Reviewer: Andy Campbell
Writer: David Hine
Pencils: Lan Medina
Inks: Alejandro “Boy” Sicat
Colors: Avalon’s Dave Kemp
Letters: Richard Starkings & Comicraft’s Jimmy B
Associate Editor: Nick Lowe
Editor: Sean Ryan
Supervising Editor: Mike Marts
Publisher: Dan Buckley (Marvel)
Just so everyone knows, I’m gonna throw this out there right now: this is the only House of M book I’m reading. I have no interest in the series, and the only reason I’m reading Mutopia X is I like District X so much. That said, I wish there was more to like in this book.
I generally hate “alternate universe” stuff (with a few exceptions, like 1602) because everyone knows that none of the changes will stick. In Mutopia X, aside from certain characters’ lot in life, nothing much has changed: the characters still all behave the same way. Even in this alternate world, Ishmael Ortega cheats on his wife with Lara the Illusionist. That seems like weak writing to me; couldn’t we have come up with something different for the characters to do?
Also, there are a number of plot threads going on at the same time, and yet the book seemed like it was a really quick insubstantial read. With only two more issues to go in this mini-series, I keep waiting for something to actually happen, but it doesn’t seem like anything ever will. If Ortega cheating on his wife again was supposed to be a big event, colour me disappointed.
Nothing against any of the people involved here, as I normally like their work, but if it weren’t for the excellent-as-always art, this book would have scored much lower.
