Story Title: Mr. M (1 of 6)
Reviewer: James Hatton
Writer: David Hine
Penciler: David Yardin
Inks: Alejandro Sicat
Colors: Andy Troy
Lettered: Richard Starkings & Rob Steen
Editor: Mike Marts
Publisher: Marvel Comics
In Uncanny X-Men #282, Bishop was a gun-totin’, time jumpin’, mean mamajama. He had the M over his eye, and he was kicking ass and taking names. That’s the Bishop I remember fondly. Where we all wondered if Storm was his mother. Where every time he saw Gambit he spat on the floor because apparently he was to become the X-Traitor. Somewhere between then and now, he got a first name and became a detective. I think Claremont did it, but it doesn’t seem to matter much now as Detective Lucas Bishop is your star mutant of District X.
If the rest of the book is like Issue #1, Bishop will be in good hands.
Story!
The pacing was great from the initial scenes of our two policemen, Gus and Ishmael, walking the beat and handling the locals, to the story of why Gus is in the hospital on page one.
First off, these two gentlemen have the worst section of NYC — Mutant Town, the place where the dregs of the mutants go to live. Not every guy with wings can be a superhero, right? So these poor mutants that society hates and fears live in poverty and crime with Gus and Ishmael handling their problems. These two guys are a bit cliché, but they are written so well that I didn’t really care.
Aside from excellent characterization of your two police and the various crazy town locals that they come across, this book did something that truly made it a damn fine example of what this medium can give you. At a key point in the story, the words on the page told you something specific, all the while the art showed you something completely different — and they clicked together perfectly. Two tales. Two descriptions. One written. One drawn. The fact that Bishop, our supposed leading man, doesn’t even appear until the last page didn’t even occur to me until I saw him.
Art!
David Yardin can draw eyes. In each panel you are staring at each person drawn, and their eyes are telling you everything you need to know about what they are feeling. Gus’ keeps a firm uncaring look throughout the whole story, giving you a real feel for how much he doesn’t like his job. Then, when scaring a mutant prostitute, you can feel his anger and disgust. All the while, the kind eyes of Ishmael shift to dismay anytime Gus talks about how he hates working in ‘Freaksville’.
The coloring reminded me immediately of the movie Falling Down. The entire outside world was given this yellow sodium tint that made it all seem bland, humid, and dismal. There was no vibrance in these people’s lives, so you weren’t shown any.
Overall!
I’ve been disappointed with the X-Men quite a lot lately. The only reason I picked this title up was out of a curiosity to see how bad it was. I was shocked at how wrong I was, as this book is going to be the sleeper hit of the summer in my opinion. Hine knows cops, Yardin knows emotions, and Sicat knows color palettes. I’m set.
