Reviewer: James Hatton
Story Title: Taking on Tanaraq
Written by: Tony Bedard
Art by: Mizuki Sakakibara
Colored by: JC
Lettered by: Dave Sharpe
Editor: Mike Martz
Publisher: Marvel Comics
By now you should know what Exiles is about. Here’s the quick version if you don’t – go watch a damn episode of Sliders… wait, that reference gets more and more dated the further we get from 1998. Fine fine fine.. mutants that are thrown out of their own time period are sent from alternate reality to reality – setting right, what once went wrong, hoping that each leap – is their leap home. See, a much easier to swallow Quantum Leap reference. It’s only partially true though, since when a couple of them go through their final leap – they’ll end up in a world that isn’t there anymore.
Either way, you get the idea – the book is built on the hook that each world is a new one, with a new task. It’s fun, and the trades are easy to find.
Story!
Last place we saw Sasquatch, she had been taken over by the creature known as Tanaraq – a vicious God of the Ancient sort. This mission they only have to do something quick and simple, stop the destruction of a fuel-cell factory. This, though, is just a backdrop for the ensuing battle between the Exiles and Tanaraq.
Tanaraq first wants to confront the Timebroker. To do so, he must figure out how the Tallus works. So he needs the smartest minds to break it open – no, not Reed Richards… DOOOM! And THE PUPPET MASSSTER! And SOME GUY WITH A METAL HAT!!!!! Beak, instead of going to go and talk to The Stilt and Batroq The Leaper for their Science Expertise, he goes to the Canadian Government. Oh, and let it be knownst that there is an awesome conversation between Doom and Kang The Conqueror.
I have a feeling that if I went back through the archives of Alpha Flight, I would be able to get the whole gist of what might be a really excellent ending to a long running Alpha story – but it does seem a little flat without that. Sooner or later one of us will have to go ask Lobdell. Anyway, at the end of the book we have our good ol’ Doctor Heather Hudson back… but without her powers!!!
Art!
Sakakibara is hit or miss with me. There are some issues that I’m perfectly fine with, some of his covers have been excelent – but this issue seems muddled. The inking seems to wash out some of the color and the book even seems blurry at times. It is fun to see so many villains altogether at once though – even though we didn’t get a splash page of them.
Overall!
So, another midline Bedard issue – it’s not bad. I swear it really is a fun book, but it’s missing something. I feel like I’m being led through the stories by the hand, but not given anything to look forward to. Maybe after the AOA storylines are through I’ll be ready and refreshed.. we’ll see.
