Alright. I’m here! I will get slightly spoilers, so read at your own discretion.
•X-Factor #7: I’m rather pleased with how Leah is running things in X-Factor. Each character has a distinct personality that really blends well for them as a team. This issue was all about focusing on what happened to these characters before they came to Krakoa through conversations with each other. Now, I’m pretty positive that I can at least make out one motivation as to why almost everyone on X-Factor would be motivated to fight for their place in their home.
The cons of the issue fall in line with a couple of things. Daken and Rachel....they got an unexplained personality change without explanation as to why they act the way they are. It’s technically always been there, but I let it slide for the reason of allowing Leah her footing with the characters as she demonstrates their voices. She is not rushing and I admire that, yet the problems left still prevail:
•Daken is a lot more noticeable in how his personality has changed compared to his other iterations. It’s not an unlikeable personality. Quite the opposite. So, where‘s the problem?
Before Aurora, what exactly is Daken’s previous motivation for wanting to join to begin with? I am not sure I even know why he was interested in Aurora’s murder before properly meeting Aurora. The changes are good now because we are getting more of what is in Daken’s head, but that missing piece of why he takes a leap of faith in someone who he has never had any interaction beyond this book still lingers. We know Daken wants Aurora, that much is plain to see. What about in regards to himself? Because I frankly don’t buy that a character so selfish before grew a conscious out of nowhere and decided to choose the morally good over his own pleasure or benefit.
•Rachel is the bigger issue for being noticeably out of the loop of character development. I’m positive Leah might have some things in the works for Rachel, but it would have been nice to have some insight on how Rachel feels about this new home that is Krakoa. Even a small moment with Amazing Baby the way a pet owner talks to their pet would have been just fine to get insight on Rachel’s own psyche.
So, what is making things easier for her to live with all the bad memories and issues mentally regarding the basic forced enslavement that not only happened at the start of her life, but in very recent times? I can say I know what is in the other characters heads. I can’t say the same for Rachel. Make it a moment with the Summers family where she just silently smiles and watches the conversation and it would be more than what we have been given. Have her talk to Amazing Baby and it would welcome insight on the character. Basically, give us more Rachel.
Score is an 8/ 10. Nice characterizations as per usual and the honestly, I am finding the plot here more and more engaging with each new perspective Leah draws on.
•Hellions #9: Why? Why is this so good? The book is full of D-List characters with only Sinister, Psylocke, and Havok as the faces. They just introduced a returning C-List character, yet I’m invested into every single one of them in this book!
If I had any problems with the book, it’s utilizing the characters a little more creatively.....scratch that. Use the main characters powers more creatively because my god the villains powers are just....amazing to behold, especially this issue.
Score is a 9/ 10. Beautiful art, outstanding colors, and outstanding plot.
•King in Black: Marauders: Gotta say. Not bad....not stellar either. I get the point of the message the book wants to convey. They are heroes, so they prioritize innocents before their own agenda’s....
With that in mind, the original hook was that they were to go on a rescue mission and just make a pit stop on the way. I know innocents are in danger and you could help, but if this was gonna be the entire plot of the book, you could have just not bothered to mention in the beginning a bigger threat that would theoretically take bigger priority for how much damage it can produce. It’s a cruel tease for what could have been a hype sequence in favor of a moral dilemma with less stakes than what is going on in the background.
Score is a 6/10. Not bad, but very disappointing.
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