While I’m aware that the comic and film X-Men: First Class are too totally different concepts the trailer for the upcoming movie sparked my interest to check out the comic of the same name. While the film deals with a mixed batch of heroes and villains from different eras of X-Men lore, the comic focuses on the authentic line up from the 1960s.
Written by Jeff Parker and pencilled by Roger Cruz, First Class is an enjoyable trip back to the good old days before the Shi’ar Empire, The Breakworld, and even (gasp) Wolverine. It’s Chuck Xavier teaching students, the foundation of what the X-Men are about.
While the story is a little lighthearted for my taste it has a certain charm about it. The cartoony pencils fit the tale of a living rosebush to a tee. If you are looking for blood, guts and adamantium, this may not be the book for you. However, if you are looking for a simple, fun story about teenagers with astonishing gifts, then give First Class a read.
Last months cliffhanger left readers reeling. How could Valeria Richards and Dr. Doom team up to destroy Mr. Fantastic? Of course the answer is more complex then the question. As various members of the FF travel to far off locations to recruit powerful members of the Marvel Universe you are left wondering, “Whatever happened to that whole 'kill Mr. Fantastic' thing from last month?" Not to worry. By the middle of the issue you are up to speed as per which version or versions of Reed Richards are the threat the Future Foundation intends to stop.
Overall a slow paced issue but the reveal of the army of Reed’s from multiple dimensions makes this issue worthwhile. FF continues to be a solid read each month.
Thor #600
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I was inspired by the wonderful Thor movie to give his comic book counterpart another try. While this is not a new release, this issue seemed like a good jumping on point for potential new fans.
The book opens to find a misplaced god stranded on Earth who claims to be the father of Odin. Confused and suffering from hallucinations that make everyone in site appear as demons, Bor lashes out in a destructive rampage thru New York. This of course draws the attention of Dr. Donald Blake and an all-out brawl ensues. This is all much to the delight of the new, female Loki who of course is behind these shenanigans.
Oliver Coipel’s art has never looked better. Coipel’s expert handling of Asgard as well as the landscapes of New York City really made this an extremely fun read. Marko Djurdjevic also makes a guest appearance here, illustrating Bor’s twisted view of the world. This is a nice touch to an already great artistic effort. J. Michael Straczynski must have used a little Asgardian magic of his own on me in the way he fully drew me into the universe of Thor.
Maybe it is my new found interest in this character, maybe it was the excellent work of Coipel and JMS or maybe it was both. Either way this was an enjoyable read and I look forward to catching up on this title.
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