The Good
Northstar is going to get deported. This is something you don't really see happen in comics. It makes perfect sense. With the ability to simply move around at lightning speed, why would Nortstar, someone known to be a little on the arrogant side, worry about formalities such as having a passport or going through customs. Adding to this is the idea that while he may be in a same-sex marriage, something the state of New York accepts, because it's not accepted by the Federal Government, he still has a problem to deal with.
Having to deal with these sort of legal proceedings, who else but Jennifer Walters, aka She-Hulk, is fit to handle the job. In a candid conversation, she wonderfully lays it all out to Northstar within a single page. It's these tiny little details often ignored in comics that bring a smile to my face. We see heroes travel around the world all the time with no mention of the legality of it or the repercussions if they try bending the rules. I applaud Marjorie Liu for bringing these topics up.
Besides Northstar's problem, we also have the return of the Age of Apocalypse Nightcrawler. This is setting the stage for a crossover between this title, X-TREME X-MEN and AGE OF APOCALYPSE. Following the events from Rick Remender's UNCANNY X-FORCE, we get to see Wolverine trying to deal with bringing this Nightcrawler over along with the betrayal he suffered. The fact that he's brought in this team of X-Men to help him shows some growth on his part.
The Bad
Seeing Wolverine's reaction and demeanor as they search for Nightcrawler was interesting but it almost felt as if we had two separate stories mashed into one. It is understandable that we wouldn't necessarily have an entire issue focused on Northstar's problem but the sudden shift to the search for Nightcrawler felt sort of odd. We only had a little Nightcrawler interlude in between.
I mentioned some problems I had with the art last issue. I do have to admit it's grown a little more on me but one page in particular, with four panels of Wolverine at the top, looked strange. Wolverine usually has funky hair but this page made me pause while I was reading.
The Verdict
Northstar is facing a serious situation. I'm a fan of seeing tiny/realistic details sometimes used in superhero comics. Seeing the topic of Northstar being deported because he felt he could come and go as he pleased is brilliant. Too often superheroes feel they are above the law in just about every aspect. This may be a subplot for this title but it's a great one and I can't wait to see how it plays out. The art is growing on me but Wolverine's hair looks funkier than usual.
The second portion sets up the upcoming X-TERMINATION crossover with X-TREME X-MEN and AGE OF APOCALYPSE. It's a slightly odd transition but it's great to see Wolverine start to deal with AoA Nightcrawler after his betrayal in Rick Remender's UNCANNY X-FORCE. Wolverine's reaction to it and why he brings in the team to help is wonderful. I'm not always a fan of crossovers that require you to read other titles but my curiosity has been grabbed and I do want to see what happens next.
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