The Good
Oh my goodness, there is simply so much for me to love about this comic. I've been a fan of the series since Jason Aaron started it. The level of lightheartedness and humor has set this series apart from the plethora of other X-titles on sale. Throw in guest art by Mike Allred (and colors by Laura Allred) along with a story focusing on Doop, this is exactly the comic I've been waiting for.
Starting with Doop, he's been an odd choice in supporting characters from the beginning. As a peripheral character in X-FORCE/X-STATIX (also drawn by Allred), he was never an actual member of the X-Men. Doop has always been an odd yet deep character. Speaking in his own language along with his attitude and view on everything, there was always the implication that there was more going on in his strange head than we realized.
The question since the first issue and asked by pretty much everyone in this one is why the heck is Doop at the school? What does he do there? The only answer was Wolverine asked him to be there. We know they have a past together as seen in the 2003 WOLVERINE & DOOP two-issue miniseries.
The explanation involves some flashback and wacky experiences that really make the issue shine. This is simply put, a fun comic. You wouldn't think a story focusing on a green floating creature that speaks a strange language could be so entertaining but it is.
As a huge fan of the Allreds, I can never get enough. Seeing them here reminded me of the great stories from X-STATIX. This is pretty much as far from an X-Men comic as you can get and is also a major breath of fresh air considering the past few issues have been bogged down by being tie ins for AVENGERS VS. X-MEN.
As for Doop's language, it can be deciphered. You can find a translator online or by simply clicking HERE. I actually took the time to translate each time he spoke. It might not be crucial to the story and can be a little time consuming but it does add a little to the story. Once you get going, the translating moves along faster. Too bad the AR app doesn't translate this for us.
The Bad
As much as I love Doop and the Allreds, this won't be a comic for everyone. We do see the other characters from the school but there will be those that don't 'get' what Doop is about and the small role the students play might be a deterrent as well.
The story is an interesting adventure with Doop and does show us why he's at the school but it's not exactly a game-changing issue.
The Verdict
This won't be an issue for everyone but it's a great change of pace in a series that has had to stray from what it started out as. Jason Aaron and Mike Allred team up to tell us the story of why Doop is at the Jean Grey Institute for Higher Learning. This could easily have been a 'point one' issue as you don't really need to worry about or know anything that has happened before. What you get is a zany and amusing adventure giving a glimpse into why Doop is Wolverine's "secret weapon." With Mike Allred having a hand in creating Doop from his first appearance, he adds the perfect touch to this story and his presence here shows us just how enjoyable comic books can be. Aaron's story and Allred's art show us that comics don't have to be all doom and gloom (something we've had a lot of lately during AVENGERS VS. X-MEN). This comic won't change the fate or direction of the series but it's not meant to. There might be those that don't get the point of this issue and that will be unfortunate. It's great being able to read a comic that knows how to deliver a fun and entertaining story.