Strong art in an otherwise inessential issue
Summary
Alan Davis provides a classic set of pencils to this slightly below-par story – set-up for the Magneto War arc.
Story & Script
Though the three storylines in this issue are cleverly interwoven, none of them are especially interesting.
The X-Men saving children from a burning hospital is trite, though it rewards the reader with some thought-out detail at how the team can be effective as rescuers instead of attackers. The stock standoff with police afterward is nothing new.
The script of Magneto's story is what makes this sub-par. Yes, Magneto would overturn a building just to gauge the reaction of one average man. But, while Magneto's subsequent manipulation is believable in concept, the execution comes off silly. Magneto plays human with all the subtlety of a linebacker in drag, the sudden turn in the conversation seems like it skips a panel or two. Magneto is better written as a canny-but-deluded demagogue, rather than an unscrupulous madman.
Art
I'm a sucker for Alan Davis pencils. He's solid on the entire X-Men team here, though Storm gets a bit contorted and he doesn't have a fix on how to draw Marrow. Magneto is almost devilishly handsome, throughout.
Bottom Line
A nice-to-have issue in the run of X-Men, but inessential both as a standalone as a prelude to The Magneto War.
Alan Davis provides a classic set of pencils to this slightly below-par story – set-up for the Magneto War arc.
Story & Script
Though the three storylines in this issue are cleverly interwoven, none of them are especially interesting.
The X-Men saving children from a burning hospital is trite, though it rewards the reader with some thought-out detail at how the team can be effective as rescuers instead of attackers. The stock standoff with police afterward is nothing new.
The script of Magneto's story is what makes this sub-par. Yes, Magneto would overturn a building just to gauge the reaction of one average man. But, while Magneto's subsequent manipulation is believable in concept, the execution comes off silly. Magneto plays human with all the subtlety of a linebacker in drag, the sudden turn in the conversation seems like it skips a panel or two. Magneto is better written as a canny-but-deluded demagogue, rather than an unscrupulous madman.
Art
I'm a sucker for Alan Davis pencils. He's solid on the entire X-Men team here, though Storm gets a bit contorted and he doesn't have a fix on how to draw Marrow. Magneto is almost devilishly handsome, throughout.
Bottom Line
A nice-to-have issue in the run of X-Men, but inessential both as a standalone as a prelude to The Magneto War.