COMIC REVIEWS!!!
Wolverine and The X-Men #24
Logan and Ororo, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!
Well, on a comic book cover is more like it. Wolverine and the X-Men‘s latest issue is a quiet character driven one, focusing on the “night out” of much of the staff of the Jean Grey School For Higher Learning. Once again, Jason Aaron crafts a really fun and offbeat done in one story that focuses less on the powers, and more on the people underneath the X-Men uniforms.
Primarily centered around Kitty Pryde and Bobby Drake’s first date (Shadowcat and Iceman), the issue shows us what it would be like to date your fellow mutant. Much like a lot of almost started co-worker relationships, Bobby and Kitty can’t find much to talk about that doesn’t involve their super heroics or the mundane tasks of the school. Meanwhile, Wolverine is stuck back at the school so the other teachers can have a night off, a scenario that is preceded with a pretty hilarious scene where Logan attempts to go drink his wounds away, only to be “reminded” by Rachel Summers that he’s on duty tonight.
There’s also a lot of screen time given to Storm, the newest member of the Jean Grey faculty. Recently divorced from Black Panther, she’s trying to find a new start, and if the cover is to be believed, it may be in the arms of ol’ canucklehead (and with a new hairdo, no less).
If there’s one negative to this issue, it’s the fact that there’s a major character from All-New X-Men that makes an appearance here. While I already knew that the old X-Men team was staying at Wolverine’s school, I had decided to trade wait that series due to the book seemingly being released every week, and I’ve got a budget to keep to for funnybooks. While the character’s appearance and interactions with Quintin Quire was hilarious, I worry that this may turn into a scenario where I’ll be missing out on half of the story by not getting All-New every month. Another check in the negative is that there’s not enough Broo and Doop in this issue, but that’s usually the case anyways.
David Lopez provides the pretty pictures this month, and he’s got a really good eye for visuals. I’m not familiar with his work, but I was very impressed with the way he made Bobby and Kitty’s conversation look like a conversation that two people on an awkward date would have. There are eye rolls, awkward looks into the distance, and a great “get me out of here” look plastered on Kitty’s face at one point. While there are few moments of action in this issue, the ones that do pop up look fantastic. I’m going to make it a point to seek out his stuff in the future.
While a quieter one, issue 24 of Wolverine and The X-Men is a fun example of what this book is all about. It takes many classic X-Men characters and puts them in new situations, and has some fantastic writing and art. There’s not really a whole lot else to say, as this has proven to be time in and time out one of Marvel’s best titles.
Nightwing #16
It’s always refreshing to have a tie-in comic that actually changes the title character’s status quo. Many times writers have their character fight whoever they need to fight, and then the book goes back to its prime directive, sometimes pausing to bring up the events that just took place, but most times just shrugging them off like they didn’t happen.
Not so with Nightwing #16. Here is a tie-in to “Death Of The Family” that will have lasting repercussions on Dick Grayson’s life, and has made me legitimately interested in where this book is heading. While we haven’t gotten to the finale in Batman, as of now The Joker’s plan against Nightwing has been his most shocking yet, as writer Kyle Higgins literally tears apart everything that’s been building since the first issue. Joker completely destroys Grayson’s world, and leaves me shaking with anticipation for the next issue. Higgins’ Joker is written as if the great Mark Hamill is speaking to Dick, and he’s clearly having a blast destroying the perfect world he’s created for Nightwing.
Eddy Barrows’ artwork is a major addition for what makes this issue work, as he completely, 100% nails the tone that’s needed for this issue. There’s some truly horrifying things that happen in this issue, and Barrows’ art will definitely stay with you long after you finish reading it. There’s one panel in particular that stands out in my mind, but I’ll avoid spoiling it here and let you guess which one it is. There’s been a glut of “Death Of The Family” tie-ins ranging from “great” to “god-awful”, but I can easily say that Nightwing soars above the rest of them.
Jonwahizzle is a jack of all trades: Educator, comic book slinger for Jetpack Comics, and member of Another Let Down. Follow him on twitter and check out his blog, The Collective: Examples of Nerdery for more!
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