Review: X-Men #2

Blade comes to Wolverine and Colossus' aide against a puzzling breed of sunlight-resistant vampires and lends his consul to the X-Men's greater war against Xarus' united vampire nation.
 

The Good   

I've made no secret of my disinterest in vampires, so the fact that this storyline's able to put enough of a spin on the bloodsuckers makes Gischler's work here impressive. I'm enjoying the added dimensions to the X-mythos - - how vampires are basically presented as another breed of mutants who're angling to co-opt these mutants' impending resurgence. I also like Cyclops' new leadership role and the hard choice he has to make about Dracula. Explanations for bringing back an oft-resurrected villain yet again can run a bit contrived, but you can really get behind the X-Men's desperate motivations here (while still agreeing with Blade's reasonable disagreement.) Actually, the character's distinct voices are another merit to Vischler's writing. As for Medina, his work is just consistently classy and cool. I'd pay to see him draw even a breakfast diner scene!

The Bad   

Blade's frequently been a victim of poor taste, but I have to say that the "handlebar mustache and lightning bolt hair strip" look he's sporting here warrants him a citation from the fashion police! Nasty...

The Verdict - 4.5/5  

I'm a big fan of the Blade movies (only the first two, let me clarify) so I've always been confused why the comics have so rarely been able to capture the characterization we got there. Thus, Gischler's handling of the vampire hunter is all-the-more pleasing for getting the character right - - especially in comparison to the really "off" portrayal in Ultimate Avengers this week.    I've been reading X-Men for a long time - - since right after Storm's first dalliance with Dracula, actually - - and the title's definitely in good hands now.