A new story arc focusing on the X-Men's "weather witch" gets under way, and I'm all for a story that promises to delve into character and inner conflicts as opposed to stereotypical super-hero fisticuffs. So far, though, Claremont's story doesn't deliver. Instead, we get a rather familiar premise -- underground mutant gladiator battles for entertainment -- and some stilted dialogue and narration that takes the main character out of the reader's grasp, emotionally anyway. Storm has never been one of the more grounded of Marvel's mutant characters, but her state of mind here seems almost completely alien.
Storm senses that mutantkind and humanity are reaching a critical turning point, but before she can govern her new team of mutant policemen -- dubbed the X-Treme Sanctions Executive -- she must first deal with the tempest within her heart. Refusing the help and company of her teammates, she heads off to Japan to meet up with an old friend, who helps her get in tune with her untamed side. Together, they discover that someone is running a new business... an entertainment arena in which mutants ruthlessly match powers, strength and skills. For one of them, the fighting proves to be a powerful lure.
I have to admit... I am not a fan of Kordey's artwork when it's inked by someone else. His style is completely submerged by Hanna's inks, though to be fair, Hanna's efforts are clean and detailed. That loss of Kordey's style only seems to afflict his work in the first half of this issue, though. His grittier approach shines through much more clearly in the latter part of the book.
The voice Claremont has developed for Ororo Munroe is one that makes her character impenetrable. Her narration and dialogue is peppered with purple prose, and to be honest, it makes Storm seem... boring. Dressing her up in leather fetish gear for a night of dancing does nothing to dispel that cold and haughty aura. Neither does the appearance of Storm's far more playful companion.
The gladiator riff is one I've seen far too often. Just off the top of my head, I can think of similar premises in such titles as JSA, Formerly Known as the Justice League and Wolverine v.1. And the whole mutant arena and personality-altering plotting was already done in the 1980s in the rather unconventional Beauty and the Beast limited series, also from Marvel.
So Storm shifts from uber-responsible and distant mutant heroine and leader into some of sort nightclubbing, sensual she-warrior... and it just doesn't work. At first, Storm sets out to test her mettle as a hero and leader, and in the next, she's lazing about a club, looking like she's displaying her bright plumage in order to attract a lover or five. Furthermore, her loss of control and ethical focus by the end of the issue comes from out of nowhere. There's no context here that allows the reader to accept these changes in the character.
