Description

Her·o·ine (noun \ˈher-ə-wən, ˈhir-, ˈhe-rə-\) - 1:a. A mythological or legendary woman having the qualities of a hero. b. A woman admired and emulated for her achievements and qualities.

Thursday, December 9, 2010


Uncanny X-Men #529
Written by Mat Fraction. Pencils by Whilce Portacio with Harvey Tolibao

The "Five Lights" storyline continues as Hope and gang find the fourth light and Emma Frost tries to make up for past sins by sneaking Sebastian Shaw out of Utopia with the help of Fantomex.

This was the first issue in a while that left me feeling disappointed. It was more of an in-between issue to set up the story for the Generation Hope mini series than anything else. The fourth “light,” Teon, is a laughable character that storms the scene with animalistic urges. Fight, flight, and mate are his only emotions and words.

It’s been a few years since there was a fresh mutant character, something original or at least intriguing, and we are given Teon—a dog on two legs? A throwaway character like Teon degrades the significance of Hope as the savior of the mutant race and the importance of the “Second Coming” story arc. I really expected the five lights to bring something grand to the X-Men but now I am not so sure. But I digress.

This issue’s real appeal was in Emma Frost’s story and development. Fraction really tapped into the essence of her character and has made her better than ever by heightening her angst, fear, and sorrow. The dialogue among Emma Frost, Fantomex, and Kitty Pryde regarding her significance as a person and the pain she has endured are brilliant and reveals a part of Frost that I was convinced didn’t exist. Apparently, I’m not the only one who thought so as Danger reveals that is let Emma take Sebastian Shaw as a test to show her true colors.

The artistry of the book was also lacking. Portacio did his usual, but Harvey Tolbao did the last four pages, seemingly for no reason. Not that he did a bad job, but there is nothing more annoying than the change of artists within a book if there is no reason!

It’s a somewhat dull issue, but the set-up for the next Uncanny X-Men accomplished what it was meant to.

No comments:

Post a Comment