Writer: Mike Carey
Artist: Scot Eaton
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Xavier and Cyclops have an unhappy reunion.
Mike Carey has revitalized this series from the moment he took over, and he shows no signs of letting up yet. He has grasped the essence of every character. And for a Jean-Scott fanatic to make him change opinion and became an Emma-Scott fanatic is quite the achievement. And the way he writes Cyclops we understand why he is the leader of the X-Men. And for the Rogue fans we have a reintroduction. Carey easily catches every character. That must be real talent!
Legacy is still the best X-book on the market. And it is quite strange after the return of Astonishing X-Men and the revamp of Uncanny X-Men, especially considering that it isn’t even really an X-Men team book. Not for a while, and not yet, of course.
Obviously Legacy is taking a bit of a breather until the Original Sin crossover kicks off, but Carey offers up plenty of juicy character moments for every X-fan. After their falling out in Deadly Genesis and a brief collaboration in Messiah Complex, there’s still no love lost between Cyclops and Professor X. The highlight, naturally, is their confrontation. I often ask myself if Legacy appeals only to older, more seasoned X-readers thanks to its numerous flashbacks and simmering plotlines, but it is good reading nevertheless. Carey is in true top form with this book, and even a total newbie should be able to get that.
As for the art, Eaton handles all the Xavier-Cyclops scenes and Cheechetto handles beautifully the Rogue-Mystique ones. The two artists may be very different but effectively that isn’t bad for the reader. They create a father and son, mother and daughter visual dynamic with the scene of Rogue arguing with Mystique in her head, next to the scene of Prof. X and Cyclops. Eaton is a very good artist, often overlooked and I am glad that he got an important book like Legacy and an inspiring writer like Carey.
Rating: 8/10
