Quiet week last week, with Ultimate X-Men the only book that came out.
Ultimate X-Men #49
This is part 3 of The Tempest, the Ultimate version of the Mutant Massacre. This Mr. Sinister is far more believable, if any mutant can be, than the over the top version found in the old X-Men. Apocalypse is also re-introduced here, well somewhat anyway. The X-Men find a giant stuffed version of him in all his goofy glory in Sinister’s apartment. Now, there are two directions where this can go. Either Apocalypse does not exist at all, and he’s merely a product of Sinister’s twisted imagination, or he does exist and he’s using Sinister in the silliest manner possible. The former alternative is the smart move, as Apocalypse has never really worked right; the latter is most likely the way Marvel will take this.
I want to like this storyline more than I do. I think Brian Vaughn is a terrific writer, both Ex Machina and Runaways are terrific books. Hell, I even read a few of his Mystique, and I do not like the character at all. He shows a very nice feel for team books, making sure every character gets a moment or two. He also seems to know the characters too, especially Colossus and Nightcrawler. He’s rumored to be the guy after the Chuck Austen Era mercifully ends on X-Men, and I hope he gets it. I am just not sold on this story though. It’s been a little slow, and the twist at the end (not the Apocalypse moment) is straight out of every hackneyed horror-movie cliché. It is the old “Calls are coming from inside the house” stuff. He can do better. The art is okay. I’ve never been a huge Brandon Peterson fan, and this proves it. His figures seem a little off sometimes, and the texture of Peter’s steel doesn’t seem right. Moreover, the giant crotch shot cover of Iceman is ridiculous. God, I am so tired of Marvel’s Bland Cover Rule.
Posted by Frinklin at July 6, 2004 06:10 PM