Jim Lemoine
Feb 28, 2002, 02:49 am
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/xmenevo03.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/xmenevo03t.jpg" align=left alt="X-Men: Evolution #3"></a>Reviewer: Jim Lemoine, darkkelf@earthlink.net
Quick Rating: Great!!
Story Title: Hearing Things
Charles Xavier recruits Jean Grey for his new X-Men, and she learns control over her powers when the Toad attacks!
Written by: Devin Grayson
Art by: Udon, with Long Vo, Charles Park, and Saka of Studio XD
Lettered by: Sharpefont’s Randy Gentile
Associate Editor: Brian Smith
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
Yes, it’s the obligatory comic book tie-in to the recently renewed animated series. Yes, if you want to get right down to it, it’s a book supposedly aimed at a much younger market, meaning it should have less realistic, mature situations and more mindless all-out battle scenes. Yes, we as X-Men fans, when you think about it, had little reason to expect much out of this series.
And yet, here we are with the third issue, and the book just keeps getting better and better. Issue three focuses on new recruit Jean Grey and her growing relationship with Scott Summers. The storyline here has elements that you’d expect to see in Morrison’s book (that’s a good thing), and the art, as always, is beautiful. X-Men: Evolution continues to be a surprisingly enjoyable read.
The main theme of this issue is Jean’s struggle to deal with and control her powers of telepathy and telekinesis. The issue of control is one that’s been touched on often throughout the years in X-books in all their various iterations, from Uncanny to Cable. But rarely, if ever, has the topic been handled as well as Grayson does in this issue.
The opening of the book is a prime example of this. We see Jean surrounded by the X-Men and her family as her parents ask Professor X if he can help their daughter. Throughout this panel, and almost all subsequent panels with Jean, we see a “thought bubble” near each and every character in the panel, revealing to us what that person is thinking. This has the triple effect of crowding the art in the panel, letting us know exactly what each character is thinking, and leaving us a bit overwhelmed in trying to keep up with all of the plot elements. Meanwhile, Jean is holding her head in pain, similarly overwhelmed and confused by the sensation of her powers. In moments like these, we’ll also see objects like school books, pillows, or phones floating near her.
The theme of control is not a new one to the X-books (Dark Phoenix, anyone?), but usually this element is simply glossed over in favor of flashy battles. Here in X-Men: Evolution, theoretically the most childish of the current X canon, we see a most realistic approach to this relevant mutant problem, one that even Morrison mostly ignores in his wonderful New X-Men.
This issue also features the introduction of Todd Tolensky, the Toad (and is it just me, or do you hate alliteration in metahumans as much as I do?). Todd is a student at Bayville High, like the X-Men, but unlike them he apparently hasn’t been discovered by the Prof yet (to which I have to wonder: if he’s right under Xavier’s nose, why not?). Todd’s mutant abilities did not bless him with the good looks or “cool” powers that some other mutants are gifted with; instead he has the powers of agility, corrosive vomit, and a really long prehensile tongue. He does his best to fit in with the other students anyway. And, as you’d expect, he’s feared and hated by them in another of Devin’s excellent looks at the state of human-mutant relations.
The other characters throughout the book are also written very well. The Professor is outstanding, Storm is somewhat awe-inspiring (as she should be), and Scott is shown to be positively smitten over young Jean. Ororo’s comparison of her powers to those of Jean is particularly creative, and Scott’s constant “Wow” in the presence of the redhead is spot-on.
In a predictable climax toward the close of the issue, the Toad strikes back at the students of Bayville, and it’s up to Scott and Jean to save the day. That they do, and the Toad is captured. This scene really makes you empathize with the characters (even Toad!), and the facial expressions are perfect.
The fine folks at UDON continue to prove their artistic excellence in this issue. It seems like I say this in every issue’s review, but the art evokes the feeling of watching an incredibly well-animated feature. This time, I’m glad to say, UDON goes with more populated and detailed backgrounds, as opposed to the very sparse ones they used in the last issue. People who prefer more of a Liefeld or Davis style to their comic art may be turned off by it, but it accomplishes exactly what it should: making you feel like you’re watching the actual cartoon.
All in all, another surprisingly great issue. The plots are still a bit predictable, but as X-Men: Evolution is a cartoon tie-in, that’s to be expected. The art is fantastic, and the stories lend a sense of reality to the mutant plight that was last seen in Claremont’s earlier X-Men runs, and that Morrison is only now starting to bring back.
X-Men: Evolution is offering up everything a cartoon tie-in should give us, and then some. It’s great reading all on its own, and anybody hungry for an old-school look at some of our favorite X-Men should be overjoyed by what they see.
ART:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
STORY:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics (http://www.x-worldcomics.com/x/bstore/newbooksmain.html) and save!
Quick Rating: Great!!
Story Title: Hearing Things
Charles Xavier recruits Jean Grey for his new X-Men, and she learns control over her powers when the Toad attacks!
Written by: Devin Grayson
Art by: Udon, with Long Vo, Charles Park, and Saka of Studio XD
Lettered by: Sharpefont’s Randy Gentile
Associate Editor: Brian Smith
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
Yes, it’s the obligatory comic book tie-in to the recently renewed animated series. Yes, if you want to get right down to it, it’s a book supposedly aimed at a much younger market, meaning it should have less realistic, mature situations and more mindless all-out battle scenes. Yes, we as X-Men fans, when you think about it, had little reason to expect much out of this series.
And yet, here we are with the third issue, and the book just keeps getting better and better. Issue three focuses on new recruit Jean Grey and her growing relationship with Scott Summers. The storyline here has elements that you’d expect to see in Morrison’s book (that’s a good thing), and the art, as always, is beautiful. X-Men: Evolution continues to be a surprisingly enjoyable read.
The main theme of this issue is Jean’s struggle to deal with and control her powers of telepathy and telekinesis. The issue of control is one that’s been touched on often throughout the years in X-books in all their various iterations, from Uncanny to Cable. But rarely, if ever, has the topic been handled as well as Grayson does in this issue.
The opening of the book is a prime example of this. We see Jean surrounded by the X-Men and her family as her parents ask Professor X if he can help their daughter. Throughout this panel, and almost all subsequent panels with Jean, we see a “thought bubble” near each and every character in the panel, revealing to us what that person is thinking. This has the triple effect of crowding the art in the panel, letting us know exactly what each character is thinking, and leaving us a bit overwhelmed in trying to keep up with all of the plot elements. Meanwhile, Jean is holding her head in pain, similarly overwhelmed and confused by the sensation of her powers. In moments like these, we’ll also see objects like school books, pillows, or phones floating near her.
The theme of control is not a new one to the X-books (Dark Phoenix, anyone?), but usually this element is simply glossed over in favor of flashy battles. Here in X-Men: Evolution, theoretically the most childish of the current X canon, we see a most realistic approach to this relevant mutant problem, one that even Morrison mostly ignores in his wonderful New X-Men.
This issue also features the introduction of Todd Tolensky, the Toad (and is it just me, or do you hate alliteration in metahumans as much as I do?). Todd is a student at Bayville High, like the X-Men, but unlike them he apparently hasn’t been discovered by the Prof yet (to which I have to wonder: if he’s right under Xavier’s nose, why not?). Todd’s mutant abilities did not bless him with the good looks or “cool” powers that some other mutants are gifted with; instead he has the powers of agility, corrosive vomit, and a really long prehensile tongue. He does his best to fit in with the other students anyway. And, as you’d expect, he’s feared and hated by them in another of Devin’s excellent looks at the state of human-mutant relations.
The other characters throughout the book are also written very well. The Professor is outstanding, Storm is somewhat awe-inspiring (as she should be), and Scott is shown to be positively smitten over young Jean. Ororo’s comparison of her powers to those of Jean is particularly creative, and Scott’s constant “Wow” in the presence of the redhead is spot-on.
In a predictable climax toward the close of the issue, the Toad strikes back at the students of Bayville, and it’s up to Scott and Jean to save the day. That they do, and the Toad is captured. This scene really makes you empathize with the characters (even Toad!), and the facial expressions are perfect.
The fine folks at UDON continue to prove their artistic excellence in this issue. It seems like I say this in every issue’s review, but the art evokes the feeling of watching an incredibly well-animated feature. This time, I’m glad to say, UDON goes with more populated and detailed backgrounds, as opposed to the very sparse ones they used in the last issue. People who prefer more of a Liefeld or Davis style to their comic art may be turned off by it, but it accomplishes exactly what it should: making you feel like you’re watching the actual cartoon.
All in all, another surprisingly great issue. The plots are still a bit predictable, but as X-Men: Evolution is a cartoon tie-in, that’s to be expected. The art is fantastic, and the stories lend a sense of reality to the mutant plight that was last seen in Claremont’s earlier X-Men runs, and that Morrison is only now starting to bring back.
X-Men: Evolution is offering up everything a cartoon tie-in should give us, and then some. It’s great reading all on its own, and anybody hungry for an old-school look at some of our favorite X-Men should be overjoyed by what they see.
ART:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
STORY:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics (http://www.x-worldcomics.com/x/bstore/newbooksmain.html) and save!