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A review by crookedtreehouse
Exiles Vol. 4: Legacy by Judd Winick
4.0
Another fun alternate universe hopping adventure. This collection has two stories: the Exiles have to save a universe from a Phalanx/Legacy Virus hybrid, and Weapon X has to save a different universe from the fallout of a war between Tony Stark and the Inhumans.
Winnick has a better sense of characters than many of the people who were writing X-books at the same time. The melodrama is more of an accent to his stories than a driving force. His evolution of Morph from goofy, misogynist hornball, to smart comic relief has made the title a lot easier to read.
I also enjoyed the art change from Califore's more cartoonish Exiles story, and Walker's more cross-hatched Weapon X storyline. Each style gelled well with the tone of the stories.
I recommend this for all X-fans looking for some fun outside of the usual continuity.
**********Updated during 2022 reread*********
This might be the best volume of The Exiles. There are quite a few obvious tropes that Winick manages to subvert at the very last moments. He also uses a ton of narration boxes, particularly in the Weapon X story.
I often complain about these "Claremont boxes" as I grew up reading them when they were at their worst: "The snow was cold as snow and the snow cold snow brushed against his skin causing him to shiver...because of the cold." But the reason the Claremont run was so beloved is because, for a long time, they worked. They fed you a back story that wouldn't have been interesting to see unfold. And that's how Winick uses it here.
i want to double down that if you loved the moral questioning Claremont era of X-Men, then this is one of the better 21st century X-books on the shelves. If you're not a huge fan of that style, then this is just pretty good. But worth the read, either way.
Winnick has a better sense of characters than many of the people who were writing X-books at the same time. The melodrama is more of an accent to his stories than a driving force. His evolution of Morph from goofy, misogynist hornball, to smart comic relief has made the title a lot easier to read.
I also enjoyed the art change from Califore's more cartoonish Exiles story, and Walker's more cross-hatched Weapon X storyline. Each style gelled well with the tone of the stories.
I recommend this for all X-fans looking for some fun outside of the usual continuity.
**********Updated during 2022 reread*********
This might be the best volume of The Exiles. There are quite a few obvious tropes that Winick manages to subvert at the very last moments. He also uses a ton of narration boxes, particularly in the Weapon X story.
I often complain about these "Claremont boxes" as I grew up reading them when they were at their worst: "The snow was cold as snow and the snow cold snow brushed against his skin causing him to shiver...because of the cold." But the reason the Claremont run was so beloved is because, for a long time, they worked. They fed you a back story that wouldn't have been interesting to see unfold. And that's how Winick uses it here.
i want to double down that if you loved the moral questioning Claremont era of X-Men, then this is one of the better 21st century X-books on the shelves. If you're not a huge fan of that style, then this is just pretty good. But worth the read, either way.