The X-odus Cliché
Overview
Exodus is on a mission to kill Cyclops. Wolverine & Rogue argue whether they should warn the X-Men on Utopia while they're trying to stop Exodus. Generally there's lots of fighting; good guys against bad guys, and sometimes without the bad guys.
The Good
It's entertaining and there's plenty of flashy action. This is still Mr Christos Gage's first story arc in X-Men Legacy and it has been an entertaining & controversial start. As the action literally heats up (or cools off in Iceman's case) there's thankfully very little room for shocking relationship revelations. That said, I found Cannonball's concern for Rogue was quite cute. It's been great to see Connonball and Iceman confidently charging into action once again.
And I absolutely MUST mention Ms Sonia Oback's mouth-wateringly gorgeous colours. They pop, sparkle and flash all over the page improving the otherwise goofy looking art. Ms Oback's talent is only shadowed by the staggeringly beautiful Mark Brooks cover. Such a simple pose that has almost as much story to tell as the rest of the issue.
The Bad
While it seems Mr David Baldeon is a current favourite in the X-Men offices at Marvel, I am afraid he is not one of mine. His faces look strangely elongated, goofy and permanently perplexed. Everytime I pick up an issue with his art, I have to re-adapt to his style. This is no exception. Credit where it is due, Mr Baldeon does have a great imagination for different angles to help bolster his story-telling. Although I'm not sure I need to see Wolverine's crotch falling towards me.
As much as I am a fan of Mr Gage, I could have done without him casting Rogue as an untrustworthy ally. That is the same subservient role she played on Utopia, where Cyclops didn't trust her to mentor Hope. Here, it seems unnecessary for Wolverine to be caught up in a domestic disagreement with Rogue that they both forget the mutant demi-God they were hunting in the first place. Personally, the cliffhanger ending was disheartening as it features a team I've given up on and had hoped not to read again any time soon. Their appearance & inevitable mistakes that they'll make next issue justify Wolverine's self-important point, instead of supporting the sane & logical decision that Rogue made.
Verdict
An entertaining all out brawl of an issue! There's an old fashioned 1990s feel to an issue filled with fighting, so this should appeal to the nostalgic X-Men fans from the X-Men Blue & Gold days. There's potential here, but at the moment this is the little brother to Wolverine And The X-Men.