Soss' Review 12/13/12

All-New X-Men #2 

The young circa 1960's X-Men decide to trust the future Beast and travel to present day. The things that they find waiting for them in the future are shocking. Scott is crazy and has killed Professor X. Jean is dead and the school is named after her. The new head master is a guy who is good at what he does....even though what he does isn't very nice.

 

I love the back to the future aspect of this story. The changes that have taken place to the original X-Men over the past four decades had never been made so crystal clear. The reactions of the 1960's X-Men are golden. When All-New X-Men was first announced I thought this premise was weak but I'm very pleased with the story that Bendis has created. 

Stuart Immonen knocks it out of the park with his pencils. My favorite scene was when 1960's Iceman come face to face with his current day self. It's like Frost the Snowman finding out that he grows up to become a frost giant. 

Uncanny Avengers #2 

Last month it was revealed that The Red Skull would be the villain for this first arc. America is fearful of the resurfacing of mutant kind and with Avalanches terroristic acts of the past issue it seems they have a great reason to be. Who better to soak the flames of fear then Hitlers right hand man. 

Rick Remender not only does a great job of highlighting the reasons that Red Skull is the perfect villain for this time in the Marvel Universe but adds a horrific twist to the character's skill set. 

John Cassiday does another stellar job on pencils. The creepy smile that he gives the Red Skull made my skin crawl. This book feels like a sequel to Joss Whedon's outstanding run on Astonishing X-Men. 

Thunderbolts#1

I always love the idea of villains teaming up in an attempt to do some good. While the last installment of Thunderbots featured characters that were no doubt villains this installment features a team that simply has questionable tactics. 

This premiere issue is an origin story as told through the perspective of General Ross as he tries to convince Frank Castle to join his team. I love the ruthlessness of General Ross. Even his enlistment tactics are morally grey. 

Daniel Way and Steve Dillon are the perfect team to bring this book to life. The characters and pacing are perfect for a first issue. They provide all the setup you need while mixing in a nice amount of action in flashbacks. I even liked the scene where Deadpool was fighting mimes in France. It's got to be a hell of a book if Deadpool can't ruin it. -Soss 

Panel of the Week: Old Bobby Drake meet the new Bobby Drake.