While I expect a humorous slant from Agent X and X-Statix, I wasn't expecting a similar humor tone in the third revamped title, Soldier X, and so I've been surprised by how much fun Soldier X has been so far. It's not all fun and games, blending a strong action dynamic and Nathan's continuing struggle for a direction with a wry sense of humor, but it is much more fun to read than Cable ever was, even at its highest points. And with Igor Kordey on the artwork, the book looks great as well.
It seems an odd thing to say, but my favorite part of the issue may have been the synopsis page on the first issue, just as it was with issue #2. Macan seems to have taken a tongue-in-cheek approach to these recaps, and that sense of humor sets the tone for the rest of the issue. I also can't believe that he has made Blaquesmith, a character I have always loathed, into a fun supporting character, turning him into a sex-starved and plain-speaking version of Yoda. Blaquesmith gets to deliver the recap this issue, and I love the rotating character spotlights that Macan is using for these recap pages.
The tone of Soldier X isn't the only thing to have changed since Cable; the direction of the book seems subtly altered. While Nathan Summers having no direction in his life isn't a new thing, I think that Macan is playing this midlife (if such a phrase applies to a time traveller) crisis in more subtle ways than it has been before. In addition, he's kept the globe-trotting aspects that Tischman introduced, but has greatly simplified the often complex (to the point of incomprehensibility) politics involved.
Of course, when he's given time to work, I think I would read Igor Kordey illustrating the phone book. His work has stunning detail and realism, in setting and props and shadows, and his characters have plenty of character in their faces. Kordey also doesn't shy away from the uglier sides of life, which makes him an ideal choice for a book like this one, featuring some of the nastier aspects of impoverished countries and global espionage.
Though Cable had its moments after Kordey came on board, I never quite warmed up to Tischman or Macan enough to overcome my general dislike of the lead character. The shift to a new title hasn't eliminated that lead character, but it seems to have freed Macan from some constraints, or allowed him to shift the tone subtly, and the result is a book that maintains the gritty style and action that I liked from Cable, but which has a surprisingly strong streak of cynical humor to it that makes it irresistible.
