Release Date: October 16th, 2013
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Written By: Simon Spurrier
Art By: Khoi Pham
Price: 2.99
Review:
I hate Cyclops after this issue. I was one of three people in North America who actually still liked him. We all know each other and attended regular support meetings. Leading up to, and after, the AvsX event, Cyclops became Marvel’s whipping boy. Everyone hated him except my 2 amigos and I. He was bucking the system and telling Steve Rogers himself to go sit on it and spin. Nobody tells Cap no. Ever. He wouldn’t turn over the first mutant born in years to the Avengers just on the basis that she MIGHT do something bad. I’m surprised people didn’t get the blatant juxtaposition of Cap VS. Scott with the black bag security of post 9/11 America VS the citizens. Before I get into politics and my love for ragtag rebel leaders in general, I’ll stick to Legion.
He is quickly turning into my favorite character in comic books right now. The writing is insanely good, delving into the true psychotic mind frame needed to be a superhero. Legion dissects his father’s X-Men and cuts straight to the problem at hand instead of worrying about how the media or peers view him. I’ve never seen nor expected this much character development and evolution in an X-title. I love when he deals with the X-people because he always wins with a proactive approach. Except this time. His ace up his sleeve didn’t win the hand in the end. Up until the last few pages, I thought Legion beat Cyclops at his own game with a rope-a-dope complex enough to catch the master strategist off guard. In the end though, in about two pages, it looks like Cyclops dismantled everything I’ve grown to love about Legion. All of his growth and progress in controlling his multiple personalities seemingly out the window. Which of course would result in yet another world threat via Scott Summers. I thought that this would be it for David Haller the Awesome and we would get Legion the Psychotic God versus Cyclops the Hero. The preview of the cover for X-Men Legacy #19 suggests otherwise though. I mean,honestly, who could beat him if he lost it? I think Legion could take any Marvel character out. There I said it.
I miss the book’s original artist but the pencils are strong and convey action perfectly. It’s not a masterpiece but the fight scenes are kinetic and full of potential at the same time. Facial expressions and details are lacking. The eyes on the characters look silly at times and the lack of detail in the figures looks hurried. It looks like Oliver Coipel had a bad day all over the pages. Just not my cup of tea.
Spurrier’s storytelling ability makes up for not having Van Gogh headlining this book. Previous pencils took David’s twisted, fractured world to alien landscapes and transported the reader along with him. It matched the story. This art doesn’t drag the awesome writing down but it doesn’t do it any favors either. Legion’s emergence as a man from his father’s infinitely large shadow and his growth into a proactive hero, possibly the most powerful one ever, is worth stick figure drawings in my opinion. Legion’s dialog alone, usually cutting Cyclops to the core, is worth it.