• Review - Amazing X-Men #1

    Writer: Jason Aaron
    Artists: Ed McGuiness and Dexter Vines
    Date Published: January 2014... the FUTURE!!!
    Alpha Appearance: Northstar


    Overview:
    Nightcrawler has been spending a year dead for tax purposes. When Azazel attacks Heaven, he decides to try something else for a while. So Firestar joins the X-Men.



    REVIEW:

    Regular members of the AF forum are used to hearing me whine about modern comics and their excesses, so you know what to expect from my review of anything this recent.
    Well, you ain't gonna get it.

    I really liked this one. It was pleasant, told a story, (re-)introduced our two main (so far) characters very well - I'm talking Nightcrawler and Firestar - and had time for a few good, funny lines and nice interactions.
    It told a story of heroes vs. villains, bringing Nightcrawler back to the X-Men, and was overall just fun.

    Even the colours were good. Full colour, only going dark when it actually made sense to do so.

    I particularly liked the introduction of Firestar to Iceman and their immediate hitting-it-off. (Firestar was originally from a cartoon called Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends - which was Spider-Man, Firestar, and Iceman). It also may have been the first onscreen conversation between members of two of my favourite teams - Alpha Flight and The New Warriors.

    Alpha Flight. This is what you want; was Northstar in it?

    Yep. He was in it.
    He was more than a background character, but not much more. He had quite a few lines, but it was still Nightcrawler and Firestar's show.
    They derailed the character a bit - but it was meant to be positive, so I can't get mad at them for that. They were playing him as a Peter Pan, when he's always been snarky and arrogant in the past. (Well, not always always.) I did like that they didn't shove his sexuality in my face every panel (that's been a thing).
    He even was the first to greet Firestar nicely at the school.

    I won't, however, discuss the theology. It... wasn't great...

    I'll give this one an eight.
    It's not perfect, but at the moment, I'm looking forward to this series. (Just remind me to skip the crossover issues, 'kay?)
    Comments 1 Comment
    1. Le Messor's Avatar
      Le Messor -
      Thanks to Phil (?) for adding the pictures!