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MUTANT X: DANGEROUS DECISIONS #1
Neutral (3/10)
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Marvel Comics
"Still Water"
Writers: Kathryn Kuder
Pencils: Stuart Immonen
Inks: Karl Story
Letters: Tom Orzechowski
"Dangerous Games: The Untold Origin of Shalimar Fox"
Writers: Paul D. Storrie
Pencils: Stefano Caselli
Inks: Rich Perrotta
Letters: Letterin' Fool
Colors: Hi-Fi Designs
Editors: Andrew Lis
Price: $3.50 US/$5.75 CAN |
The creators working Marvel's line of Mutant X tie-in books are really counting on their readers being intimately familiar with the syndicated television show. Sure, it's fair to expect readers to have a passing familiarity, but that's not enough to follow the action in the main story. This second Mutant X book has its strong points, but they're outweighed by a lack of clarity and accessibility.
In the main story, Emma and Brennan head into the northern wilderness to track down a couple of mutants and another friend. One of the mutants is struggling with his guilt over his mother's death, while the other is hoping to build some semblance of a new life with the aid of the wrong man. And in the backup story, we learn how Shalimar Fox's defense of her friend during their high-school years resulted in her being on the run from hired goons.
Kuder's script for the main story is practically impenetrable. Sure, she provides a little bit of information about the main characters from the TV show, but as for what's going on with the new characters she introduces... well, I just have no idea. I don't understand how or why the water mutant contacted Eckhardt, other than the fact that he's the Mutant X antagonist.
Immonen's art is soft and strong and realistic, a perfect choice for a television-adaptation comic book. His likenesses are strong, and the Hi-Fi folks add a lot of energy to the visuals with their colors. There is a problem in the dark, though. It's so shadowy that it makes it hard to tell some characters apart and to discern exactly what's happening. The fact that there's a vague quality in the dialogue doesn't help matters either.
It's easy to see that Caselli, with his art for the Shalimar origin story, is emulating the style of J. Scott (Danger Girl) Campbell. It lacks the energy and dynamics of Campbell's work, though, and ultimately, it doesn't come off as anything more than simply generic.
Now, from what I know of the Shalimar Fox character, she's provocative and sexually aggressive. That doesn't really jibe with Storrie's script here, though. This Shalimar is cautious and reserved. Aside from that potential contrast in character, though, this story is fairly standard. It's easy to see where it's headed from the start, but to its credit, Storrie presents his tale clearly, unlike the main story.
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