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X-FACTOR #2 (Best of the Week!)
Highly Recommended (9/10)
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Marvel Comics
"The Natural"
Writer: Jeff Jensen
Pencils: Arthur Ranson
Colors: Paul Mounts
Letters: Paul Tutrone
Editor: Mark Powers & Andrew Lis
"You Can Call Me Al, Part One"
Writer: Ron Zimmerman
Pencils: Al Rio
Inks: Sandu Florea
Colors: Avalon Studios
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Axel Alonso
Price: $2.50 US/$4.00 CAN |
Natural: Jensen demonstrated in the first issue of this series that he had a realistic, mature take on mutants to offer up, but here, he really blows me away. Not only do we get an even better idea of just who agents Kearse and Gray are and what motivates them, but the writer paints a convincing picture of a baseball sensation. Ranson's detailed, gritty art reinforces the mature themes perfectly.
As the federal government's task force on mutant issues, agents Kearse and Gray are called in to help to protect Tony Robb, a major-league baseball who's about to break the homerun record. And he just happens to be a mutant. He doesn't use his powers to cheat, but he is thinking of announcing his mutant status to the world in order to champion mutant rights. But there are those out there who want to prevent that, and those who share Robb's cause, including Gray's mother.
Initially, this book struck me as having an X-Files riff, but the comparison doesn't really work for me anymore. This is a far more personal narrative. Jensen's exploration of Kearse's hatred is balanced and sensitive. This man feels this way for a reason, and one can't help but empathize with him and how he feels mutants -- either directly or indirectly -- are always managing to creep into his life to overcomplicate it. Ultimately though, he's not looking to blame, but to find a way to go on and be a good man, husband and father.
As if Gray's pregnancy and accompanying struggle of conscience weren't enough, Gray's character is further fleshed out by the appearance of her mother. The friction between the two women amd the younger one's resentment of her mother makes for believable, compelling reading. The reader doesn't dwell on the fantastic notion of a woman living underground fighting for mutant rights, but on the feelings that she stirs up in her daughter.
There's only one aspect of this book that didn't quite work for me: the cover. Don't get me wrong, the art -- I think by Tommy Lee Edwards, hard to tell -- is stunning, but the image gives away a plot point right off the start that's better saved for later.
Call Me Al: With that Jay Leno silliness behind him, Zimmerman can now focus on the task of telling an actual story as opposed to crafting a forced media event. The problem is that for anyone who read Zimmerman's contribution to Spider-Man's Tangled Web, the first part of this story seems to tread territory that's all too familiar.
After a run-in with the Punisher, Kraven, son to the original villain who hunted Spider-Man, gets a mysterious message to meet someone at his favorite watering hole, a bar where super-villains are known to gather. As he waits, Kraven vents to the bartender and his girlfriend, Timby.
Al Rio normally boasts a cheesecake style that reminds one of the work of J. Scott (Danger Girl) Campbell, but here, his work seems much more like that of Paul (Negation) Pelletier. Ultimately, though the story is told clearly, the visuals aren't particularly remarkable either. The same can be said for the script for this opening chapter. Though I appreciate Zimmerman's consistency and continuity, this comes off as being rather repetitive in light of "Double Shot," Zimmerman's story in last month's Tangled Web.
Note: Since the backup story appears in several of this week's Marvel Comics releases, it does not factor into the rating for this review.
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