A Trip to California
Although this series has only had a few issues it has grabbed my attention, becoming one of my favourite current series. The all female team has been very interesting, as although the first story had an abrupt ending, it was exciting, and I hope the series continue to get even better.
Plot
Wolverine joins Jubilee, and Shogo on a trip to California, whilst the other female X-Men try and help a falling air plane that has engine fire.
Review
This was an amazing issue, and although not quite as exciting as the previous issues still outstanding. Brian Wood has really surprised me with this series, as having only read his Ultimate Comics X-Men run, which I wasn't a huge fan of prior to this I wasn't expecting this to be any better, but it has. I've loved how Wood has managed to make this whole female roster work, as although he's added male characters to make it feel realistic, with Wolverine featuring in this issue, it has overall had the female feel to it. Wood also added a lot of emotion to this issue, as although not very exciting, it had brilliant dialogue, and interaction, being a great stand alone story prior to Battle of the Atom.
I was really upset when I noticed that Olivier Coipel would be leaving after last issue, but David Lopez is the perfect replacement, and I loved his artwork on this issue. The emotion that Lopez added in his art was simply amazing, with the way he draws the characters being outstanding, as although I felt Jubilee, and Rachel Grey had slightly weird noses at times, he did a great job besides that, and I especially loved how he drew Shogo, who was just hilarious. Lopez' layouts were also brilliant, being very dynamic, and dramatic, adding depth to the story. I also loved the inks from Cam Smith, and Norman Lee, as well as the colours from Cris Peter, which added vibrancy to the final artwork.
My favourite thing about this issue was the interaction between Jubilee, and Wolverine, which I was happy about as it was what I was most looking forward to. I was however not sure if I liked it just jumping into it, without them discussing it prior, as I felt it allowed the issue to jump right into the story, but wasn't sure whether it would have been better with the additional sequence. I did however love how Wolverine interacted with Jubilee, and how he reacted to Shogo, and his minor actions. I also liked how it showed the things Jubilee loves about California, and overall it was an amazing story.
The other part of this issue would see the remaining female X-Men attempt to save a plane that's engine's on fire. Now this may not have appealed to me as much as the Wolverine/Jubilee sequence, but it was a lot more suspenseful, and dramatic, also having a lot of fun as well. I especially loved how they decided to save the aircraft, and the dialogue from Rogue during this sequence was brilliant, with Psylocke adding additional drama.
Whilst this was happening there would also be an argument between Storm, and Rachel grey over Storm acting like the leader of the group, as well as her about to kill Karima (who was possessed by Arkea) last issue. This was the part of the female X-Men's journey that added the most suspense, and drama, as the interaction was very tense, having brilliant tone, and atmosphere. I also loved how the two characters showed their different characteristics, with Rachel showing that she'd always try to do anything to save someone, whilst Storm showed why she's the one of the few X-Men prepared to make the tough decisions, whether they're popular or not, stating that the team needs a leader, which was very interesting.
Final Verdict
This was a terrific issue, as although not as exciting as the previous story, it was very entertaining, having plenty of emotion, suspense, and drama. It also had great character development, and was overall a brilliant stand alone issue. Due to all this I'd highly recommend it, as it's a perfect starting point for new readers, especially with Battle of the Atom about to start.
