X-MEN UNLIMITED #48 REVIEW

[Al Harahap]

<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/xmunl-48.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/xmunl-48t.jpg" align=left alt="X-Men Unlimited #48"></a>Reviewer: Al Harahap, alharahap@xfan.cjb.net
Quick Rating: Average


Story Title: [Untitled]

Wolverine and Shanna the She-Devil investigate a mysterious disease killing the Savage Land’s animals and plants.

Written by: Bruce Jones
Painted by: Richard Isanove
Lettered by: Virtual Calligraphy’s Randy Gentile
Assistant Editor: Stephanie Moore
Editors: C.B. Cebulski
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas


This issue starts with yet another instalment of Marvel’s golden boy, Wolverine. To be fair, I realise a lot of readers, especially new or returning, adore the character. And I realise when a company has the goods, it makes perfect business sense to milk the cash cow for what it’s worth. So when I read a Wolverine story, I try to ignore my distaste for the character and just try to see it for what it is. The premise of this story isn’t actually all that bad. Scribe Bruce Jones (Incredible Hulk, Wolverine: X-Isle, Kingpin) has a certain Dr. Mackenzie call forth Wolverine to help him and Shanna solve the mystery of a deadly disease that’s slowly, but surely, killing the native flora and fauna of the Savage Land. Have you guessed the unnecessary gratuity in this story yet? That’s right – Wolverine is not a scientist. Why then the good doctor wouldn’t call forth the Professor, Hank McCoy, or any other number of renowned scientists in the Marvel Universe is beyond me.

The art is another story (no pun intended). Habitual colourist Richard Isanove (X-Men, Origin, Daredevil) tries his hand at painting Jones’ narrative. The characters and foreground subjects seem to still have computer colour separations, and even though it deters somewhat from the affect of painted art, it enhances nonetheless. But what stands out most are Isanove’s luscious backgrounds. In some panels, the canvas texture is still visible, but that doesn’t take away from the art at all. In fact, it provides a unique feel that, more importantly, complements the setting of the Savage Land and its prehistoric dinosaur inhabitants.

The execution of the characters and plot really takes away from the overall short story, though. If Wolverine’s questionable role isn’t bad enough, he goes on a rampage of killing dinosaurs of small and medium size. The problem I see isn’t so much in all the killing. Rather, Wolverine does it in a manner that disregards the value of wildlife that is out of character from his usual respect for nature. A typical Wolverine manhandling kissing scene is of course also present. And to top it all off, it is once again Wolverine who discovers the cure and saves the day. Not Dr. MacKenzie the scientist. Not Shanna the ecologist. But Wolverine… the bar brawler. Overall, the Wolverine glorification throughout the story overshadows any semblance of the interesting premise that it had.


ART:
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STORY:
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Story Title: Control

S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury captures terrorist mutant Mystique, only to send her on a dangerous mission into the heart of a war-stricken Middle Eastern nation.

Writer: Chuck Austen
Penciller: Chris Cross
Inker: Mark Morales
Colourist: Chris Sotomayor
Letterer: Virtual Calligraphy’s Randy Gentile
Assistant Editor: Stephanie Moore
Editor: C.B. Cebulski
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas


Ok, so it’s not the tired Wolverine X-Men Unlimited short. But do you really want a story of yet another character who has her own solo series and scheduled appearances in other books on top of it? Although, unlike the first story of this issue, for the purposes of this story, there aren’t very many characters scribe Chuck Austen (Uncanny X-Men, Captain America, The Eternal) could’ve used other than the mutant antagonist readers love to hate and hate to love, Mystique. Her particular powers are central to the plot. And even though she’s far from being the only shapeshifting mutant in the Marvel Universe, her recognisability does bring a more commanding presence to balance that of Nick Fury’s. Continuity purists may want to spend copious amounts of time and energy arguing where this story fits into the X-canon with her other appearances in her own Mystique and the Uncanny X-Men ongoing series. But you can do that in your own time as I’m not going to bother with such trivia here.

Joining Austen is artist Chris Cross (Captain Marvel, X-Man, Slingers), who renders the typical Mystique. But his great contribution to Austen’s script lies in his versatility. Mystique becomes three-dimensional in her various expressions – from her helplessness in custody, to her sweaty pain of self-operation on her own body. And Cross' overall ability in far establishing shots to blown-up close-ups make for a dynamic flow from panel to panel.

Back to the story. It’s a satire that essentially asks: What if the U.S. Government had a shapeshifter in its service to justify its war against Iraq? Names, faces, and situations are disguised. But the story’s intents and purposes are obvious. In this regard, Control makes for a great hypothetical situation applicable to real life current events. But looking at it as a whole, I can’t say that it’s anything new. The “Mystique is captured by authority figures and coerced into working for them, or else” formula has been visited and revisited throughout the years in various cosmetics. The only thing that makes this one interesting is its present social relevance.


ART:
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STORY:
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ISSUE OVERALL:
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Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=223&cat=X%2DMEN+UNLIMITED)

[Airhead]

The first story was ok but I thought that the second one was great!:D
(first post!:p )

[Moonstar]

Okay, I am getting REALLY tired of the glut of Wolverine stories on the market. REALLY tired of it. And I did think that he was incredibly out of character in the first story. The second story was fine, but as you said, why another character who has her own series? Come on! I am sick and tired of the movie characters getting shoved my throat at the expense of the PLETHORA of other character who I love just as much, if not more. And what is with X-Men Unlimited coming out like every other week? When did it change from a quarterly? This title is usually crappy, and I'm getting sick of it. Waste of money.

[Kevin Woodside]

Yeah, you know, I think I'm just going to drop it. "X-Men Unlimited" hasn't produced a good story in months. Part of me doesn't understand why it's still around.

It would be cool if they did something knew with it. Like get writers who wrote "X-Men" a while ago in and maybe resolve a dangling plot line or two. Or maybe a creative team that just doesn't do "X-Men" and let them break out.

"X-Men Unlimited" used to be SO cool when it first came out. Now? Poo. Let's see some new directions taken with this book. Until then, I'm dropping.

~W~

[thewrite1]

X-Men Unlimited should be a book for unknown writers and artists (okay Epic does that now but what if a writer has a great story that doesn't take a full 22 pages to tell?). Chuck Austen has already written several stories for Unlimited as well as his own Uncanny series and his Exiles fill-ins and other stuff in between. Bruce Jones is not so well-known to me but it sounds like he's done his share of work too. I wouldn't mind if the stories were actually good but it seems like they are not. I might buy this for the artwork alone if its that good, but this series seriously needs a make-over.

I do like the name Chris Cross though. He he.

[Hellion]

I enjoyed the Wolvie and Shanna story, loved the art. I was confused though in the beginning it seemed the introduced themselves as if they had never met before.

[Alex Guillen]

this issue was rather good but i just didn't like the isue in general although the second story featuring Mystique was rather realistsic especially with all the problems in the Middle East.
And I agree that the Wolverine stories are getting tired.

[Benjamin Ong]

I agree with Al on the art, especially Richard Isanove's. His cover works have been pretty amazing and it's a pleasure to see him to the interiors for the first time. Hope to see him do more sequential works but I guess he'll be pretty tied up with the 1602 and UXm covers for the next few months.

[heybub]

Ha! Al Harahap has hardcore Wolverine envy, it's getting way typical I swear.

Who gives a hooty hoo if Wolvie appears in an anthology book like unlimited? Nobody buys the damn thing anyway so it's not exactly another notch on the "overexposure" chart. Don't like Wolverine stories? Don't throw your change down and buy Wolverine stories; criminy it ain't that hard at all!

Just my three cents.

[wizzbizz]

why cant we see some of the popular but less exposed stars get there chance in the unlimited issues. Its now wolverine this and wolverine that it makes me sick. An eample of how marvel could have devoped continuity through the unlimited series would be to tell the story of some of the mutants found dead in the church, tell us hoew they got there what it was like and how jubillie etc. got caught up in it

[thewrite1]

whizzbizz, that would make an interesting story but its something that should really be explained in Uncanny - I don't want to encourage Austen to exert his efforts in another series if he can't keep things wrapped up in his main one.

[LoganBane]

If you know it's gonna be another Wolverine story then why are you buying it?
It seems like people buy the book so it gives them a right to bitch and moan about yet another Wolverine story. Don't wanna read another Wolverine story, THEN DON'T BUY IT!
Thank You.


This has been a Wolverine public service announcement, now on to your regularly scheduled Wolverine comic.

[Al Harahap]

Originally posted by LoganBane
If you know it's gonna be another Wolverine story then why are you buying it?
It seems like people buy the book so it gives them a right to bitch and moan about yet another Wolverine story. Don't wanna read another Wolverine story, THEN DON'T BUY IT!

Who says I buy the book? :? If that was a general statement to all the posters who commented in the thread, it's their prerogative as consumers to want (or in this case, not want) something in which they're a fan.

I do agree completely on: If you don't like it, don't buy it!! I'm on similar wavelength with you in that I think readers who keep on buying books they don't like are, well, pathetic. This is shown mostly in longtime X-readers who've fallen into this state of addiction at buying Uncanny because, quote, "I've been buying since #150, can't stop now," or "I've been buying it for years/decades, can't stop now." (They don't even try to hide it anymore; people "come out" and admit to it on boards now.)

However, that does not in any way mean that we can't ask for what we'd like. Comics is a business, after all, and to thrive, it has to have producers making products consumers like, and consumers giving feedback to producers about what they like/dislike -- a two-way street.

In the case of X-Men Unlimited, it's been touted as an anthology to tell stories that don't fit into any regular series. What these readers are saying is that, because some characters already appear regularly in ongoing books, why not chronicle stories on characters who aren't int he limelight? It just so happens that Wolverine is top target because Marvel does print him much more than others, in every other issue, sometimes even more (4 out of the last 6 stories).

Incidentally, to clarify, I didn't give this issue's particular Wolvie story a negative rating "just because" it's Wolverine. As I stated in the review, it's Jones' overglorification of the character that, to me, ruins the enjoyability of the story. I made this perfectly clear in the review. If I give a negative rating, I (in)justify the story and/or art. It has nothing to do with personal stance on a particular creator/character/title. For instance, were I to review Wolverine: Snikt!, I'd give it a positive rating because I think the Wolverine portrayed there is great.

The posters aren't commenting on Wolverine the character, so no need to get so defensive about him. No one's attacking people who love the character like yourself, so don't attack others for not. If you must lash back at something, defend why there needs to be such a plethora of Wolverine stories, or defend the narrative in this particular issue -- because that's what we're talking about.

[Phoenix_Force]

Yes, well, can't blame Marvel for trying . . .

Seriously though, I'm glad I never read Unlimited on a regular basis. In the 90's, I lways thought the stories were good. You had the Mystique/Nightcrawler issue and the Magneto issue in #2, as well as very well-thought out and IN CONTINUITY stories. But over the years, the stories have just gotten more . . . blah.

Personally, I think they should turn it into an X-Men: Vignettes thing and just have some normal non-action type X-Men stories once in a while. There's a lot of potential in the current line for that. They could have . . .

-A Jean and Misty Knight reunion.

-A "Nightcrawler ponders his place in life after meeting Nocturne" story.

-A Jubilee story where she thinks about the past of Gen X with Paige.

-A Wolverine and Havok story where they go drinking and talk like in the Aussie days.

-A story where Sage comments on the various X-Men from all teams.

-A story where Siryn visits Banshee in the Paris hospital.

-A Rogue and Gambit story about just what the hell they've been doing these past months.

-A story where Emma and Warren go to some sort of charity function not as X-Men, but as business leaders.

And, my personal favorite . . .

-A story where Jubilee babysits Franklin and Valeria for the FF and all hell breaks loose (Doom, alien invasion, dimensional warlords, etc.)

[LoganBane]

Originally posted by Al Harahap


Who says I buy the book? :? If that was a general statement to all the posters who commented in the thread, it's their prerogative as consumers to want (or in this case, not want) something in which they're a fan.

I do agree completely on: If you don't like it, don't buy it!! I'm on similar wavelength with you in that I think readers who keep on buying books they don't like are, well, pathetic. This is shown mostly in longtime X-readers who've fallen into this state of addiction at buying Uncanny because, quote, &quot;I've been buying since #150, can't stop now,&quot; or &quot;I've been buying it for years/decades, can't stop now.&quot; (They don't even try to hide it anymore; people &quot;come out&quot; and admit to it on boards now.)

However, that does not in any way mean that we can't ask for what we'd like. Comics is a business, after all, and to thrive, it has to have producers making products consumers like, and consumers giving feedback to producers about what they like/dislike -- a two-way street.

In the case of X-Men Unlimited, it's been touted as an anthology to tell stories that don't fit into any regular series. What these readers are saying is that, because some characters already appear regularly in ongoing books, why not chronicle stories on characters who aren't int he limelight? It just so happens that Wolverine is top target because Marvel does print him much more than others, in every other issue, sometimes even more (4 out of the last 6 stories).

Incidentally, to clarify, I didn't give this issue's particular Wolvie story a negative rating &quot;just because&quot; it's Wolverine. As I stated in the review, it's Jones' overglorification of the character that, to me, ruins the enjoyability of the story. I made this perfectly clear in the review. If I give a negative rating, I (in)justify the story and/or art. It has nothing to do with personal stance on a particular creator/character/title. For instance, were I to review Wolverine: Snikt!, I'd give it a positive rating because I think the Wolverine portrayed there is great.

The posters aren't commenting on Wolverine the character, so no need to get so defensive about him. No one's attacking people who love the character like yourself, so don't attack others for not. If you must lash back at something, defend why there needs to be such a plethora of Wolverine stories, or defend the narrative in this particular issue -- because that's what we're talking about.



Yes, it was a general statement. You miss read me. It's not so much which character they are attacking, (It could be Spider-Man, or Cyclops for example) it's that I read this all the time. I go into a MB to chat about something that I may or may not have liked, but the reasoning time and time again is "it's such and such." or "It's this, it's that." It never changes. That's their right, that's all why we're here, to express opinions. But if someone didn't even read the book, and come on, knocking it. That is disrespect for the creators who work their asses off to give us stories.
I can't comment on Haggis (the food) because I've never had it, I'm not gonna knock it because I have no basis for opinion. It seems that in order to complain there should be a better reason then who the character spotlight is.
This was not an attack on you or your review. You read it and stated your opinions, I respect that. But some people didn't even read it and are complaining like it was a waste of their time.
X-Men fans are picky and catty. (I'm not trolling I AM a X-Men fan so I fit under there too)

[LoganBane]

Originally posted by Phoenix_Force
Yes, well, can't blame Marvel for trying . . .

Seriously though, I'm glad I never read Unlimited on a regular basis. In the 90's, I lways thought the stories were good. You had the Mystique/Nightcrawler issue and the Magneto issue in #2, as well as very well-thought out and IN CONTINUITY stories. But over the years, the stories have just gotten more . . . blah.

Personally, I think they should turn it into an X-Men: Vignettes thing and just have some normal non-action type X-Men stories once in a while. There's a lot of potential in the current line for that. They could have . . .

-A Jean and Misty Knight reunion.

-A &quot;Nightcrawler ponders his place in life after meeting Nocturne&quot; story.

-A Jubilee story where she thinks about the past of Gen X with Paige.

-A Wolverine and Havok story where they go drinking and talk like in the Aussie days.

-A story where Sage comments on the various X-Men from all teams.

-A story where Siryn visits Banshee in the Paris hospital.

-A Rogue and Gambit story about just what the hell they've been doing these past months.

-A story where Emma and Warren go to some sort of charity function not as X-Men, but as business leaders.

And, my personal favorite . . .

-A story where Jubilee babysits Franklin and Valeria for the FF and all hell breaks loose (Doom, alien invasion, dimensional warlords, etc.)



I very much agree.

[DeadmanWade]

Originally posted by Al Harahap


Who says I buy the book? :? If that was a general statement to all the posters who commented in the thread, it's their prerogative as consumers to want (or in this case, not want) something in which they're a fan.

I do agree completely on: If you don't like it, don't buy it!! I'm on similar wavelength with you in that I think readers who keep on buying books they don't like are, well, pathetic. This is shown mostly in longtime X-readers who've fallen into this state of addiction at buying Uncanny because, quote, &quot;I've been buying since #150, can't stop now,&quot; or &quot;I've been buying it for years/decades, can't stop now.&quot; (They don't even try to hide it anymore; people &quot;come out&quot; and admit to it on boards now.)

However, that does not in any way mean that we can't ask for what we'd like. Comics is a business, after all, and to thrive, it has to have producers making products consumers like, and consumers giving feedback to producers about what they like/dislike -- a two-way street.

In the case of X-Men Unlimited, it's been touted as an anthology to tell stories that don't fit into any regular series. What these readers are saying is that, because some characters already appear regularly in ongoing books, why not chronicle stories on characters who aren't int he limelight? It just so happens that Wolverine is top target because Marvel does print him much more than others, in every other issue, sometimes even more (4 out of the last 6 stories).

Incidentally, to clarify, I didn't give this issue's particular Wolvie story a negative rating &quot;just because&quot; it's Wolverine. As I stated in the review, it's Jones' overglorification of the character that, to me, ruins the enjoyability of the story. I made this perfectly clear in the review. If I give a negative rating, I (in)justify the story and/or art. It has nothing to do with personal stance on a particular creator/character/title. For instance, were I to review Wolverine: Snikt!, I'd give it a positive rating because I think the Wolverine portrayed there is great.

The posters aren't commenting on Wolverine the character, so no need to get so defensive about him. No one's attacking people who love the character like yourself, so don't attack others for not. If you must lash back at something, defend why there needs to be such a plethora of Wolverine stories, or defend the narrative in this particular issue -- because that's what we're talking about.

I ADMIT IT I"M A COMPLETISTS!!! I'd buy Uncanny if a four year old wrote and drew it! And Same with new since i got every issue. I'm addicted But i am actually enjoying the books right now there are things i dont like and i complain about on these very boards but thats what message boards are for let your opinion be known!

[Phoenix_Force]

Oh lord, I long for the days when a person can like/dislike something simply because it rubs them the right/wrong way . . . When did we all have to start justifying our opinions to those that may disagree? They're OUR opinions, afterall.

Whatever . . . Maybe I'm way off base here . . . Either way, we're ALL off-topic at the moment.

:look:

So, anyone happy to see Shanna in a story again? Huh? Huh?

*nudges everyone*

Chicks in loin-cloths fighting dinosaurs? Huh? Huh?

[DBZALLSTAR]

I don't expect much from X-Men Unlimited, but this issue wasn't too bad.

A little off the subject, is X-Men Unlimited # 50 the last issue, or is it switching back to quarterly release?

[LoganBane]

Originally posted by Phoenix_Force
Oh lord, I long for the days when a person can like/dislike something simply because it rubs them the right/wrong way . . . When did we all have to start justifying our opinions to those that may disagree? They're OUR opinions, afterall.



This is my last comment on this before I drop it.
I wasn't asking for justification. I was asking for an informed and intelligent reason. Saying you don't like something without even knowing what that thing is, is like saying "I don't like black people because they're black." Does that sound intelligent or justified to anyone?? (I understand that is a different degree, but the premises is the same to a lesser degree with comics.)
Saying you don't like a comic because a certain character is in it doesn't make it a bad story. If you can't even take the time to INFORM yourself on what you're bashing then it holds no validity. I'm not trolling, but it sounds ignorant to me.
I don't like Thunderbird III but that doesn't mean I'm gonna bash X-Treme X-Men because his character is featured there.
Educate yourself before you form an opinion.
Now back to the show....