Reviewer: James Hatton
Story Title: Mr. M (Part 5)
Written by: David Hine
Penciled by: David Yardin
Inked by: Alejandro Sicat
Colored by: Avalon’s Andy Troy
Lettered by: Richard Starkings & Comicraft’s Rob Steen
Cover Art: Steve McNiven, Mark Morales, & Morry Hollowell
Editor: Mike Marts
Publisher: Marvel Comics
I’ve been a loud proclaimer of how great this book is. Call it a personal joy that I said in my first review that I guaranteed that this was going to be the sleeper hit of Marvel’s new surge of X-Titles.. and it was. It makes me feel like I know what I’m doing instead of just reading comics week-after-week.
District X continues to impress. It’s distinctively different than anything else coming out of Marvel, and has pushed itself away from the Gotham Central copycat that many people expected. It has it’s own voice, it’s own rhythm, and feels much more like a cop drama show with mutants, than it does like an X-Book.
Story!
The first thing that I am enjoying about this book is it’s interweaving of subplots. There are quite a few that you might not even notice that are there. All it takes is one glance between Bishop and Ortega’s wife for the seed to be planted in your head that she is possibly not the most faithful to her husband. It might not EVER come up again, and then you can easily just throw it off as a moment of drunken delirium… but if it does… you have a memory of it all the way from issue #5.
Now, as far as the main plotlines of the story (which I will be honest with you, sometimes it’s hard to decipher which is truly the main plot as it’s entitled MISTER M, but he has been slinking within the shadows of each issue). As of now, Toad Juice has stopped, thanks to Mr. M, but sadly lots of homo sapiens are growing thorns out of their body. Sucks to be them, eh?
We are heading into a final issue blowout where all of our gangsters are looking for ‘M’ because of him doing good. The cops are looking for ‘M’ because of what he does to Bishop. I’m looking for ‘M’ because I have a broken toaster. And at the end of this book, a page that you can HEAR the heartbeats between each panels, the dramatic timing and all of it is just jaw droppingly good and makes you growl that frustrated scream of ‘GIVE ME MORE DAMMIT!’
Art!
Heyyyyyy! Yardin’s back! Not to knock the other penciler, because the book has never looked shabby, but Yardin’s pencils are defining this title. It’s crisp and clear and every character’s face is written in their eyes. It’s so damned enjoyable. The use of powers between Bishop and M shows clear and ideal – you know, I’m just going to keep going on about this book and how great it is. You do yourself a favor and go pick it up, and I’ll wait so we can enjoy together.
…back yet?
Overall!
This is one of those books that sits at the top of my ‘must read’ pile. When I seperate my week’s books, there are books that I read before I go to bed that night, and books that I read on the train to work. This book goes with me on the train everytime. It must be read slowly. Enjoyed. Savored even.
David Hine has done something that few writers have been able to do, honestly ever.. and that’s make Bishop a strong lead character. Add to that he has given Marvel some street cred on their new X-Books, because between Jubilee, Rogue, and Gambit.. I was going to have a huge bonfire over at my place.
