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crookedtreehouse's review
4.0
Part two of a series that is just a collection of random stories sort of leading up to a major event sets a pretty low bar for enjoyment. I really expected to find myself flipping through this while rolling my eyes. I found myself, instead, enjoying several short X-Men stories that share little more than the publication dates and a few characters.
A better name for this trade would be X-Men vs. The 90s X-book continuity. Most of these stories seem to be trying to end the weird, disappointing storylines that preceded it. In some ways by merely bringing stories to their conclusions: Sabretooth's rehabilitation, Longshot & Dazzler having been shunted back to the Mojoverse, Bishop's mistrust of Gambit, some Age Of Apocalypse nonsense.. In some ways by throwing very weird new storylines: the introduction of Joseph, a crossover with ClanDestine, expanding the mythos around the Guthrie family. Most of them work in this volume. For me, they work because they aren't dwelled on long enough to be excruciating, which is one of the most frequent causes of a bad X-story: going on for too long.
The X-Babies? Two issues and you can forget about them for years. ClanDestine? Two issues and you're never going to see them again. Sabretooth? Two issues to move his story in a completely different direction. The Guthrie clan's family problem? One long issue. Wolverine is even used judiciously in these volumes.
This volume won't be for everybody. But if you really liked the weird end of the 90s X-books, this book has just what you're looking for.
A better name for this trade would be X-Men vs. The 90s X-book continuity. Most of these stories seem to be trying to end the weird, disappointing storylines that preceded it. In some ways by merely bringing stories to their conclusions: Sabretooth's rehabilitation, Longshot & Dazzler having been shunted back to the Mojoverse, Bishop's mistrust of Gambit, some Age Of Apocalypse nonsense.. In some ways by throwing very weird new storylines: the introduction of Joseph, a crossover with ClanDestine, expanding the mythos around the Guthrie family. Most of them work in this volume. For me, they work because they aren't dwelled on long enough to be excruciating, which is one of the most frequent causes of a bad X-story: going on for too long.
The X-Babies? Two issues and you can forget about them for years. ClanDestine? Two issues and you're never going to see them again. Sabretooth? Two issues to move his story in a completely different direction. The Guthrie clan's family problem? One long issue. Wolverine is even used judiciously in these volumes.
This volume won't be for everybody. But if you really liked the weird end of the 90s X-books, this book has just what you're looking for.
mjfmjfmjf's review
2.0
No through story here. Just a semi-random collection, some that make a little sense and some that don't make any. The bit at the end with Bishop and apparently Onslaught was definitely the worst - didn't make sense and really wasn't interesting. Even the X-Babies story was better and that's saying something. The Lee Forrester, Bloodstream, Belasco semi-Bermuda Triangle was almost as bad and having Psylocke along certainly didn't help. Sabretooth escaping had some moments of interest. Actually the Guthrie's going home to check on one of their siblings was the only decent story. Basically this book was a waste of time.
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