X-Men Legacy: Lost Legions (comics)

Writer: Mike Carey
Artist: Khoi Pham
Collects: X-Men Legacy #250-253

Here we are, back again, with what is likely to be my last volume of X-Men Legacy. The last one was just so... yuck that I pretty much haven't felt like reading, much less reviewing, comics recently. Frankly, the last one was so aggressively dull - and questionable - that I would not have continued if I didn't already have this volume in my possession.

Hot on the heels of last volumes events - where we learned several of Legions personalities were running free - we find the cast looking to reclaim them. I mean, they're seperate personalities of a mentally unstable dude each with a power set of their own. You can't just kick back, call it a day and hope somebody else deals with it, especially when one is fond of draining souls and using the bodies like puppets.

This volume redeems the book a little bit. For one, it's a far more straightforward adventure; a far cry from last volume, where a blind mutant mused about bad things coming for the X-Men while semi-invisible giant spiders roamed around and Rogue decided to go have sex with an old homicidal egomaniac. The pleasant characterization returns and hell, Professor X is actually allowed to do something for once, so it can't be all bad.

It's just that there isn't anything remarkable about it. It's good enough that, had last volume not occurred, I may well have continued, but not good enough to erase that sour taste. I'm not sure there was any one element that did it - or if I could even pinpoint what the tipping point was for me - but the previous volume well and truly soured me on this book.

Yet again, we have another artist. It is, of course, no one from the previous two volumes I read, because apparently "regular artist" is a foreign concept to this book. Still, it's Khoi Pham and the work is very, very good. Clean, expressive and far from the muddy, inconsistent art the book has had previously. Frankly, they should have had Pham on from the start.

On the whole, this isn't a bad volume, but it isn't enough to have me keep going. But then, I believe Carey only has one volume left, so who knows. Maybe if it's in the library and I have nothing else to read I'll give it a shot.

The Score: 7 out of 10

And so the search for a good X-Men book continues. Somebody has to put out a good one eventually, right?

X-Men: Legacy - Aftermath (comic)

Writer: Mike Carey
Artists: Paul Davidson, Harvey Tolibao, Jorge Molina, Rafa Sandoval
Collects: X-Men: Legacy #242-244, 248-249

As you'll recall, I read and enjoyed the previous volume, which ended with issue #241. Well, somehow, in the time between that issue and #242, the book took a nosedive so sharp I think I got whiplash from it. I do not know what the hell happened, but the end result is a particularly odd, boring and downright ridiculous read .

First off, this volume essentially bookends a separate story, that being Age of X. If you want to read the series or stories sequentially, it requires you to read half a trade paperback, go read another one, then pick the first one up where you left off. I hate that stunt with a passion. Daniel Ways Deadpool series did it once, too, when the book crossed over with Thunderbolts. They had the good sense to collect everything in order when they did the big whopping hardcover release though.

So already we're off to a bad start.

The first half deals with some crap that happened after Second Coming. Essentially, a dude got his hands chopped off and has PTSD over it. Then there's a damn Omega Sentinel the X-Men keep around that I don't recognize who loses her shit - I would never have seen THAT one coming! - at which point the Little Depressed Boy kills her. Of course, his attitude beside, he made the right decision - that one sentinel was wiping the floor with the X-Men present at the time - but apparently he's a demon for stopping her. Then there's some giant spider that can only be viewed in some angles and I just don't even know what the hell all that was about. It sounded like it played off something earlier in the run, but it came out of nowhere and wasn't much more than a fake-out.

After that, we skip ahead to right after Age of X. Everyone is kind of flipping out because they have memories of an entire life lived in the alternate dimension. Most get their memories wiped. This is the point when the writing completely loses track of its own series internal continuity, as suddenly we're told that Rogue and Magneto's alternate forms had feelings for each other in Age of X, something that would have been handy to see. Of course, Rogue decides to keep the memories from the other life because she made a promise to remember the people there who didn't exist and Gambit tells her to screw off until she has her head on straight - admittedly, a moment long overdue - and geez, let's just dispense the pretense and say it's nothing more than an excuse for Rogue to keep these "feelings" and go ride Magnetos magnetic pole.

Oh, I didn't mention that, did I? Rogue shacks up with Magneto.

This is... wow. Magneto takes her to a Holocaust museum and tells her a story about how he killed someone and could sleep well at night. He then pulls a "I know I'm bad for you, so you best run back to Gambit, but if he ever hurts you" trick. Stories of murderin' and preserved corpses apparently turn Rogue on - because of course they do - so she decides it would be a great idea to hook up with thus guy, because she "wants what's bad for her". This also happens immediately after Magneto tells her he wishes she feared him, because it suits his ego better.

Hoooo-ly shit. I'm not usually someone who is always bothered by this kind of thing, but this is on another level. Who thought this was a good idea*? How did such a decent book go from respectable read to boring to mind boggling so quickly?

For the proverbial cherry on top, the book employs an army of artists just to keep things moving. Four artists for five issues. As such, we've got numerous stylistic shifts and geez it's rough. What happened to Clay Mann? There were some rough spots, but at least he brought visual consistency to the book. This is just all over the map.

I hated this. A lot. Just really, really questionable stuff here wrapped up in a package so boring I practically snoozed. I'm giving this series one more shot - some shenanigans with Legions numerous personalities sounds like an alright time - but if I hadn't already borrowed a copy of the next volume I would have dropped it right here. Avoid. Just avoid.

My Opinion: Burn It

* Probably the same people who thought what happened in Sentry: Fallen Sun (ha ha geddit) was a good idea. At least you can say no one read that comic. Not so here.

X-Men Legacy: Collision (comics)

Writer: Mike Carey
Artist: Clay Mann
Collects: X-Men Legacy #238-241

I'm just going to preface this review by saying that it's kind of nice to actually read a recent X book that was - shock of shocks - fairly enjoyable, even if it's not really remarkable.

This is pretty much Mike Careys book at this point. As I understand it he's been on it for something like six or seven years (jumping on somewhere in the 180's, I think). It's changed focus a few times, initially having Careys pet character Rogue take over the book - at the time leading a motley crew of mutants - then focusing on Professor X and now back to the southern belle. Nobody seems to talk about it, but most everyone seems able to at least enjoy it.

I jumped into this one cold, which I thought was a bad decision at first because it quickly becomes clear we're dealing with old plotlines from way back in Careys run. Shockingly, aside from the fact that I had no clue what the powers of the kids were supposed to be, I managed to get through without much confusion.

To keep a long story short, one of the young mutants Rogue currently mentors is called back to his homeland, which is besieged by electrical storms of some sort. Magneto - currently an X-Man because Cyclops is a raging moron - finds this particularly interesting, so he tags along. Rogue - who has control of her powers now, it seems, after about twenty freaking years of the no touch thing - is sent as a chauffeur. They quickly find themselves neck deep in trouble.

Apparently, the villains, The Children of the Vault, were stopped by Rogue at some point in the past. This apparently lead to the deaths of some of their own. They're not the forgiving sort, it seems, as it seems they would prefer she stop breathing. If you know anything about Rogue at all, you know her response will probably be a few broken jaws.

Carey offers no help to anyone who may just be jumping on - one thing the other X books have actually done right recently are providing quick captions that run down power sets and who a character is when they show up - but despite that he manages to keep things moving*. His Rogue actually feels like a strong woman; able to take care of herself and get the job done herself. Maybe I just haven't been reading the right books, but it feels like it's been a while since she's been that way.

But, to be blunt, there's really nothing else of note here**. It's a fairly competant, enjoyable read in an era where that seems to be in short supply for the X-Men. It's really not something that's going to grab you so much you'll remember fine details years down the road, but in an era where dumping an entire race on a rock that everyone who hates them knows they're on is treated as a smart, logical thing to do, I'll claim victory just for not having to sigh heavily and wonder why I keep trying.

Oddly, I didn't have as much of a problem with Magnetos presence, either. Carey at least keeps Magnetos terrorist past at the fore and Mags even comments on things hes done himself at times. In other words, he's still a collosal dick, which is kind of refreshing instead of "I'm totally a good guy now, really!" I still felt like he was trying a bit too hard to make him cool, however, but that may just be me. Oh, and going by an exchange midway through the book between the two, apparently Magneto suddenly wants to bone Rogue. This felt kind of random - mostly Rogues comment about it - but I'm going to just assume this is something that Carey's been working in prior to this.

Rogue at least says there's nothing between them, but even the idea is kind of an "ick" moment.

As for the art, it gets the job done. Clay Mann turns out pretty clean and detailed work here. It's not going to reinvent the business, but it doesn't need to. Fairly clear storytelling and some eye pleasing work round off the most enjoyable recent X arc that wasn't a one shot.

The Score: 7 out of 10

So hey, this is pretty decent. If you're not particularly happy with the X books these days, this is a pretty safe bet. Aside from a glimpse of Utopia and Cyclops, there's little to do with the then current status quo. I may check out some future volumes, who knows.

*There are bios of the characters, but they're way in the back. This might just be me, but that would have been great info to have before I started the story. An indicator at the front maybe?

** Well, for me anyways. It DOES work on it's own well enough. But it's another one of those books that I imagine would mean a lot more to someone who'd read the other story where Carey created them. But hey, it happens; you can't go into a television show halfway through a season and expect the revelations to have as much weight for you either.