Fear Itself: Youth in Revolt #1

June 18, 2011

Title: Youth in Revolt Part One

Writer: Sean McKeever
Art: Mike Norton
Colorist: Veronica Gandini
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Cover: Giuseppe Camuncoli & Paul Mounts
Editor: Lauren Sankovitch          
Publisher: Marvel Comics

The Gravity creative team of Sean McKeever and Mike Norton reunite for this Fear Itself spin-off. With the Raft split open and Hammers falling to Earth, the Avengers are being stretched to the limits. So Steve Rogers recruits Prodigy of the Slingers to lead a team of former Initiative members to help keep the peace.

There’s a good line-up in this book – Red Nine and Stunt-Master aren’t all that well known, but having Gravity and Firestar back in action is always good, and mixing up Thor Girl, Ultragirl, Komodo and Cloud 9 with Hardball creates some definite tension. Although Prodigy is our viewpoint character for most of the issue, it’s Thor Girl who really gets the best stuff, falling headfirst into one of the worst situations a hero – especially a young hero – could possibly get into during the thick of all this.

The story’s solid, but Mike Norton’s artwork is just great. I really love seeing him on these characters, particularly returning to Gravity. As he’s proven on multiple projects over the years, he has a knack for these young characters that few other artists can match.

I liked this book. It’s a nice side-angle to the whole Fear Itself storyline that shows off some characters we haven’t seen in a while, and a few others who recently lost their spotlight. I want to see more of them, and this is a good start.

Rating: 8/10

New X-Men (2004 Series) #33

December 9, 2006

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Mercury Falling Part One
Rating: T+

A girls’ night for Cessily and Laura turns deadly.

Writers: Craig Kyle & Chris Yost
Pencils: Paco Medina
Inks: Juan Vlasco
Colors: Brian Reber
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Editor: Nick Lowe
Cover Art: Paco Medina
Publisher: Marvel Comics

After House of M, this book took a steep decline. Gone was the dynamic of a group of kids coming to terms with their lives in a school full of mutants, and in its place was a needless bloodbath and the addition of a Wolverine clone to make up for the one X-Men team he couldn’t be made a part of by any reasoning. This issue seems to mark another shift, and while it’s not back in the direction that made this book work in the first place, it is a move in a more interesting direction than the book has taken in some time.

Many of the various members of the team is dealing with something this issue. Julian’s powers have been amped up and he’s having trouble controlling them. David and Nori are facing Cyclops for their recent actions. Josh comes to the Beast with a request that’s perfectly logical for him. Emma Frost tries to work her particular brand of magic on Laura to convince her to leave, but when Cessily figures out where Laura’s heart truly lies, she convinces her to head out for coffee – and that’s when things get nasty.

Until the end, this is a character building issue, which this title has desperately needed. Since the original dynamic was lost, this book lost what made it unique and it became, for lack of a better term, “X-Men lite.” This issue starts to focus on the characters in a different way, showing them not just as superheroes but also as teenagers. The resultant feel is similar to the original New Mutants title – also about a group of students, but students in at much smaller school and a much more dangerous place. It’s not a brand-new idea, but at least it gives the title more of an identity than just being the book with the youngest X-Men. Whether this tone will stick or not remains to be seen, but at least it’s a step in the right direction.

The artwork is fine, although it’d be remiss not to mention that X-23 is still dressing and shaped like a Victoria’s Secret model, despite the fact that she’s supposed to be in her mid-teens.

I’m still not digging this book the way I used to, but it seems to be shaping up a little.

Rating: 7/10