REVIEW: X-Men #7
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Written By: Brian Wood
Pencils By: Terry Dodson / Inks By: Rachel Dodson / Colours By: Jason Keith / Letters By: Joe Caramagna
Price: $3.99
Brian Wood’s X-Men has been one of my favourite new ongoings of recent time. Yes there is a (mainly) all female team, yes the teenage vampire mutant who nobody really likes kinda kidnapped a baby (she is now legally his mother) and yes there are far too many psychics around, but this was a great book.
So it pains me to relay my utter confusion at this, honestly mess of a book. Terry & Rachel Dodson work great on the colorist Jason Keith until the illogical representation of several key characters to this issue’s plot.
Karima Shapandar, Monet St. Croix and Yuriko Oyama aka Lady Deathstrike are indistinguishable from one another both artistically and script wise. There are one or two occasions where Karima seems to be a little more unique but only contextually when being introduced to Monet. Monet and Yuriko are presented as being the same character, implanted with the consciousness of Lady Deathstrike a plot point I was all for following until the two characters crossed paths in battle.
From the outset Wood is upfront about the exit of one of his key characters and the replacement of these new members. I have only a passing knowledge of Lady Deathstrike but the full extent of her abilities and somewhat weird body switching was not on my radar. It was not explained competently here at all, nor in fact was the previous role of Monet. All that was gleamed was a prior sore relationship with Jubilee.
That this issue is but only part one of six of on new story arc fills my heart with dread. The next issue will be given the benefit of the doubt to see whether or not this grievous hump in the road will mar an otherwise stellar series.
Score: 6.5
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