Off the Rack: X-Men Forever Edition #2

Off the Rack: X-Men Forever Edition #2

This issue starts off with a couple of police officers finding a burning body in Central Park. It’s Wolverine’s body and he seems really dead this time, nothing is left but an Adamantium skeleton sans the middle claw on his right hand.  While back at the mansion we find out the X-Men were attacked mentally by someone or something at the end of last issue and Jean took the brute of the force herself, but the attack still knocked out several X-Men and  power at the mansion. So now the X-Men are injured and in the dark. Fury suspects someone is in the mansion and he is right. Storm heads down to the power generators to jump start them back on. Before she accomplishes her goal she is attacked by Sabretooth. They talk and fight for a couple of pages and Storm leads Sabretooth into the Danger Room to fight in a more open space so she may use her powers better. Before they fight further the rest of the X-Men run in and help Storm. The battle continues on with Sabretooth getting the best of the X-Men until Storm strikes. She uses her weather based powers to create a lightning strike which blinds Sabretooth. The X-Men look shocked at the extreme force Storm uses to stop Sabretooth. As they talk Sabretooth gets up and assures the X-Men that this fight is not over yet.  

A simple breakdown of the issue would be as follows:

Page 1-2: Police find Wolverine’s body

Page 3-8: X-Men recover from the mental attack. Power is out on the mansion.

Page 9-10: S.H.I.E.L.D. investigates Wolverine’s body.

Pages 11-12: Fury gets a feeling the X-Men aren’t alone in the mansion.

Pages 13-16: Storm goes to turn the power on, Sabretooth attacks Storm.

Pages 17-21: X-Men run in to save Storm and attacks Sabretooth. Storm blinds Sabretooth.

Page 22: A blind Sabretooth vows this fight isn’t over, continued next issue.

Overall this issue was heads above the last issue. Tom Grummett’s art seemed to improve a lot since the last issue. I’m sure that comes from getting more and more familiar with the characters and starting to morph the characters into his own drawing style instead of mimicking a style similar to what they where doing in the 1990’s. I thought the cover of X-Men Forever #2 was very nice (also by Grummett) and at first glance reminds me of an Alan Davis penciled cover.

The writing seemed less wordy for the sake of being wordy, so that is good. The story is still up in the air.  I mean we have had two issues and nothing but unexplained fighting scenes have happened. Cortez shows up and fights for no reason in issue #1 and now in this issue Sabretooth does the same thing. Both issues also had the X-Men getting blindly attacked. Issue #1 saw the Blackbird jet get blown away, and this issue we learn Jean prevented a blind attack between issue #1 and issue #2. I will assume we will eventually find out who is behind these attacks but for a comic that is $3.99 you had better hook readers in within the first couple of issues.

If you read the above it almost sounds like I am saying this issue was good, make no mistake I am not saying that at all, I am simply saying it seemed better than the last pile of crap Claremont gave us.

And for those other reviewers and fans that think I am picking on Chris Claremont go back and re-read X-Men #1 – #3. Go dig them out and re-read them. While the dialogue is still wordy the story itself is great. Jean wasn’t running around during those issues getting all hot and bothered by Wolverine like she was in X-Men Forever #1. In fact the Scott Summers/Jean Grey/Wolverine love triangle that Claremont decided to shove down our throats in X-Men Forever #1 was only mentioned in one sentence in all three of those issues of X-Men #1 – #3.

If I could make a complaint about those issues it wouldn’t be the story but the art, and that was because it just felt outdated but then again it was 18 years ago. So before you bitch about me being mean to Chris Claremont go re-read X-Men #1 – #3 then read X-Men Forever #1 and then you will see what a hunk of crap that comic is. 

See you in two weeks for Off the Rack: X-Men Forever Edition #3

Below are some brief reviews for books from the week of June 17^th 2009.

Dark Avengers #6 (Marvel)

The Dark Illuminati gather, Norman Osborn and Namor butt heads.  Atlantean terrorists attack Melrose, California. Iron Patriot (Osborn) sends in the Sentry to take care of the problem and he does. At the end of the issue, Norman is shown breaking down from the stress of everything and talking to another voice in his head. Could the Green Goblin be coming back soon?  I hate to tell people they need to be reading at comic that is $3.99 but this is one that delivers each month.

Secret Warriors #5 (Marvel)

The return of Nick Fury and the Howling Commandos! The Secret Warriors and Fury’s boys have had enough and strike Hydra head on. Great Issue! This series is great and still only $2.99.

Sonic Universe #5 (Archie Comics)

30 Years Later Part 1 of 4 starts here! Sonic is now King and everyone is happy, right? The Dark Presence led by Lein-Da wants to assassinate Sonic and they almost succeed. But just as a missile is about to hit Sonic and family they are saved by Silver the Hedgehog. Silver is a time-travelling hedgehog that has come back in time to save his future. More to come next issue! Yes it’s goofy and made for kids but for only $2.50 it was a good fun read.   

Thunderbolts #133 (Marvel)

We find out who Yelena Belova (Black Widow II) is really working for in this issue.   Ant-Man wants to quit the team but realizes he might have to kill Norman Osborn to do it. At the end we are introduced to what looks to be a new character named Scourge who Osborn assigns to the team. Songbird also returns!!!

Related posts:

1. Off the Rack: X-Men Forever Edition #3
2. Off the Rack: X-Men Forever “LONG OVERDUE” Edition #5
3. Off the Rack: X-Men Forever Edition #1
4. Off the Rack: X-Men Forever “OVERDUE” Edition #6
5. Off the Rack: X-Men Forever Edition #4