X-MEN: THE 198 #3 REVIEW

[Stephanie Kay]

<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/marvel/0306/198_cvr_03.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/marvel/0306/198_cvr_03t.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="X-Men: The 198 #3"></a>Reviewer: Jordan Springer, Slingers24@aol.com

You’re gonna tag us like dogs!?!?!?

Writer: David Hine
Penciler: Jim Muniz
Inker: Kevin Conrad
Colorist: Avalon’s Matt Milla
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Juan Doe
Production: Kate Levin
Assistant Editor: Sean Ryan
Associate Editor: Nick Lowe
Editor: Mike Marts
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
Published by: Marvel Comics (http://www.marvel.com)

When I wrote my review of X-Men: The 198 Files one shot a couple of months back, one of the things that I had mentioned was that I hoped that those who had survived Decimation outside of the X-Men would get more than just a cameo for a few panels from the writers of the various X-books. Unfortunately, this has frustratingly been the case throughout the books, with the focus being on the X-Teams. While it is understandable, it is also basically almost completely ignoring what had happened with 90% of mutants losing their powers. Thankfully, the mini-series X-Men: The 198 does a good job in showing how those who are not X-men deal with being some of the few hundred remaining mutants left in the world.

While I admit I have never read David Hine’s work in District X, I find his writing in this mini to be very enjoyable so far. He has taken minor characters which readers haven’t seen much of lately, like Erg and Outlaw, and put them into the spotlight It’s these former ‘B-listers’ that become the main focus of the story while the X-Men have only a minor role as the last remaining mutants deal with their current situation of being gathered together at the Xavier Institute with manned Sentinels blocking them from leaving. Hine does a very good job of balancing the drama in the book with an equal amount of suspense, like with Johnny D creating voodoo doll/mini-clones of various mutants in the camp for some unknown reason and using his mini-Jazz to kill the real one.

Having the gathered mutants being forced to live in tents and dealing with the prospect of staying exactly where they are or having electronic tags that could disable them being surgically implanted does create a chillingly similar image to what Jews had to go through during the time of the Holocaust. Being the grandchild of Holocaust survivors, I take no offense to this since Hine isn’t trying to belittle what had happened, but is simply trying to create an analogous image to show exactly what they are going through with being kept in tents in a restricted area while those like the X-Men seem immune to what they have to go through, which creates a lot of tension among some of the members of the 198.

However, while the writing in the miniseries has been very good, the artwork has been ‘hit-or-miss’ in its quality. I feel that the ‘propaganda poster’ art style of the covers done by Juan Doe is very well done since it fits the tone of the mini that Hine has given so far. The interior artwork, which was done by Jim Muniz, Kevin Conrad, and Avalon’s Matt Milla goes back and forth on its quality. In some cases, like where Magma confronts Empath, believing he’s messing with her mind and emotions once again , the art is well done, especially in terms of the character’s facial expressions. In other cases, such as when Mammomax tries to confront some of the citizens in Salem Center before O*N*E officers take him down through his tag , the characters look like stretched out, ill-proportioned action figures.

Overall, despite the fluctuating quality of the artwork, X-Men: The 198 has been an enjoyable read for me so far. At least there is one book where the survivors of Decimation are shown prominently and hopefully the current and future writers of the X-Books will take notice of it and be able to write in more opportunities for members of the 198 to appear. Afterall, if they are all that remains of mutantkind in the Marvel Universe, I don’t feel they should be just simply shoved to the side and forgotten or just be given one panel cameos every 2 issues, but actually play at least a minor part in the situation that has left them as one of the few with powers.

ART:
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STORY:
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OVERALL:
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‘Buy X-men: The 198 #3 online now from X-World and save!’ (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=2140&cat=X%2DMEN%3A+THE+198)

[marvel_comic_fan_female]

Good review. This series is good so far. Enjoying Erg. but I''m still upset of the death of Jazz but how it was done is just creepy

[Veritas]

After reading this issue I officially think Decimation is the farthest I've ever seen characterization stretched in my 12 years reading comics. The idea that the X-Men would sit by and watch these things happen let alone be actively involved in tagging or encamping their fellow mutants is utter nonsense.

[DeadXman]

I like the idea of this story especially how it ties into todays society. but I don't think it works when you have guys like bishop, Rachael, and Scott en voled.

Is it me or dose anyone think Scott is out of charterer with his decisions as of late?

[MrGreen]

After reading this issue I officially think Decimation is the farthest I've ever seen characterization stretched in my 12 years reading comics. The idea that the X-Men would sit by and watch these things happen let alone be actively involved in tagging or encamping their fellow mutants is utter nonsense.

Okay a few things. I don't think the X-Men knew that with the tagging came O.N.E. being able to shock mutants, I think they just thought it meant tagging. And Emma Frost has always been an aristocratic selfish woman so I can at least see her involved in this. And what do you expect them to do? Revolt against the U.S. governemnt, maybe that's what they will do in Civil War.
I agree that Cyclops' decisions have been off character lately and I blame this on crummy writing with not enough research about his character (Milligan) and on Emma Frost. I'm not saying she is evil but I think she influences a lot of his decisions. I miss Jean.
Still like the David Hine's writing and the Juan Doe's covers are fantastic. THis should have gotten a 4 overall. Seeing more and more prejudice against Marvel.

[Jordan Springer]

I have no prejudice against marvel, to me I thought the writing in the issue was a 4 while overall with the art it was 3.5, just my opinion of course

[Ovid]

3.5 rates as 'good'. I think people have got a little too used to 4/5 and 5/5!

The covers on this book, though, are more than 'very well done', IMO. They're just stunning. :yes:

[MrGreen]

I have no prejudice against marvel, to me I thought the writing in the issue was a 4 while overall with the art it was 3.5, just my opinion of course

Maybe you're not prejudiced against Marvel but I'm seeing more and more prejudice against Marvel in the latest reviews. Almost every Infinite Crisis tie-in has gotten at least a 4/5 while the reviews on Marvel comics are gradually lowering.

[Ovid]

Do you have any evidence that this is the case, Shadowchaser?

And even if your observation is correct, do you have evidence that this is based on prejudice and not a considered judgment of the comics' relative qualities?

The reviewers put in this work for the site for free. We don't get comps (except it very exceptional circumstances) and we often don't get thanks either. If you're going to throw accusations of prejudice around, you'd better back it up. Otherwise you're just being gratuitously insulting.

[MrGreen]

The reviewers put in this work for the site for free. We don't get comps (except it very exceptional circumstances) and we often don't get thanks either. If you're going to throw accusations of prejudice around, you'd better back it up. Otherwise you're just being gratuitously insulting.
Look I'm not insulting anyone here. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Their reviews were good, I just don't agree with their ratings of the issues. Prejudice was probably the wrong one word anyway. All I'm saying is I've read most of the Infinite Crisis tie-ins and while they were good, they were not all excellent. While I figured this issue of X-Men: The 198 was very good. I apologize if anyone was offended.

[James Groves]

Which is essentially what it boils down to - a difference in opinion. ;)

[trouble]

How much do y'all wanna bet that everyone thinks that it was Jazz's tag that killed him?

[heffy]

Isnt it funny how the mutants are supposted to be "decimated" but these stories keep introducing "new" mutants we've never seen before.

[MrGreen]

Isnt it funny how the mutants are supposted to be "decimated" but these stories keep introducing "new" mutants we've never seen before.
All of these mutants have been seen before, you're just not reading the comics that they were in. If you're new to the Marvel Universe you will probably not recognize most of the mutants but otherwise all of the ones in this series did already exist.

[Jordan Springer]

All of these mutants have been seen before, you're just not reading the comics that they were in. If you're new to the Marvel Universe you will probably not recognize most of the mutants but otherwise all of the ones in this series did already exist.

Yeah, some of the mutants in the series just havent been around in the X-Titles for a while. Only Johnny D is the only real 'new' mutant in the series and the killer of Jazz

[peedi]

Does Jhonny know that by "killing" the dolls that he kills the real person, too? He might not be aware . . .

I'm ready for the X-Men to split up into different and seperate X-Men groups, kinda like when Storm made X-Treme X-Men apart from the regular team. You have characters like Kitty, Beast, Rachel, Emma, and Betsy who have been very vocal about the constraints set on them, not to mention non X-Men like Erg. Then you have Cyclops, who just goes along with whatever O.N.E. says. The X-Men need to have their own Civil War, because it does seem unlikely that so many of them would just sit around and be governed over like this without fighting for or attempting to gain freedom.

Doesn't Rogue still have her house? Why can't some of mutants run away there? And I can't imagine that Storm would reject any of her freinds from staying in Africa. Why don't the mutants move to other countries, like Excalibur has (I think)? The X-Men sneak out of the mansion for everything else, they might as well sneak away to freedom.

Question:
Since we now see that law enforcement forces mutants to go to Xaviers, why hasn't this affected X-Factor? Editor . . .

[Veritas]

Okay a few things. I don't think the X-Men knew that with the tagging came O.N.E. being able to shock mutants, I think they just thought it meant tagging. And Emma Frost has always been an aristocratic selfish woman so I can at least see her involved in this. And what do you expect them to do? Revolt against the U.S. governemnt, maybe that's what they will do in Civil War.
I agree that Cyclops' decisions have been off character lately and I blame this on crummy writing with not enough research about his character (Milligan) and on Emma Frost. I'm not saying she is evil but I think she influences a lot of his decisions. I miss Jean.
Still like the David Hine's writing and the Juan Doe's covers are fantastic. THis should have gotten a 4 overall. Seeing more and more prejudice against Marvel.

I underlined a few points that I think I can answer to.
In my original post, I was talking about the fact that the X-Men would sit by and watch the systematic tagging,regardless of possible shock-ability, is horribly out of character. Emma Frost of all of them, Aristocratic or not, has always been pro-mutant rights and this is a severe infraction on the rights of the 198. The X-men have revolted against many governments in their day, I which simply contributes to my observation that this series is showing a neutered X-Men unlike anything I've ever seen. And that last comment about Emma influencing Scott...tell me about one relationship which doesn't involve peopleinfluencing one another...