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IGN.com Reviewers Liek New X-Men 45 (SpOiLeRs)

Posted by Baal on December 20, 2007, 12:37 pm
68.2.168.94

New X-Men #45 Review Madness and mayhem consume Messiah Complex. by Jesse Schedeen Apparently we're going to see a trend with the chapters of Messiah Complex from now on. One issue will be largely character-driven, furthering the ongoing storyline and dropping major revelations. The next issue will be much more action-heavy, with epic fight scenes the constant possibility of death lingering on every page. Which type of issue is better is mostly up to the reader. However, looking back at the last issue of each respective X-book, I find that X-Men and X-Factor outclass Uncanny X-Men and New X-Men by a fair bit. Part of this has to do with the writers themselves. X-Men and X-Factor were the better of the two books before Messiah Complex, and they're still better during the event. In terms of witty dialogue exchanges or meaningful character exploration, none of the writers outclass Peter David. Unfortunately for Christopher Yost and Craig Kyle, they aren't Peter David. But I can't hold that against them too much. They do exactly what this issue requires of them. Last week saw Cable confronted by Lady Deathstrike and The Reavers. This week Wolverine and X-Force jump into the fray, and claws start flying everywhere. If you're hoping for an immediate answer as to whether the ongoing X-Force series will be worth your money, this issue won't give it to you. Time will still tell, but at least they all know how to kick butt. X-23 especially. Unfortunately, not much else happens this week concerning the other parties involved in Messiah Complex. Every group seems to be in the midst of a transition phase, as they can be seen preparing for the final leg of the journey rather than actually acting out in any direction. If Messiah Complex were a play, the curtain would now be drawing to a close on the second act. It's hard not to review any issue drawn by Humberto Ramos without getting into a heated debate about his art style. I don't really feel like getting into that right now. You know by now whether you like Ramos or not. Regardless of that, I think we can all accept Ramos' style is too sharp of a departure form the overall artistic tone of Messiah Complex. If the creators failed in any one area of this crossover, it's in achieving a consistent look. Something to think about for the inevitable follow-up crossover. We all know there will be one. Another Take: Last week's "Messiah Complex" entry introduced the all new, all-serrated X-Force on the prowl for Cable. This week, we get to see them in action, and it's a beautiful thing. Predictably, X-Force is the showcase of the eighth "Messiah Complex" chapter after catching up to Cable, the baby, and the Reavers. The New X-Men lick their wounds in their home title, and the combined forces of the X-Men and X-Factor suit up to finally get into the fray. Despite myself, I'm starting to like X-Force. I came into this issue ready to see what Kyle and Yost, the writers of the X-Force ongoing, could do with the team. Thankfully, they've more than proved themselves in the extended fight scene with the Reavers. It's a little jarring to see lifelong X-Men like Wolfsbane and Warpath killing, but it's part of the characters' transformation into X-Force members and I'm willing to accept it as such. So far, the team seems to be working. Ah, Humberto Ramos. I can't think of an X-Men artist this reviled by fans since Igor Kordey did that admittedly heinous fill-in work on Grant Morrison's New X-Men. To be honest, I don't hate Ramos's work and I believe it has a proper time and place. The New X-Men characters are rendered well enough, and he does an especially good Surge. New X-Men is definitely the right book of the four to put him on -- it's just a shame that it's in the middle of "Messiah Complex," where he's going to be drawing other titles' characters too. The Cable/Reavers/X-Force battle features awkward action sequences that are nearly impossible to follow, his Layla Miller is not the greatest interpretation, and his Predator X... well, the less said the better. The more "Messiah Complex" I read, the more I look forward to Chris Bachalo's issues. The various pieces of "Messiah Complex" continue to work well, and with the final players at the mansion promising to get down and dirty, from here on out it should be a good time. It's only looking up. Overall rating out of ten? 8.5!

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Message Thread: IGN.com Reviewers Liek New X-Men 45 (SpOiLeRs) - Baal December 20, 2007, 12:37 pm « Back to thread

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