Reviewer: James Hatton
Story Title: Choosing Sides (Part 5)
Written by: Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir
Penciled by: Michael Ryan
Inked by: Rich Ketcham
Colored by: Pete Pantazis
Lettered by: Dave Sharpe
Cover Art by: Randy Green
Publisher: Marvel Comics
I’ve gotten a chance to review this title a couple of times. This being the third of them. Issue #1 got a 3.0 from me and Issue #4 recieved a 5.5. That’s an increase of 2.5! If all is correct with my algebra that means that THIS book should be an 8.0! The issue after that will be an unprecedented 10.5, and the book after that will guest star the Watchmen. All of them.
See, that’s just as easy as a review can be. Oh, I guess I should tell you IF it gets that 8.0 it mathematically deserves.
Story!
So, poor Wither is going to be questioned by the FBI about the mysterious death of his father. Everybody is pretty sure Wither did it, and there really isn’t any doubt in our minds either. The kid did it. Scott ‘Goody-Goody’ Summers sees it, and feels that Wither’s best bet is to head with the cops and face the piper. That’s the kind of guy Scott is. Emma, on the other hand, feels that these bigoted cops are going to send Wither up the river without a paddle because everybody knows that a detective that works near Salem Center, NY is going to have to hate mutants. It’s in the job requirement.
Now the interesting thing about this book is when Dani Moonstar comes into the picture. Emma is saying ‘hell no’, so the assumption would be that Dani would agree with Scott, at least in Weir & DeFilippis’ view of how the teachers operate… BUT NO! Moonstar agrees at first that the right thing for Wither to do is to hide from the police. Now that’s not very moral, is it?
Kids as kids are, fear authority… especially when it’s authority that fears and hates them, so they of course are going to do their damndest to make sure that Wither is protected. They protect their own kind, which in turn is the same sort of bigotry that they are trying to fight against.
That’s why I am starting to like this title more. The voices of the kids are stronger than that of the teachers, as it should be. The small interpersonal relationships are now starting to show their true colors, and the layers of ‘versus’ in this book is starting to get fairly in depth.
People vs. Mutants
Students vs. Teachers
Students vs. Students
I at first was very heavy on disliking this book because of its transition to Academy X… pardon me, New X-Men: Academy X, but it wasn’t the writers fault – it was a decision made with ‘Reload’. It’s now starting to take shape as a better story. The story that I think Weir & DeFillipis was going for right at the get go.
Art!
Cover art rating… bleh. There is a brief gesture into the possible budding relationship between Josh & Laurie, but by no means is it worthy of getting the cover treatment. It makes this book seem a little too Aaron Spelling.
Internally, all is gravy, and some of the flaws and kinks have worked themselves out. The inkwork is a little heavy on the lines in someplaces, where I doublechecked to make sure their weren’t two different inkers on the book – but no. There is just the one who seemed to have been having a bad day one day. For this he will be judged.. but ultimately forgiven.
Overall!
Now, basing on my original mathematics, this book should have had definitive turns and decisive status quo changes, and amazing ventures into uncharted regions. Something to allow it the 8.0 that it was going to get from me. Then I read it and realized that an 8.0 would be just a bad idea. Think of the response mail and the people screaming bloody murder. All just to save myself an hour or so. The book is getting better though, and I feel that by the next arc these characters will have solidified themselves into a decent teen drama book.
Sadly though, they still have not reached the watermark that I’ve put Generation X at.
