Wolverine and the X-Men #22 Review

If the only things that the Murder Circus storyline accomplishes are to make the Hellfire Club’s Black Bishop into a fully rounded character, it will have been a worthwhile narrative. That doesn’t mean that it hasn’t been a bumpy road. In Wolverine and the X-Men #22, the Murder Circus arc reaches its climax, but it feels like most of the team is just along for the ride.

Jason Aaron is a great writer, and I think it’s well within his ability to make Eye-Boy into a cool character. Until that point, though, every one of his appearances is like nails on a chalkboard to me. Fortunately, we have characters like Maximilian and Idie to occupy the bulk of this week’s pages. This pairing sounds like a paint-by-the-numbers odd couple on the surface, but Aaron has turned it into something that I’m interested in following.

The same cannot be said, however, for the ten-or-so other characters representing the X-Men in this book. Their appearances, especially those of the Jean Grey School faculty, are hand-waving background action for the story’s Max/Idie centerpiece. Throw in Calcabrina and Frankenstein’s monster, and you’ve got four characters that are responsible for all of this issue’s value. The inclusion of the rest of the X-Men detracts from the overall experience, particularly when the lame pivots for Logan, Kitty, and Storm are considered.

The pencils-and-colors team of Nick Bradshaw and Laura Martin is a great match for the story, crafting a visual style that reflects the youthful setting and interpersonal dynamics. Bradshaw deserves recognition for controlling the camera well for the majority of the book. Aside from two jump cuts, he keeps his progressions clear with effective close-ups and enough medium and long shots to reset action pieces. The inclusion of four inkers, however, makes the artwork feel a bit uneven.

If you don’t mind the nagging feeling that much of the whole Murder Circus production is window dressing, you’ll be able to appreciate the teen drama at the heart of this book. Aaron has set up a nice dynamic with two interesting and relatively new characters for the near future. Let's just hope that the comedy that has bolstered this series for so long returns next issue.

Poet Mase is a regular contributor to IGN who is all out of money until his next paycheck thanks to Marvel. Follow Poet on Twitter @PoetMase, or post a message on his IGN profile PoetMase.

Source : ign[dot]com