THE EXILES #4
"Old Wounds, New Battles, Part 2 of 2"
Mildly Recommended (6/10)
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Marvel Comics
Writer: Judd Winick
Pencils: Mike McKone
Inks: Eric Cannon, Mark McKenna & "Palmiotti" (Peter or Jimmy?)
Colors: Transparency Digital
Letters: Sharpefont
Editor: Mike Marts
Price: $2.25 US/$3.50 CAN |
Though I continue to be entertained by the six characters forming the title team, Winick has definitely delved too deeply into X-Men continuity for the inspiration for his plot. Longtime X-fans are bound to enjoy this book, but newer readers can expect some confusion. Accessibility is proving to the biggest challenge facing The Exiles.
With half of the Imperial Guard out of commission, the Exiles are forced to fill out their ranks in a battle against the X-Men of a different reality. Their mission: to ensure the death of Jean Grey, possessed by the Phoenix Force. Family ties and friendships make the task even more daunting.
Basically, we got the whole plot spelled out for us last month, and this issue consists of little more than the resulting Big Fight Scene. The problem is though that for those of us who get the original references, there's no suspense. We know how this plays out, and the slight tweaks really don't alter the outcome. And for those who don't know how this all works out... well, as I noted, the story really does hinge on knowledge of continuity. Basically, Winick is damned if he does here, and damned if he doesn't. It's the nature of the series concept in this instance.
McKone's art is a lot of fun. There are plenty of colorful characters in action here, so the eye is always visually engaged. Most impressive is how he's called upon to create new character and costume designs with every issue. He's playing with familiar characters but free to play with their looks.
Though the main plot did little to hold my interest, the characters did. Learning about Nocturne's powers was fun, but it's the interaction among these inter-dimensional strangers with a common heritage that really appeals to me. Though this issue wasn't quite up to par, the potential remains.
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