X-Men #4 Review

Sandwiched between the opening arc and the upcoming Battle of the Atom, X-Men #4 is a done-in-one rescue mission that builds on the controversial ending of the previous issue. Simply put, Rachel isn’t happy that Storm was willing to kill a fellow mutant, and she chooses to vent her frustrations while the team attempts to stop a plane from crashing. Wood’s short run on the previous volume of X-Men featured a mighty fierce Storm, and I am pleased to say that she makes a triumphant return here.

Brian Wood delivers a densely written chapter filled to the brim with character drama and insightful commentary. That said, the Jubilee scenes would have been stronger if Wolverine felt more in character. Wood often takes liberties with iconic personalities -- as seen in both his X-Men writing and with his Star Wars series over at Dark Horse -- but he goes a bit too far by turning Wolverine into a soft-spoken, smiley gentleman practically overflowing with supportive wisdom. Not a beer or a “bub” in sight.

Watching the X-Women work together through David Lopez’s pencils is an engaging and entertaining experience. I’ve never seen Psylocke’s powers used in such a creative way, and credit goes to Lopez for making it all look so cool. There’s a few faces that look a tad strange -- Psylocke sighing, Wolverine making any facial expression -- but the rest of the comic is executed with expertise. There’s a palpable sense of speed as the planes careen through the sky, and the closing pages create so much tension it’ll have you holding your breath.

Joshua writes for IGN. If Pokemon, Game of Thrones, or Green Lantern are frequently used words in your vocabulary, then you’ll want to follow him on Twitter and IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com