Tuesday, August 12, 2014

AMAZING X-MEN Vol. 1: THE QUEST FOR NIGHTCRAWLER



AMAZING X-MEN Vol. 1: THE QUEST FOR NIGHTCRAWLER
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Ed McGuinness
$17.99, Marvel Comics, 136 pgs.
ISBN 978-0785188216

In this throwback to the fun and exuberant X-Men tales of the late 1970s/early 1980s—arguably the X-Men's peak period, and one Marvel would do well to revisit more often—our mutant heroes embark on a cross-dimensional adventure in the afterlife. There they reunite with fan-favorite Nightcrawler (dead since 2010) to cross swords with Nightcrawler's demonic father Azazel. It's a swashbuckling, pirate-flavored adventure with the very fate of the afterlife hanging in the balance. It's every bit as ridiculous as it sounds, and it's absolutely wonderful.

This is also a very well-crafted comic. Jason Aaron's script hits all the right emotional beats, balancing humor and that special brand of soap opera melodrama that makes the X-books unique among superhero comics. Ed McGuinness' artwork has taken an evolutionary leap forward with his work on this title, boasting a clean, expressive line that perfectly matches the bombastic energy of this story. This is a comic simultaneously "retro" in its sensibilities and modern in execution, the work of a creative team clearly having a great time with the material.

If you don't try to take it too seriously, you'll have a great time, too.  

TIPS FOR LIBRARIANS: If you're trying to keep up with all the X-books, don't panic! This title actually picks up where Astonishing X-Men ended, so there'll be no more volumes of that series. Marvel isn't sticking you with yet another X-title on which to spend collection development funds. Well, not yet. Give 'em time.

READERS' ADVISORY NOTES: Fans of Marvel's mutants will enjoy this one, particularly those readers who prefer the more lighthearted vibe demonstrated by titles such as All-New X-Men. This is also a good return point for lapsed readers who were alienated by Marvel's "darkening" of the X-books back in the '90s, a trend that is only now starting to abate. Finally, let's not overlook the fact that this is, despite its supernatural and superheroic elements, a pirate story...and who doesn't love a pirate story?

CONTENT ADVISORY: Superhero action/violence; story elements some readers might find ideologically uncomfortable

Review©2014. C. Michael Hall

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