Brian Wilkinson
Apr 4, 2002, 05:17 pm
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/xmunl-34.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/xmunl-34t.jpg" align=left alt="X-Men Unlimited #34"></a>Reviewer: Brian E. Wilkinson, bewilkinson@yahoo.ca
Quick Rating: Good
Jubilee and Skin cut loose in L.A., Emma finds adventure in Monte Carlo, and Sunfire fights for the honour of his family!
Cover by: Christina Chen with UDON
Story #1 Title: ”My Name In Lights”
Written by: Ken Siu-Chong
Pencilled by: Christina Chen with Jo Chen
Colors by: TR2
Letters by: Randy Gentile
Story #2 Title: ”Underground”
Written by: Steven Grant
Pencilled by: Trevor Von Eeden
Colors by: Steve Oliff & Avalon Studios
Letters by: Randy Gentile
Story #3 Title: ”Twisted Sisters”
Written by: Karl Kesel
Pencilled by: James Fry
Colors by: Matt Milla & Avalon Studios
Letters by: Randy Gentile
For my two cents, X-Men Unlimited has always been one of those titles that I frequently alternate between loving and hating. The past few issues weren’t really that great (though each had highlights that made it worth the money) but I have this unshakable faith in the X-Machine that something great was just waiting to come out.
I’m not sure if #34 was exactly what I was hoping for, but I definitely enjoyed it. The first story “My Name In Lights,” was immediately my favorite as it featured Skin and Jubilee (two members of the recently cancelled series, Generation X) and I was very excited to get caught up on what they were up to in L.A. While the story didn’t deliver ALL the details of that trip (including the how and why that Jubilee came to join Banshee in the X-Corps storyline currently underway in Uncanny X-Men) or what Skin’s current status is, we do get a fairly believable story featuring the dysfunctional duo.
The story centers around Jubilee and her desire to make it in Hollywood as an actress. Though she has never expressed this desire before, her attitude and personality certainly don’t make it a stretch that she might choose to make it a career. Skin, for the most part, takes his typically cynical view of Jubilee and her chances of making it but his opinion is often shot down by Jubilee who mentions that Skin is currently flipping burgers at a fast-food chain. Throughout the story, we get to see Jubilee type-cast in Asian roles that have her acting like “Sailor June”, fighting Godzilla, appearing in a rap video, and finally as an Asian prostitute. Despite Angelo’s warnings that she is likely being used, Jubilee’s desire for stardom takes her deeper and deeper until she does indeed find herself being used. Someone should have warned Kristoff, a producer, of her temper as she lashes out and destroys the set after he attempts to take advantage of her.
So, what are the good and the bad here? Well, the good is that not only do we get to see more of these characters, but also that writer Ken Siu-Chong includes the fact that they are staying at one of Emma Frost’s (the White Queen currently featured in New X-Men) L.A. based homes. Ken delivers a solid story that portrays the seedy side of Hollywood with the undercurrent of racism that Jubilee experiences as a result of her acting jobs. The racism in this story is so subtly represented that one might overlook it, and I think Siu-Chong deserves a lot of credit for writing it in such a way that people can be aware of it. Not all racism is right in your face where you can see it and often it is the more subtle kinds that people experience on a daily basis. As for the bad, it mainly comes in that I don’t get to see more of these two characters and the other adventures I’m sure they had during their time in L.A.
The art by Christina Chen and Jo Chen is very well done and fits in beautifully with the type of story being told here. The downside is that shifts are often made in the style from the straightforward ‘realistic’ approach to Japanese-style drawing with large mouths and tears shooting out from the heads. I don’t have a problem with either style, but the mix was sometimes distracting. In the context of the story, however, the two styles DID work well. The colours, tones, and backgrounds were all done beautifully and I hope to see more from this duo in the future. In short, this was a great story about friendship, and a cautionary tale about the trappings of racism.
The next story, “Twisted Sisters” features the White Queen taking a vacation of sorts in beautiful Monte Carlo. On her arm at the beginning of the story is the coyly named “Bruce Gotham” (if you don’t get the Batman reference then shame on you!) and it seems Emma is up to her usual mind games as Brucie-baby is more than willing to do anything that she wants! Everything is going fine until Emma’s sister, Adrienne pops up to ruin the fun! Last seen in the final issues of Generation X Adrienne was seemingly shot to death by her own sister. A brief exchange of dialogue and Adrienne vanishes… was she really there or is Emma going crazy?
I must say that I really enjoyed this story. Karl Kessel not only gives readers an impromptu Generation X reunion but also nicely wraps up one of the biggest plot danglers from the final days of the series. I remember watching Emma ruthlessly killing her own sister and wanting to read on to see what this would mean in regards to her future role with both Generation X and the X-Men themselves. If they knew the truth about her, that she tried to kill her own sister, would she still be welcome in the fold. This is easily one of the most compelling stories I’ve read in X-Men Unlimited in a long time and I hope it’s indicative of what we can come to expect from the series.
The downside of this issue comes when Emma claims that Adrienne is responsible for killing her original students, the Hellions. I have NO idea where this came from as Adrienne has only been around since about Generation X #9 and was barely into her teenage years. There has never been an established motive for her to have killed the Hellions, nor does Emma reason out to the readers how she came to this conclusion. Other than this hiccup, it’s a nice story about the memories that haunt us and leads in well to her debut in New X-Men #114.
As for the art, it has a very retro-feel to it. It captures a lot of the spirit and flare that comic book characters used to show in years past (not to mention the outrageous costumes). The style is more than welcome with this reviewer, though I have to comment on the fact that Adrienne’s… assets… are a little overdone. Okay, a LOT overdone. Let’s just chalk that up to the charm of the story, shall we? I was also extremely pleased to see all the old Gen X team (including Emma) in their old uniforms. It’s the kind of colour and flare that (in my opinion) that the X-Men books are now missing. After all, what’s a super-hero but an immediately recognizable symbol of all that is good?
Just when I thought this issue was a Generation X reunion special, Sunfire (formerly of the X-Men) appears in a story by Steven Grant called “Underground.” It seems a cousin of Shiro’s has incurred a debt to a local drug dealer and his freedom can only be won if Sunfire agrees to complete a few tasks for the mobster. Shiro completes the task with the minimum amount of force needed and only kills when he must. In the end, the debt is repaid (and then some) and Shiro returns his cousin to his Aunt (in a manner of speaking).
A dark story with dark art and a dark ending which is kind of ironic considering Sunfire possesses the power of the sun itself. Blinding light, searing heat, and an undying flame all make Sunfire an imposing figure, yet it is the coldness of his heart which is by far the most striking image of this story. Sunfire has always been a character with a heart of stone. He has never been shown to have made friends with anyone in the X-Men, is a loner by nature, and has little to no social skills. Yet Grant also manages to show that he is a man of honour, despite his lack of talents in dealing with other people. His actions in this story are believable and that is what makes Sunfire all the more tragic. He saves the life of his cousin, yet in doing so takes the lives of several others.
Is he a hero or not? Was he EVER a hero for that matter? Grant makes the character ambiguous in this respect with enough evidence to prove Sunfire a hero or a villain. One thing is for sure, though, and that is that Grant has made Sunfire a character I want to learn more about. Sunfire is an under-used character with a ton of potential waiting to be explored. All we, the fans, can do is cross our fingers and hope… both for Sunfire’s return and for his redemption.
The art captures the mood of this story perfectly. The heavily layered dark tones contrast perfectly with the intense heat Sunfire displays making one wonder if it is Sunfire who has gone cold or the world around him. Though the art looks a bit basic in a few of the panels, it captures the same retro feeling shown in the “Twisted Sisters” story featured in this issue. I think artist Trevor Von Eeden shows a lot of potential here and I wouldn’t mind seeing more of his work in the future.
So, is this month’s issue of X-Men Unlimited worth your money? I’d have to say yes. In past months we’ve gotten vague or confusing stories that left me with little to no desire to revisit them. In this issue, we have not one, not two, but three fantastic stories that all give a deeper look into the characters we have all come to love over the years. If Marvel can keep this kind of quality up, then I’ll be sure to buy X-Men Unlimited each time it comes out!
Oh, last but not least, the pin-up at the back by Deodato featuring the New X-Men cast was great but Mike should have at least given Jean a shirt to wear!!! ;)
{I may be nitpicking, but if I don’t I resort to name-calling.}
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/xhalf.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/xhalf.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/xhalf.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: Good
Jubilee and Skin cut loose in L.A., Emma finds adventure in Monte Carlo, and Sunfire fights for the honour of his family!
Cover by: Christina Chen with UDON
Story #1 Title: ”My Name In Lights”
Written by: Ken Siu-Chong
Pencilled by: Christina Chen with Jo Chen
Colors by: TR2
Letters by: Randy Gentile
Story #2 Title: ”Underground”
Written by: Steven Grant
Pencilled by: Trevor Von Eeden
Colors by: Steve Oliff & Avalon Studios
Letters by: Randy Gentile
Story #3 Title: ”Twisted Sisters”
Written by: Karl Kesel
Pencilled by: James Fry
Colors by: Matt Milla & Avalon Studios
Letters by: Randy Gentile
For my two cents, X-Men Unlimited has always been one of those titles that I frequently alternate between loving and hating. The past few issues weren’t really that great (though each had highlights that made it worth the money) but I have this unshakable faith in the X-Machine that something great was just waiting to come out.
I’m not sure if #34 was exactly what I was hoping for, but I definitely enjoyed it. The first story “My Name In Lights,” was immediately my favorite as it featured Skin and Jubilee (two members of the recently cancelled series, Generation X) and I was very excited to get caught up on what they were up to in L.A. While the story didn’t deliver ALL the details of that trip (including the how and why that Jubilee came to join Banshee in the X-Corps storyline currently underway in Uncanny X-Men) or what Skin’s current status is, we do get a fairly believable story featuring the dysfunctional duo.
The story centers around Jubilee and her desire to make it in Hollywood as an actress. Though she has never expressed this desire before, her attitude and personality certainly don’t make it a stretch that she might choose to make it a career. Skin, for the most part, takes his typically cynical view of Jubilee and her chances of making it but his opinion is often shot down by Jubilee who mentions that Skin is currently flipping burgers at a fast-food chain. Throughout the story, we get to see Jubilee type-cast in Asian roles that have her acting like “Sailor June”, fighting Godzilla, appearing in a rap video, and finally as an Asian prostitute. Despite Angelo’s warnings that she is likely being used, Jubilee’s desire for stardom takes her deeper and deeper until she does indeed find herself being used. Someone should have warned Kristoff, a producer, of her temper as she lashes out and destroys the set after he attempts to take advantage of her.
So, what are the good and the bad here? Well, the good is that not only do we get to see more of these characters, but also that writer Ken Siu-Chong includes the fact that they are staying at one of Emma Frost’s (the White Queen currently featured in New X-Men) L.A. based homes. Ken delivers a solid story that portrays the seedy side of Hollywood with the undercurrent of racism that Jubilee experiences as a result of her acting jobs. The racism in this story is so subtly represented that one might overlook it, and I think Siu-Chong deserves a lot of credit for writing it in such a way that people can be aware of it. Not all racism is right in your face where you can see it and often it is the more subtle kinds that people experience on a daily basis. As for the bad, it mainly comes in that I don’t get to see more of these two characters and the other adventures I’m sure they had during their time in L.A.
The art by Christina Chen and Jo Chen is very well done and fits in beautifully with the type of story being told here. The downside is that shifts are often made in the style from the straightforward ‘realistic’ approach to Japanese-style drawing with large mouths and tears shooting out from the heads. I don’t have a problem with either style, but the mix was sometimes distracting. In the context of the story, however, the two styles DID work well. The colours, tones, and backgrounds were all done beautifully and I hope to see more from this duo in the future. In short, this was a great story about friendship, and a cautionary tale about the trappings of racism.
The next story, “Twisted Sisters” features the White Queen taking a vacation of sorts in beautiful Monte Carlo. On her arm at the beginning of the story is the coyly named “Bruce Gotham” (if you don’t get the Batman reference then shame on you!) and it seems Emma is up to her usual mind games as Brucie-baby is more than willing to do anything that she wants! Everything is going fine until Emma’s sister, Adrienne pops up to ruin the fun! Last seen in the final issues of Generation X Adrienne was seemingly shot to death by her own sister. A brief exchange of dialogue and Adrienne vanishes… was she really there or is Emma going crazy?
I must say that I really enjoyed this story. Karl Kessel not only gives readers an impromptu Generation X reunion but also nicely wraps up one of the biggest plot danglers from the final days of the series. I remember watching Emma ruthlessly killing her own sister and wanting to read on to see what this would mean in regards to her future role with both Generation X and the X-Men themselves. If they knew the truth about her, that she tried to kill her own sister, would she still be welcome in the fold. This is easily one of the most compelling stories I’ve read in X-Men Unlimited in a long time and I hope it’s indicative of what we can come to expect from the series.
The downside of this issue comes when Emma claims that Adrienne is responsible for killing her original students, the Hellions. I have NO idea where this came from as Adrienne has only been around since about Generation X #9 and was barely into her teenage years. There has never been an established motive for her to have killed the Hellions, nor does Emma reason out to the readers how she came to this conclusion. Other than this hiccup, it’s a nice story about the memories that haunt us and leads in well to her debut in New X-Men #114.
As for the art, it has a very retro-feel to it. It captures a lot of the spirit and flare that comic book characters used to show in years past (not to mention the outrageous costumes). The style is more than welcome with this reviewer, though I have to comment on the fact that Adrienne’s… assets… are a little overdone. Okay, a LOT overdone. Let’s just chalk that up to the charm of the story, shall we? I was also extremely pleased to see all the old Gen X team (including Emma) in their old uniforms. It’s the kind of colour and flare that (in my opinion) that the X-Men books are now missing. After all, what’s a super-hero but an immediately recognizable symbol of all that is good?
Just when I thought this issue was a Generation X reunion special, Sunfire (formerly of the X-Men) appears in a story by Steven Grant called “Underground.” It seems a cousin of Shiro’s has incurred a debt to a local drug dealer and his freedom can only be won if Sunfire agrees to complete a few tasks for the mobster. Shiro completes the task with the minimum amount of force needed and only kills when he must. In the end, the debt is repaid (and then some) and Shiro returns his cousin to his Aunt (in a manner of speaking).
A dark story with dark art and a dark ending which is kind of ironic considering Sunfire possesses the power of the sun itself. Blinding light, searing heat, and an undying flame all make Sunfire an imposing figure, yet it is the coldness of his heart which is by far the most striking image of this story. Sunfire has always been a character with a heart of stone. He has never been shown to have made friends with anyone in the X-Men, is a loner by nature, and has little to no social skills. Yet Grant also manages to show that he is a man of honour, despite his lack of talents in dealing with other people. His actions in this story are believable and that is what makes Sunfire all the more tragic. He saves the life of his cousin, yet in doing so takes the lives of several others.
Is he a hero or not? Was he EVER a hero for that matter? Grant makes the character ambiguous in this respect with enough evidence to prove Sunfire a hero or a villain. One thing is for sure, though, and that is that Grant has made Sunfire a character I want to learn more about. Sunfire is an under-used character with a ton of potential waiting to be explored. All we, the fans, can do is cross our fingers and hope… both for Sunfire’s return and for his redemption.
The art captures the mood of this story perfectly. The heavily layered dark tones contrast perfectly with the intense heat Sunfire displays making one wonder if it is Sunfire who has gone cold or the world around him. Though the art looks a bit basic in a few of the panels, it captures the same retro feeling shown in the “Twisted Sisters” story featured in this issue. I think artist Trevor Von Eeden shows a lot of potential here and I wouldn’t mind seeing more of his work in the future.
So, is this month’s issue of X-Men Unlimited worth your money? I’d have to say yes. In past months we’ve gotten vague or confusing stories that left me with little to no desire to revisit them. In this issue, we have not one, not two, but three fantastic stories that all give a deeper look into the characters we have all come to love over the years. If Marvel can keep this kind of quality up, then I’ll be sure to buy X-Men Unlimited each time it comes out!
Oh, last but not least, the pin-up at the back by Deodato featuring the New X-Men cast was great but Mike should have at least given Jean a shirt to wear!!! ;)
{I may be nitpicking, but if I don’t I resort to name-calling.}
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/xhalf.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/xhalf.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/xhalf.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!