X-Men: Messiah Complex
Alright, so I don't know how many have been reading the latest issues of X-Men, but I just finished the latest big crossover there.
So my thoughts. First of all, just technically I thought it was pulled off very well. An issue in the crossover came out every week - no delays - and I was very impressed that all of the characters were able to be included and fairly well juggled despite there being such a ridiculous number. I'm also just happy that someone's carried out something really in an event with the X-Men, which in my opinion, hasn't happened for ages. Decimation may have been a decent idea, but there was NO follow through and no coherence to any storyline between books until Messiah Complex pulled them together. I also thought there was very good use of the characters; I have to admit to a strange affection for Cable (possibly dating back to the X-Men cartoon days) and I think that between what they've been doing with his character in Cable & Deadpool and now Messiah Complex, he's been really well written and used pretty much perfectly in the last few years. I'm glad they're really making the New X-Men come into their own, the past few years of them have either been way too Dawson's Creek or too slasher movie, not the proper Buffy level of action and interpersonal drama. I LOVE all the stuff they're doing with Rogue. She has been badly in need of some change and I think Mike Carey's handling of her has been really good. I must say, I've found Mike Carey's run on X-Men to be really refreshing, mostly because he's gone back to the writing comics that connect between arcs, and not just in secret ways that are revealed later. He has his characters interact with characters in other books and just plans ahead in useful ways.
I'm not saying the crossover was perfect, I think there was a little too much random action that wasn't always illustrated very clearly. I think it could have been truncated a little bit, but mostly just the little stuff. I think that it's not the kind of event that thrills you every second, it's not as dramatic as something like Civil War, not nearly as much tension comes off of this book even the plot makes it seem as though it should. At the same time though, I found it so much more fulfilling than a book like Civil War. Maybe it's because I'm so much more attached to the X-Universe, maybe because it feels like it's finally moving in a new direction in a coherent way. Overall, I'm just really pleased.
So my thoughts. First of all, just technically I thought it was pulled off very well. An issue in the crossover came out every week - no delays - and I was very impressed that all of the characters were able to be included and fairly well juggled despite there being such a ridiculous number. I'm also just happy that someone's carried out something really in an event with the X-Men, which in my opinion, hasn't happened for ages. Decimation may have been a decent idea, but there was NO follow through and no coherence to any storyline between books until Messiah Complex pulled them together. I also thought there was very good use of the characters; I have to admit to a strange affection for Cable (possibly dating back to the X-Men cartoon days) and I think that between what they've been doing with his character in Cable & Deadpool and now Messiah Complex, he's been really well written and used pretty much perfectly in the last few years. I'm glad they're really making the New X-Men come into their own, the past few years of them have either been way too Dawson's Creek or too slasher movie, not the proper Buffy level of action and interpersonal drama. I LOVE all the stuff they're doing with Rogue. She has been badly in need of some change and I think Mike Carey's handling of her has been really good. I must say, I've found Mike Carey's run on X-Men to be really refreshing, mostly because he's gone back to the writing comics that connect between arcs, and not just in secret ways that are revealed later. He has his characters interact with characters in other books and just plans ahead in useful ways.
I'm not saying the crossover was perfect, I think there was a little too much random action that wasn't always illustrated very clearly. I think it could have been truncated a little bit, but mostly just the little stuff. I think that it's not the kind of event that thrills you every second, it's not as dramatic as something like Civil War, not nearly as much tension comes off of this book even the plot makes it seem as though it should. At the same time though, I found it so much more fulfilling than a book like Civil War. Maybe it's because I'm so much more attached to the X-Universe, maybe because it feels like it's finally moving in a new direction in a coherent way. Overall, I'm just really pleased.