written by Charles Soule
drawn by Carlos Pacheco (p) Rafael Fonteriz (i)
colored by Rain Beredo
Marvel's vaguely experimental approach to "blockbuster" storytelling continues as its purported flagship X-Men book sports its fourth high-profile artist in as many issues, this one being Spanish superstar Carlos Pacheco.
This issue takes a peek at what's been happening to the characters Mystique, Fantomex, Rogue and Gambit since they went their separate ways in the astral plane back in issue #2. Meanwhile, Old Man Logan, possessed by the Shadow King, is about to wreak havoc on London, forcing the usually benign Angel's hand as he unleashes his deadly alter ego, Archangel.
Last issue was somewhat more interesting in that it gave readers the slightest glimpse at Professor X's game plan, and this one is a little less so. To be honest, I wasn't crazy about how this issue was paced; Soule devoted a number of pages to Mystique reliving past glories, and Gambit trying to rekindle an old romance with Rogue, while the really urgent concern, Shadow King by-way-of Old Man Logan, got the most fleeting exposure, and Warren's decision to engage Logan, which will undoubtedly trigger the release of Archangel, is poised as a sort of cliffhanger. In short, in contrast to the last issue, which felt a little weightier in narrative despite its cliffhanger ending, this one feels a bit more like Soule spinning his wheels to justify a six-issue, rather than five-issue story arc. There are quite a few talking heads for an issue that's supposed to be conveying urgency.
Pacheco draws pretty pictures, but he's not quite on the level of Ed McGuinness, much less Jim Cheung, who kicked off the series with a bang. We won't even have time to get used to him as next issue yet another artist will take on the reins, and another still after that.
I gotta say, I am not a fan of this format.
6/10
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