Bishop's origin story or Messiah Complex story filler...?
First off, I loved this story. This story had to be told after the events of Messiah Complex and I am glad it did.
Duane Swierczynski wastes no time drawing you into the inhuman and brutal upbringing of Lucas Bishop - mutant prison camps, experimentation, abuse and the eventual ripping apart of his world. The flow and pace (not just this issue but the entire volume) was just right, but, since it is only a three issue volume details are skimmed over. Most importantly, the key points, such as Bishop's concentration camp era of his life, are touched upon just well enough to move the story along enough to keep the reader interested.
Where it falls down is the lack or originality in covering Bishop's growth from being a newborn mutant incarcerated in a prison camp to the Bishop we know up to the events of the Messiah Complex story arc. Anyone who is aware of Bishop's motivation and committment to mutantkind since joining the X-Men way back when, will know that he has a dark streak born from the hatred and isolation he suffered in those camps. And that's exactly what this story will tell you, again, in words you have heard before, many times. It is also told entirely in the first person, but without much personal perspective. It is like he is telling you a personal tale, about someone else?? Doesn't quite work.
The story itself was generally of a high level, if lacking in parts, but the art is another story. As much as I like artists creating unique environments and tones to stamp their mark on a volume, this was particularly poor. I wanted to get a real sense of where he was growing up and who the people around him were from looking at their faces. Unfortunately, close family and friends are given little detail and at one point I couldn't tell whether Bishop's mother was his father or...
Overall, this was not strong enough to be considered an origin story, so I suggest looking in other areas for more on Lucas Bishop. But if you are a major fan of his, you cannot miss this. It is practically a pro-prologue to Messiah War, and is another perspective on Bishop's past (and/or future).
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