Girls Kissing and Kitty Pryde? What More Could You Want?
The Overview: Here we are with another installment of Marvel's fun little team-up book. Off the bat, I must say this is better than the first. My biggest gripe with the first issue was that only one story seemed worthwhile while the other fell flat in comparison. This time around, we get two fun stories as advertised, and this is one winning formula.
The Good: As I mentioned earlier, I liked both of the stories in this issue. They are nothing groundbreaking or essential, but they are both fun, lighthearted, and best of all... continuity-free (for the most part, I'll explain later)!
In the first story we see a team-up of both Rogue and Black Widow. As spoiled in the other reviews posted here and the title of this review, there is a nice kissing scene shared between the two. No, it didn't have feelings associated with it and yes, it was completely ridiculous and unnecessary. However, when you get two of the most popular females in the Marvel Universe kissing, you just don't question it, okay? Just enjoy. The art in this first story is beautiful and I can't stress that enough. Chris Bachalo is one of my favorite artists so I may be a bit biased but if you love his cartoony style, you'll really dig this because he does not disappoint. His dialogue doesn't disappoint either as he captures the voices of Rogue and Black Widow here nicely. They play off each other well. One thing that I appreciate when creators write Rogue is that he was able to capture that essence of a Southern accent without hitting us over the head with it and totally emphasizing it. Black Widow is done here nicely as well. It's really just two attractive females kicking butt! This could be the script to the next summer blockbuster! Haha, maybe...
The second story is just as good if not better. Fans of Kitty Pryde will adore this short story because it appreciates and showcases Kitty's genius. We see her with another intelligent individual, Tony Stark, and the two end up getting into a fun and crazy mess. What's nice about this story is that it's just pure storytelling. It doesn't rely on any type of gimmick like the first one kind of does (girls kissing will get people interested) and rather just tells a fun tale and has some great dialogue between two of the Marvel Universe's brightest minds. I also love the art in this story but I could see how some people may not. It's done by Mike del Mundo. The bodies are drawn very slender and the whole thing is colored in a pink hue. It kind of has that, art house sort of feel to it that may not be for everybody.
The Bad: Regarding the first story in particular, I can see how some female fans may find the whole thing a bit condescending. Between the kissing, the dialogue of Black Widow when she's in the nail salon, and the overall tone, some may find it a bit too much especially coming from a male creator trying to capture female voices. I personally don't feel that way about the book but to be fair I am a male. I know that female comic readers are the minority and I'm sure Bachalo writes the two characters' dialogue in the most innocuous way and is trying to be respectful but I felt that it was something that should still be addressed.
As far as the second story goes, as I mentioned earlier, the art may not be for everyone. The whole think is pretty monotone in pink and that may put some people off. Also, these stories are advertised as continuity-free, and although this is a little nit-picky, the story does reference something that happened in X-Men continuity. It in no way detracts from the story and those who may be confused won't really need an explanation to figure out exactly what happened. I know it's hard to write something without showing how a character has progressed throughout time and although minor, this detail is something I felt needed to be pointed out. Another thing is that it ends pretty abruptly. The solution is a little... really? That's it? But it is trying to fit two stories into one issue and I understand that. Storytelling in such a small capacity is a difficult task indeed.
The Verdict: As I mentioned in my review for the first issue in this series, this is what comic book storytelling should be: fun little bit-size stories that leave you satisfied and fulfilled. We get two wonderful stories that are exactly just that, no more, no less. And really, what more could we expect? If you didn't like the first issue because you felt you got gipped on the last story, give this one a shot. If you just didn't like the formula of the way this series is being written, this is more of the same so stay away. It's still a $3.99 price point but I feel here it is justified as both stories deliver. And if you missed the first issue, jump on here. They're all jumping on points since they're continuity-free (for the most part)!
4/5 stars. Very fun, I recommend but it is in no way essential.
