Uncanny X-Men #509

Written by: Matt Fraction

Art by: Greg Land

Well, if you didn’t notice before, this month’s Uncanny cover really proves that Greg Land draws every chick like a porn star. And not that I want to look at some mishapen haggard”butter” face, it just gets annoying trying to tell every female character apart.

Again, Land’s art aside, this issue is a step up from last. The whole ridiculous scenario involving a Godzilla like monster fighting off one of the most boring and uninteresting X-teams in a long time, are gone. The science team is still there, they are just in a lab this month. The one aspect I don’t like about this science team, is the fact that they have so much screen time, if you will. It’s comprised of characters I really don’t care about, or at least I don’t amongst the other things happening in the book. Dr. Nemesis? I don’t like him. Madison Jefferies comes off a little tacked on. I mean, how often can he be of use? He talks to robots. Beast is cool, it is just strange that all this time after the events of House of M, they are just now trying to figure out how to reactivate the X-Gene.

The biggest portion of the book is dedicated to showing off mutants in California, just being themselves again. No wars, no global threats, just hanging out and stopping the occasional minor crimes. This is just to show that as soon as the mutants all flock to California, we learn that a new Mutant Control act is being talked about. If passed, the act will require all mutants undergo a chemical birth control operation that would stop them from breeding. Ever since a video tape was released that showed mutants involved in that disatrous event back in Messiah Complex, which also involved the first mutant being born since M-Day, people have become afraid of mutants again. So just when things seem calm, mutants are back in the spotlight being painted as a menace.

Again, helping to bolster this is the fact that Pixie is growing up and doing what all girls do at that age, go out to parties and flirting with boys. As far as she knows, she is just having fun socializing and becoming a young woman, but out there in the distance looms Propostion X. So in a time where girls like Pixie are becoming interested in boys, this Propostion X aims to ruin all that. Her coming of age may soon be dashed if nothing is done about this. But we all know that it will be addressed. In a very “God Loves, Man Kills”, Uncanny 509 sets out to again cause more grief to the remaining mutants on Earth.

The ressurection of Madelyn Pryor through Psylocke’s body will also bring about some added drama to the mutants. The ending of the book, shows that not only do the remaining good mutants of the world know where they can find refuge in California, but the bad guys women know where they can find their targets.

Lands’ art is good. I don’t hate him, I just think that he sometimes gets a little stale, where every female looks the same. This issue still stays true to that. The opening pages show the Stepford Cuckoos cavorting around town, and the next page shows Dazzler and Pixie on a rock concert stage. What I’m getting at, is the girls all look the same. Just short of hair color, you really can’t tell the difference between them. I only knew this because Dazzler is a singer, and has sparkly things flying out of her hand, and the Stepford Cuckoos are triplets. Oh and Pixie has wings. Other than that, that is where my problem with his art lies. While not badly drawn, it just begs for more varied character depictions.

All in all, not a bad issue. Some of the nagging aspects I have had with Matt Fraction’s story have been remedied, making room for some really great plots. And I mean plots in the most literal sense available. He is tossing around so many plots, it really is amazing that he can give us a taste of all of them in just one issue.
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The Flash: Rebirth #1

Written by: Geoff Johns

Art by: Ethan Van Sciver

If there was one thing you learned or understood from Final Crisis, it’s the fact that Barry Allen was brought back into the DCU. Knowing that fact, it takes away some of the mystery of this new series: The Flash: Rebirth. And that is the main problem with this book: there is just about no mystery or shock in seeing Barry back in the red suit. Obviously, Geoff Johns will have some trouble in making this book seem relevant, and on some note, he does.

Most of the book is spent on Barry’s friends’ and enemies’ reactions. A good amount of the book is spent on these. It all made sense to show reactions of everyone, but after about the third group of people expressing shock and disbelief, it became redundant. I get it, he’s back, but having it spoon fed to me over the course of 32 pages is too much. Much like the last great Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver team-up, Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps War, Johns placed a lot of continuity into his story, but NOT like the afformentioned big event, he has not given a concise, yet absurdly detailed recounting of those needed bits of continuity. First time readers of the Flash will more than likely be bewildered by the idea of the “Speed Force” and some of the other little Barry Allen history.

Remember in Live Free or Die Hard, John McClane was an old school cop with technophobia? Well, Rebirth #1 utilizes that same concept. We already know that Barry has been gone a long time, but that fact is just constantly told to us. He doesn’t understand current day technology. Cell phones, internet, and texting and the likes of other “high speed” tech is over the head of a “high speed” superhero. The world is moving faster than the fastest man alive.

The book focused on the lives of everyone around Barry. With just a little hint of what’s to come hitting near the last few pages of the book, it almost comes in as an afterthought. It is interesting, but you have to wait around so long to see what the book is more than likely going to be about.

Van Sciver is a fantastic artist. Sinestro Corps War #1 was a beautiful piece of work. Large splash pages and interesting page layouts seemed to spring from the pages. The cover to the Flash: Rebirth #1 is classic Van Sciver, but the inside leaves something to be desired. It is still fantastic, I was just expecting something more. It’s kinda hard to complain about Van Sciver because his work is always great, it just was lacking some of that “spring” to it.

I still recommend this book, but if you aren’t a Flash fan, I would have to direct you to the nearest comic shop and tell you to pick up some Barry Allen trades before picking up Flash: Rebirth. The book is in capable hands, it is just a lot of continuity. I will say that it doesn’t hold a candle to Final Crisis’ head asploding concepts, but it might help to familiarize yourself with Central City’s crimson speedster. (more…)