EXILES #17
"Wildlife Reserve"
Recommended (8/10)
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Marvel Comics
Writer: Judd Winick
Pencils: J. Calafiore
Inks: Eric Cannon
Colors: Transparency Digital
Letters: Paul Tutrone
Editor: Mike Marts
Price: $2.25 US/$3.75 CAN |
Judd Winick has a large, bright spotlight shining on him and the comics industry in general this month, thanks to his upcoming story in DC's Green Lantern about a hate crime. This mainstream-media attention could draw some attention to Winick's work on this title as well, and those checking it out this month will find yet another thoughtful, well written script. Winick's ear for dialogue and strong characterization on this title never disappoints.
The Exiles find themselves transported to a world in which Dr. Curt Connors's experiments with reptilian DNA not only turned him into a monstrous Lizard man, but a throng of others well. The Lizard population has grown to encompass the entirety of the west coast of the United States. The Exiles soon learn that the Lizards are in danger, and it's their job to
protect them. Meanwhile, one member of the team expresses his frustrations, while another grumbles and keeps his to himself.
I remain puzzled as to how Calafiore manages to maintain a consistent visual tone with regular penciller Mike McKone's style for this series while still showing off his own unique approach every time he fills in on this book. His emotive figures always help to bring out Winick's characterization-oriented scripts, and he captures the worlds of wonder in which the title characters find themselves in every issue. The double-page splash on pages two and three don't depict any of the main characters or Lizards, yet it still says volumes about the problem that arose on this alternate Earth.
On the surface, the appeal of this book is the exploration of the richness and vast potential of the Marvel universe... without the shackles of continuity. Colorful costumes and settings make for a lot of fun, but it's the characterization that's really at center stage. Winick has taken an outlandish and extreme situation and used it to bring out the humanity in some unusual figures.
While I'm pleased to see that Winick is following up on Mimic's dissatisfaction (a seed planted a couple of issues ago), those coming fresh into this self-contained issue will be at something of a loss. The reason for Mimic's mood is clear to us regular readers, but newbies -- who could check this book out thanks to the attention Winick's other regular super-hero title, Green Lantern, is getting -- will be left scratching their heads, I fear.
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