It may seem as though Frank Tieri is offering up a sequel to the classic "Days of Future Past" storyline from Chris Claremont and John Byrne's heralded and much-loved run on Uncanny X-Men, but that's not the case. In reality, this is Frank Tieri's swansong with his Weapon X characters. Now, "Days of Future Past" is a well-known super-hero epic, and even those unfamiliar with it would have little trouble figuring it out. The events of Tieri's Weapon X series -- which serve as the foundation of this limited series -- are another matter altogether. Obscure characters, an unclear script and art that doesn't flow smoothly make for an arduous read with little payoff in terms of entertainment value.
Thirty years in the future, mutantkind has bee hunted down by powerful Sentinel robots almost to the point of extinction. Wolverine is among the last to survive, and he wonders why the plan to send Kitty Pryde into the past to correct the past has failed. He then realizes that another critical event must have triggered the same result. Cut to the present, a time at which the two men who have led the Weapon X program enter into a war to regain control while the rogue mutants who escaped from the program set out to exact some revenge.
Sears's exaggerated, over-the-top style makes for some inconsistent storytelling. Wolverine's shifts in appearance don't always make sense (his face is distorted when Malcolm Colcord imagines he's there, for example). The expansive nature of the cast of characters doesn't play to Sears's strengths either. The flow of the Chamber action sequences isn't entirely clear, and the artist really doesn't differentiate clearly enough between the two main timeframes that serve as the backdrops for this story. The artwork is inky to the point of confusion. Honestly, I'm at a loss here. I don't see how Sears can do such a great and innovative job of comic art for CrossGen on The Path then turn in such a weak effort here. Sure, The Path was much more unique on the comics landscape, but that doesn't mean the artist should phone it in with more conventional subject matter.
Tieri drops the ball when it comes to enlightening new readers as to what went on in his Weapon X series, who the players are and what their motivations are. Really, we are only introduced to Malcolm Colcord. His motives are clear, if overly simplified, but other key chareacters -- John Sublime, Fantomex and Chamber -- need much more exposition than what's offered in order for the reader to follow their roles in this story.
Marvel has clearly overestimated (a) Sears's popularity with fans, and (b) the popularity of Tieri's vision of Weapon X. I understand why the publisher might have seen a hit title here -- given the prominence of Wolverine and the reference to "Days of Future Past" -- but ultimately, this is just a random gathering of every character that's ever been involved with the Weapon X brand. 2/10
