The X-Men have a training session in the Danger Room; Rogue and Gambit attempt to straighten our their confusing relationship and fight the new villainess Kali; while Colossus and Storm, Kitty and Wolverine, and Nightcrawler and Marrow all attempt to bond.   

This is probably the first issue of Kelly's X-MEN that I've really been disappointed with.  But, lately (meaning this issue and last issue), there's been a very different feel to the book, like Kelly's style was being diluted  by something.  Like ... editorial interference.  The whole thing is a crock.  For the first time in ages, the core X-books have a buzz around them because of who's *writing* them, not who's drawing 'em.  And what does Marvel do ?  They mess with a good thing.  Kelly had X-MEN running smoothly until last  issue (the cross-over with UXM), when the POTB decided to go for an entirely   new team and an entirely new status quo.  Never mind that Joe Kelly had been  kicking butt for nearly a year, setting up his own status qup and garnering  loads of acclaim ... nah, screw him and Seagle, too.   

Sigh.  I think I know how HULK fans felt about PAD's abrupt departure . . .   

Anyway, this issue was just so disappointing.  The Gambit-Rogue plotline  seemed very forced and didn't really click with me at all.  However, the  mysterious green mist woman does intrigue me, as she could be related to however Gambit got back from Antarctica.   

Kali, however, was the worst villain Kelly has ever foisted upon us.  She was  lame, pathetic, and >gasp< cliched!  How many evil goddess wannabes are there  in the Marvel Universe?  Probably enough to form their own super-team.  Besides her lame origin and inane motive (does what the "voices" tell her... yawn), her dialogue isn't even very interesting.  It's overly clever, like  Kelly is trying to compensate for the fact that she just plain *sucks.*  Visually, Kali was even more vomit-inducing.  I don't know if that's Adam  Kubert's design or not, but it's definitely the worst I've seen this year.  Ugh.   

The rest of the issue, beyond the Gambit-Rogue mess, was decent enough.  Even  though Kitty, Nightcrawler, and Colossus were foisted upon us, I do like the  (re-)developing relationships between Kitty and Wolverine, Storm and Colossus,  and Marrow and Nightcrawler.  The last one, in particular, could be rather  interesting, since both have rather different exterior appearances.  I could  see them bonding.   

Unfortunately, it's doubtful that relationship, or the rest of Kali's story,  or most other plotlines being introduced now, will be addressed by the time  Kelly leaves.  Hopefully, I can be proved wrong.  But I doubt it.   

Oh, and one last greivance on the writing . . . the X-Men were in the Danger  Room.  Bastion cleaned everything *out* of the Mansion (DR included, IIRC)  during O:ZT last year.  Thus, they should not be fighting in one that look  quite a bit like their old one... That had better be addressed, post haste.   

Adam Kubert and Mark Farmer's art is rather good, and I wouldn't mind seeing  them do the book regularly.  With the exception of Kali's awful appearance,  everyone else looked fine and dandy.  Buccellato's colors were also a pleasant  surprise.  I seem to recall him doing some dreadful coloring over on UXM, but  here his stuff was very storng, and a very worthy fill-in for Liquid!   

Overall, disappointing, but not without a few bright spots.   
 

Score:  C+ 

Back to First Impressions Main Page 

Back to Main Page 
  
Contact Ross Binder