Post by Cory W. on Jan 16, 2017 21:02:04 GMT -5
X-Men Unlimited #52 by Chris Oliva
First off, let me just say that it’s great to see Chris Oliva writing at the site again. If you don’t know the Italian Olive, he’s had some pretty classic Marvel 2000 stuff in titles like PathetiX and Eye Scream, as well as the assorted side stories (like a previous X-Men Unlimited issue and a crossover with a former Alternate Branch title), all of which worth checking out for their quirky and off-beat take on mutants. Even if writers like Chris aren’t always available to commit to an ongoing series, it’s always great to see the anthology titles get some love and this is the perfect format for writers who just want to take a dip back into the M2K waters. But hey, enough with the recap… On with the review!
Chris wastes no time dropping you into the thick of the story with X-Men Unlimited #52. His introduction is brisk and sharp, much like the featured character, and things only keep rolling from there. For those familiar with Chris’s previous work, this issue clearly picks up with Bluestreak after the end of his Eye Scream mini-series. If you’re not so familiar with his past work that’s fine; it’s not necessarily required reading but will inform this story a bit more and that’s a plus for new readers. Anyway, the story continues to bounce along with the introduction of Screwball and her (manager? producer?), and her plot to live stream a bank robbery for shits and giggles. Bluestreak and a bubbly good Samaritan (A.J.) from the lead-in get better acquainted, which leads to Bluestreak visiting the gymnastics class A.J. teaches.
I won’t spoil much else from there, but suffice to say this is where the story really kicks off. Chris has a knack for tying scenes together and tight plotting, so kudos to him for really bringing it all together here. What I really like about Chris’s story telling is that there’s something of a modern take on classic super-hero tales here. This feels like it could be a single issue told in an ongoing series from the Silver Age in terms of structure, format, and theme, but with fresher characters, setting, commentary, and of course modern action. That’s a big plus as far as I’m concerned!
The story comes to a natural conclusion but leaves the door open for more. I’d be interested in seeing Chris continue this in some format or another, even if it’s just the occasional anthology issue. Overall, I’d say this was one of Chris’s strongest efforts to date at Marvel 2000 and is worthy of a look from everyone. Four out of five snowballs! Check it out!
First off, let me just say that it’s great to see Chris Oliva writing at the site again. If you don’t know the Italian Olive, he’s had some pretty classic Marvel 2000 stuff in titles like PathetiX and Eye Scream, as well as the assorted side stories (like a previous X-Men Unlimited issue and a crossover with a former Alternate Branch title), all of which worth checking out for their quirky and off-beat take on mutants. Even if writers like Chris aren’t always available to commit to an ongoing series, it’s always great to see the anthology titles get some love and this is the perfect format for writers who just want to take a dip back into the M2K waters. But hey, enough with the recap… On with the review!
Chris wastes no time dropping you into the thick of the story with X-Men Unlimited #52. His introduction is brisk and sharp, much like the featured character, and things only keep rolling from there. For those familiar with Chris’s previous work, this issue clearly picks up with Bluestreak after the end of his Eye Scream mini-series. If you’re not so familiar with his past work that’s fine; it’s not necessarily required reading but will inform this story a bit more and that’s a plus for new readers. Anyway, the story continues to bounce along with the introduction of Screwball and her (manager? producer?), and her plot to live stream a bank robbery for shits and giggles. Bluestreak and a bubbly good Samaritan (A.J.) from the lead-in get better acquainted, which leads to Bluestreak visiting the gymnastics class A.J. teaches.
I won’t spoil much else from there, but suffice to say this is where the story really kicks off. Chris has a knack for tying scenes together and tight plotting, so kudos to him for really bringing it all together here. What I really like about Chris’s story telling is that there’s something of a modern take on classic super-hero tales here. This feels like it could be a single issue told in an ongoing series from the Silver Age in terms of structure, format, and theme, but with fresher characters, setting, commentary, and of course modern action. That’s a big plus as far as I’m concerned!
The story comes to a natural conclusion but leaves the door open for more. I’d be interested in seeing Chris continue this in some format or another, even if it’s just the occasional anthology issue. Overall, I’d say this was one of Chris’s strongest efforts to date at Marvel 2000 and is worthy of a look from everyone. Four out of five snowballs! Check it out!