It was only two weeks ago All-New X-Men #1 introduced to the world the new vision writer Brian Michael Bendis had for the X-Men. The crux of this vision? Time travel. Many were skeptical, many angry before reading a single page, but after the first issue many also seemed either happy with/or indifferent to this new story. I enjoyed it, but was skeptical it’d sustain the quality morality play it was becoming. Now issue number two has hit the stands. So we ask the question, dear AiPT readers: is it good?
All-New X-Men #2 (Marvel Comics)
Observations: Kitty’s costume is so tight her navel is visible and Wolverine’s claws are super shiny.
Many of you might have wondered why Bendis didn’t zap the first class X-Men to the future in the first issue. Now it’s obvious, at least to me. You see, introducing such a wild idea in the first issue would have had us all in an uproar. Instead he introduced both sides of the argument and cast Cyclops of today in an ambiguous and interesting light. What the series was ultimately going to be about was on display, but the conventions to deliver it hadn’t started yet. Issue number 2 however, doesn’t do the first issue justice.
I thought you were a genius. At least talk like one!
The book opens where we left off, namely with Beast explaining to kid Cyclops, Iceman, Beast and Marvel Girl why they need to be zapped into the future. The idea is so dumb and so dangerous Beast resorts to blurting out just how bad the future is and stupidly reveals to them details that would prevent them from wanting to go. I suppose they’d find out anyway, once they’ve entered the future, but as far as this issue goes, Beast should stay away from negotiations.
Hushed surprise!
Unfortunately for this issue there’s a lot of heavy handed dialogue that isn’t very clever. Beast stumbles his way through an explanation and the first class X-Men simply assume they should take him at his word. But the hell with reasoning, let’s go to the future!
”On our mother…” How meta.
I know what you’re thinking: Beast’s mutation is making him desperate. The problem I’m having with that is that he says he wants to make sure the mutant race is safe, but his actions read more as desperation to keep himself alive. Considering how often time travel occurs in comic books he’s not taking much of a risk potentially destroying the space time continuum, although we’re reminded of this danger 3 times in the issue. We’re reminded so much I can’t help but think Bendis very badly wants us to know: One, there’s a huge risk going on here (which further validates Bendis’ story as epic) and two, Beast is being an asshole.
Way to be eloquent. Note to self: New pick-up line.
It’s no surprise we’re two issues in and not a lot has happened yet as that’s the bread and butter of this story. Unfortunately for this issue, there are a plethora of stupid groan inducing moments that should only occur in Michael Bay films.
Freaky Friday moment. Gotta love em.
I will say it’s fun to see the reaction from each character as they encounter the time travellers. Wolverine’s reaction in particular is surprising, but I guess he should assume these guys aren’t really from the past but some kind of monster come to kill his school. One moment that made me laugh out loud, and not in a good way, takes place when Wolverine gives the first class X-Men a talking to. As he tells them to go right back to their time he’s doing so in front of a TV broadcasting Cyclops of today running amuck. Kind of silly no?
But probably done on purpose.
This issue does a lot of telling and not a lot of showing, which is something we’ve grown to expect from Bendis. But with comics serving as a medium between novels and movies I see it as a failing on this issue’s part. Clearly Bendis is honing in on the emotional side of the characters, with Beast acting irrationally and the first class X-Men attempting to act rationally.
Welcome to the entire purpose of this series.
We’ll see if it can crack the ComiX Weekly 10 dollar budget later today. The main problem with this comic is that it spends all of its time with the characters not taking action. Instead they ruminate on what is going on, which is boring and clunky.
Is It Good?
No.
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