grade: B
This issue does a lot of table setting for things to come in the series. I've mentioned this a few times, but I really love the throwback feel that this series has. It continues that by bringing back Kitty's old dance teacher from Chicago, Stevie Hunter, now a Congresswoman. Now, I don't recall if she has had any political clout prior to this, but I'm all for it. It's great to see this relationship again and it sort of re-iterates how important these outside relationships are to Kitty.
There is also some good old fashioned X-relationship drama between Kitty and Peter and of course Kitty's testimony is interrupted by Whiplash attacking. This is all fine, but that's all it is. Just fine. Everything sort of goes the way you expect. The mutant deportation bill is set to pass to create more tension for the X-Men down the line. The best part of the issue is probably the Omega Red resurrection reveal.
Ken Lashley remains on art duties for this issue and while I'm a fan, I'm not sure his style really fits the more low key, intimate moments of the issue.
Grade: B-
X-Men Gold #10-11 - The Gold team faces off against the resurrected Omega Red in the two-part "En'kane" arc. A group of Russian gangsters has been able to bring the X-Men's old enemy back to life temporarily. They are alerted to this by Peter and Illyana's ne'er do well uncle. Once the Gold team arrives, they quickly learn that they have been tricked and Magik is the last piece of the puzzle to bring Omega Red back permanently.
This is a fun, fast paced two-parter. I liked them bringing in this heretofore unseen Rasputin uncle even though it was painfully obvious from the get go that he would end up betraying them. To Guggenheim's credit, he never makes it seem like that is going to go any other way. This is an action-packed two-parter and it's nice to see Omega Red back in a action even for a short while. Colossus armors up again and he and Kitty officially get back together.
Lan Medina takes over the art and his animated, cartoony style is fun but an odd fit for this story. His action scenes are kinetic and well plotted, but the dramatic scenes lose a little oomph.
Grade: B
X-Men Gold #12 - Before entering it's first crossover with sister series "X-Men Blue", Guggenheim uses this issue as in interlude to fill us in on the back story of the most mysterious member of the new Brotherhood of Mutants, the weird lizard guy. He was released by the X-Cutioner in the "Secret Empire" arc. It's time we learn a little more about this guy who's name is Kologoth.
It turns out that there isn't much to know. I get the feeling that Guggenheim is trying to set Kologoth up to be this bad ass but everything just falls a little flat. A lot of his origins from his sort of backwards mutant backstory to his vendetta against his people comes off as super contrived and kind of like a Thanos rip-off.
The strongest aspect of the issue for me is the art by Luke Ross. Ross has a really cool painted style which really fits this issue since it is told mainly in flashback. The montages look really awesome and Ross does the best he can with Kologoth and the other aliens. He tries to make Kologoth's somewhat uninspired design feel a little more original.
Grade: C
Aside from the lackluster ending, the second volume of "X-Men Gold" is a lot of fun. It continues the ongoing storylines and amps you up for the Mojo crossover with "X-Men Blue." As always if you're interested in reading these issues and you're in the Des Moines area stop into Mayhem (or Amazon) and pick up "X-Men Gold, Volume 2: Evil Empires."
Next up, the Gold team joins forces with Blue to take on the Mojoverse.
It turns out that there isn't much to know. I get the feeling that Guggenheim is trying to set Kologoth up to be this bad ass but everything just falls a little flat. A lot of his origins from his sort of backwards mutant backstory to his vendetta against his people comes off as super contrived and kind of like a Thanos rip-off.
The strongest aspect of the issue for me is the art by Luke Ross. Ross has a really cool painted style which really fits this issue since it is told mainly in flashback. The montages look really awesome and Ross does the best he can with Kologoth and the other aliens. He tries to make Kologoth's somewhat uninspired design feel a little more original.
Grade: C
Aside from the lackluster ending, the second volume of "X-Men Gold" is a lot of fun. It continues the ongoing storylines and amps you up for the Mojo crossover with "X-Men Blue." As always if you're interested in reading these issues and you're in the Des Moines area stop into Mayhem (or Amazon) and pick up "X-Men Gold, Volume 2: Evil Empires."
Next up, the Gold team joins forces with Blue to take on the Mojoverse.
No comments:
Post a Comment