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deepfreezebatman's review
4.0
Love Chris Bachalo's artwork! Overall I'd say this trade was pretty good for just having randomly picked it up and not knowing anything about House of M or pretty much any backstory (thanks boyfriend for trying to catch me up on all of that business).
BTW.. Rachel Grey is a badass! :)
BTW.. Rachel Grey is a badass! :)
crookedtreehouse's review
3.0
The first half of this volume, focusing on the Shi'ar attempt to wipe the Grey family off the map is probably the best 21st century Claremont story. While having Chris Bachalo on art is part of the reason, there's also the fact that Claremont's story is focused in a way that none of the rest of his modern stories are. By making this a Rachel Grey story in which other mutants appear, as opposed to a team of his favorite B-side X-Men, he has time to actually develop some of the characters. Not too much. There's still some of the trademark Claremont hair-trigger turns, the most blatant in this volume is Rachel's doting grandmother who turns into a mutant hating bigot so that we don't have to feel bad when she dies.
The second half of the book expands its focus, and suffers a bit for it. It's not terrible. In fact, I'd put it up with late 80s Claremont, whcih is a sizable improvement after X-Treme X-Men, and the rest of this Uncanny New Age run.
The second half of the book expands its focus, and suffers a bit for it. It's not terrible. In fact, I'd put it up with late 80s Claremont, whcih is a sizable improvement after X-Treme X-Men, and the rest of this Uncanny New Age run.
pages_and_reels's review
4.0
A pretty dark story, the events of which play a major role in later stories involving Rachel Summers.
doctorwoofwoof's review
2.0
So, in my review for HOUSE OF M, I mentioned that I was making up for all I missed when it came out originally in 2006, like this TPB. This was not the book I was hoping it would be!
Chris Claremont, when he was on his game, he was good. His stories were decent, his characters cool, and at a base level, the heroes were heroes and the villains were villains. And even despite the initial outfit that Emma Frost first debuted in, his characters were not as objectified as they were in this run of UXM!
From the panels of Betsy Braddock, working out in a belly highlighting top and tight short shorts, to Rachel Grey, in a midriff baring t-shirt and little frilly bikini underwear in bed at night, the art within served as nothing more than fan service! It did not enhance the story, nor did it do anything to advance the plot. All it succeeded in doing was satisfying hornball fanboy desires!
It's a shame, really, as the first three issues of the trade were quite good. I thought Chris Bachalo turned in some solid art, excepting the aforementioned unnecessary "cheesecake". But, after his run, it was followed by art from Jon Sibal, which was not as smooth as Bachalo's, but still managed to sandwich in more Rachel Grey fan service, this time, in the shower as the O.N.E. sentinels were watching via CCTV!
There was a time where I would have welcomed art like that in my comics, but that me is no longer relevant or welcome. I have a different mindset, one in which I am focused on what the story offers, rather than just visualization alone.
I gave this one 2 Stars, as I was taking into account Bachalo's art and Claremont's scripting on the first three issues of this TPB. I have one more undertaking, SON OF M, which I am hoping will be better than this turned out to be!
#disappointment
Chris Claremont, when he was on his game, he was good. His stories were decent, his characters cool, and at a base level, the heroes were heroes and the villains were villains. And even despite the initial outfit that Emma Frost first debuted in, his characters were not as objectified as they were in this run of UXM!
From the panels of Betsy Braddock, working out in a belly highlighting top and tight short shorts, to Rachel Grey, in a midriff baring t-shirt and little frilly bikini underwear in bed at night, the art within served as nothing more than fan service! It did not enhance the story, nor did it do anything to advance the plot. All it succeeded in doing was satisfying hornball fanboy desires!
It's a shame, really, as the first three issues of the trade were quite good. I thought Chris Bachalo turned in some solid art, excepting the aforementioned unnecessary "cheesecake". But, after his run, it was followed by art from Jon Sibal, which was not as smooth as Bachalo's, but still managed to sandwich in more Rachel Grey fan service, this time, in the shower as the O.N.E. sentinels were watching via CCTV!
There was a time where I would have welcomed art like that in my comics, but that me is no longer relevant or welcome. I have a different mindset, one in which I am focused on what the story offers, rather than just visualization alone.
I gave this one 2 Stars, as I was taking into account Bachalo's art and Claremont's scripting on the first three issues of this TPB. I have one more undertaking, SON OF M, which I am hoping will be better than this turned out to be!
#disappointment
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