Dun-dun-dah!
THE GOOD
Doop.
The first two page and two of the last three pages expand the character of Max Frankenstein. They show him to be equal parts bad guy and good guy. I've got high hopes that he'll be coming back in later issues and there'll be some conflict in him about which side he should fight on.
Frankenstein as a character is interesting. It's kind of cool that he'll be coming back in later issues. I also like that Jason Aaron develops the powers of Frankenstein by showing off his super-strength (he throws an elephant and pulls off a guy's arm) and by having Wolverine do things to him that would kill anyone else (he cuts off Frankenstein's arm and twists around his claws inside of him).
Hellfire Academy looks interesting. I'm sure that there's going to be a "competition with the camp across the lake" style issue or arc later.
THE BAD
I don't really think that the character of Frankenstein can last that much longer. Eventually it's going to get boring that he hunts Max (as the last member of the Frankenstein family).
Why did Toad suddenly show up?
Frankenstein has super strength. Idie is around fifteen. How on Earth did she not have her neck broken or fall unconscious.
Storm saves Frankenstein from being finished off by the X-men present. How is she going to be in Uncanny X-Force and/or dating Wolverine? She's not that kind of person, clearly.
THE VERDICT
I'm a little glad that this issue will be ending this arc, because it doesn't feel necessary right now. The work that Aaron did with Max, Frankenstein and introducing an old villain (in this issue) was good, but I think it could have been done elsewhere. I'm assuming then that the next arc is dealing directly with Kade Kilgore and the Hellfire Club, otherwise both Frankenstein and Max would have been developed there instead.
