Jim Lemoine
May 8, 2002, 04:27 am
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/xmenevo06.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/xmenevo06t.jpg" align=left alt="X-Men: Evolution #6"></a>Reviewed by: Jim Lemoine, darkkelf@earthlink.net
Quick Rating: Good
Story Title: Just Like You
It’s Spyke’s turn in the spotlight as he discovers his friend Calvin is a power-absorbing Mimic!
Written by: Devin Grayson
Cover by: Kia Asamiya
Story Art & Colors by: UDON with Long Vo, Charles Park, and Saka of Studio XD
Lettered by: Randy Gentile
Associate Editor: Brian Smith
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
I've been very impressed with the first five issues of X-Men: Evolution. Each issue has focused on a different member of the cartoon’s cast, going in-depth and showing us a deeply personal side of them that we wouldn’t normally see in the animated series. UDON’s artwork has been consistently amazing, and Grayson’s detailed plots and realistic scripts have lent this obligatory tie-in a wonderful sense of maturity. All in all, Evolution has been a surprisingly solid read.
Unfortunately, my question in almost every review has been how long the quality can last. After all, a good cartoon tie-in single issue is a very rare thing, and a good cartoon tie-in series is even harder to find. This sixth issue shows us that something has definitely gone amiss. Maybe Grayson needed a break after her last five great issues, after all, everybody needs some time off. Maybe it’s because she uses a character, Spyke, who has no “real X-world”, 616 counterpart (and no, that guy in X-Force doesn’t count); with no basis for comparison, Evan must be a real challenge to script. Then again, maybe it’s the front graphic by guest cover artist Studio Tron that threw her off; after all, that image looks nothing like the X-Men we’re used to seeing, and seems far too angular, at least for my tastes.
From the very first page, you can tell something’s wrong. The opening roll call is a neat idea, especially for a book that undoubtedly has new readers migrate in from the cartoon’s audience. Like the old gatefold story intros that used to be included in every Marvel comic (until Marvel realized that gatefolds cost money and that they could be selling ads there instead), the roll call’s purpose is to list off the characters, to tell who they are, and to show why they’re there. Like those old gatefolds, we have a great concept with bad execution. Call me a stickler, but the panel text was just too hard to read. It just didn’t seem to show us the core of the characters, and I counted six grammatical errors on this page alone! When you take into account how remarkably mature most of Grayson’s writing is, the text here is a big unpleasant surprise.
Luckily, it gets much better. Grayson is obviously very comfortable writing the X-Men’s cartoon counterparts… except for maybe this issue’s star, Spyke. Throughout the issue, we see Evan battling with a very wide range of realistic emotions… rebellion, confidence, insecurity, doubt, guilt, courage, compassion, and much more. While I applaud the effort to make Evan a realistic character, past issues have been successful because they’ve focused on just one or two of the character’s main traits: the Professor’s vision, Scott’s charity, Jean’s control, Kurt’s introspective mind, and Rogue’s insecurities. We don’t really get to see any one aspect of Spyke take shape here, and because of that, the story seems to meander.
On the other hand, that could be because the issue seems to equally focus on a new kid at Bayville: Calvin Rankin. For those who aren’t long-time readers of Uncanny X-Men (or recent readers of Exiles), Calvin Rankin is the Mimic, a man with the ability to duplicate any mutant power he encounters. In the main X-Universe we usually read about, Calvin doesn’t show up very much, even though he holds the honor of being the X-Men’s seventh-ever member (after the original five and Professor X). His personality has changed wildly from appearance to appearance as a growing number of writers tried to create new personas and attitudes for him. As a result, most X-Fans have no clue as to what the guy’s really like, and we only get to see glimpses of what he could be over in Exiles.
The Mimic as presented by Grayson is all about attitude, confidence, and courage. Unfortunately, you can tell from his very first in-panel appearance that he’s going to become the bad guy; after all, how could he not with that snotty dialog and that cheesy sneer? I have to admit that Grayson does a good job of faking us out toward the middle of the book… you really start to see the potential hero in this kid, and like Cyclops, we feel some sympathy for his lack of control.
What’s really disappointing, though, is the ending. The Professor discovers that the Mimic is in fact not a mutant. Instead, he’s just a boy who has been mutated by his father. Maybe it’s because he knows the end of the issue’s coming up fast, or maybe he’s got deep mutant envy; like the flicking of a light switch, this simple revelation turns Calvin from a likable guy to a raving maniac. The same thing inexplicably happens to his mother. As if this wasn’t bad enough, from there the X-Men decide they don’t want to help him. The Professor says nothing as he walks out, Cyclops glares at him, and Storm flat out says that he “does not belong here.” Ummm… hello? What ever happened to trying to bring mutantkind and humanity together? What happened to the Prof’s credo to help all those in need? Since when did Storm become such an anti-human bigot? And no, don’t try to tell me that the X-Men reject Calvin because of his attitude. That excuse doesn’t work when Wolverine and Rogue are members of your team.
The ending is decent, but not on par with the endings of a few of the other issues (notably #1, #2, and #4). Those other conclusions could make chills run down your spine. This one just reminds you of a substandard Keanu Reeves flick.
I’m coming across as pretty harsh on the story because I know how much better Grayson usually is. I’m probably being a lot tougher on her than I should be, because there’s a lot of great story elements here. The plot, as a whole, is pretty good… as long as you ignore the X-Men’s uncharacteristic rejection at the end. Spyke comes across as a very believable character, and the interplay between Scott, Jean, and Logan is outstanding. Professor X remains possibly the coolest character in the book, thanks to his calm, witty, and fatherly demeanor. Rogue’s infatuation with Cyclops is so realistic as to be almost uncomfortable for those of us who’ve had unrequited crushes. The very fact that your stomach squirms in sympathy for her is a sign of the great job Grayson’s doing with Rogue’s character.
As for the art, UDON shines again this issue. They do an excellent job of conveying Jean’s confidence and especially Rogue’s hopeless depression. Spyke is drawn quite well, while the Mimic’s facial expressions are a real treat. It’s obvious that UDON used the Cal Rankin from Exiles as their model for Evolution’s Mimic, and it’s a good choice. I do have a complaint on Calvin, though: isn’t it a bit odd that he always wears a big orange T-shirt with a red “M” on it… even though he’s not called the Mimic yet? As foreshadowing goes, this seems to be overdoing it, and is far too reminiscent of Calvin’s 616 costume.
Beautiful backgrounds, gorgeous effects, and hey, Calvin’s mom is a babe! But I’m not sure exactly what UDON is doing with Cyclops. Throughout the book, almost every time we see Cyclops, he looks really… really… the only word that pops to mind is “dorky.” Now maybe that’s UDON’s intention: after all, realistically and statistically, at least one of those 9 X-Men should be something less than suave and composed. My question is, do they make him look like a geek on purpose? If so, I wish it was more obvious in the script. If not, I wish they wouldn’t.
Still, these are minor complaints. All in all, UDON’s art rocks.
So after a very strong four-issue start and a better than average fifth issue, X-Men: Evolution #6 seems to be much closer to what you’d expect from a cartoon tie-in story: action sequences without a clear point. The story is still much better than it should be, but it’s a far cry from what we’ve seen before. UDON’s art really saves the day, and makes the book a pleasure to read.
Personally, I’m really hoping that these last two issues were flukes, because there’s nothing I’d like better than to read stories as unique and thoughtful as the ones we’ve seen from Grayson before.
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/xnone.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
Story Title: Just Like You
It’s Spyke’s turn in the spotlight as he discovers his friend Calvin is a power-absorbing Mimic!
Written by: Devin Grayson
Cover by: Kia Asamiya
Story Art & Colors by: UDON with Long Vo, Charles Park, and Saka of Studio XD
Lettered by: Randy Gentile
Associate Editor: Brian Smith
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
I've been very impressed with the first five issues of X-Men: Evolution. Each issue has focused on a different member of the cartoon’s cast, going in-depth and showing us a deeply personal side of them that we wouldn’t normally see in the animated series. UDON’s artwork has been consistently amazing, and Grayson’s detailed plots and realistic scripts have lent this obligatory tie-in a wonderful sense of maturity. All in all, Evolution has been a surprisingly solid read.
Unfortunately, my question in almost every review has been how long the quality can last. After all, a good cartoon tie-in single issue is a very rare thing, and a good cartoon tie-in series is even harder to find. This sixth issue shows us that something has definitely gone amiss. Maybe Grayson needed a break after her last five great issues, after all, everybody needs some time off. Maybe it’s because she uses a character, Spyke, who has no “real X-world”, 616 counterpart (and no, that guy in X-Force doesn’t count); with no basis for comparison, Evan must be a real challenge to script. Then again, maybe it’s the front graphic by guest cover artist Studio Tron that threw her off; after all, that image looks nothing like the X-Men we’re used to seeing, and seems far too angular, at least for my tastes.
From the very first page, you can tell something’s wrong. The opening roll call is a neat idea, especially for a book that undoubtedly has new readers migrate in from the cartoon’s audience. Like the old gatefold story intros that used to be included in every Marvel comic (until Marvel realized that gatefolds cost money and that they could be selling ads there instead), the roll call’s purpose is to list off the characters, to tell who they are, and to show why they’re there. Like those old gatefolds, we have a great concept with bad execution. Call me a stickler, but the panel text was just too hard to read. It just didn’t seem to show us the core of the characters, and I counted six grammatical errors on this page alone! When you take into account how remarkably mature most of Grayson’s writing is, the text here is a big unpleasant surprise.
Luckily, it gets much better. Grayson is obviously very comfortable writing the X-Men’s cartoon counterparts… except for maybe this issue’s star, Spyke. Throughout the issue, we see Evan battling with a very wide range of realistic emotions… rebellion, confidence, insecurity, doubt, guilt, courage, compassion, and much more. While I applaud the effort to make Evan a realistic character, past issues have been successful because they’ve focused on just one or two of the character’s main traits: the Professor’s vision, Scott’s charity, Jean’s control, Kurt’s introspective mind, and Rogue’s insecurities. We don’t really get to see any one aspect of Spyke take shape here, and because of that, the story seems to meander.
On the other hand, that could be because the issue seems to equally focus on a new kid at Bayville: Calvin Rankin. For those who aren’t long-time readers of Uncanny X-Men (or recent readers of Exiles), Calvin Rankin is the Mimic, a man with the ability to duplicate any mutant power he encounters. In the main X-Universe we usually read about, Calvin doesn’t show up very much, even though he holds the honor of being the X-Men’s seventh-ever member (after the original five and Professor X). His personality has changed wildly from appearance to appearance as a growing number of writers tried to create new personas and attitudes for him. As a result, most X-Fans have no clue as to what the guy’s really like, and we only get to see glimpses of what he could be over in Exiles.
The Mimic as presented by Grayson is all about attitude, confidence, and courage. Unfortunately, you can tell from his very first in-panel appearance that he’s going to become the bad guy; after all, how could he not with that snotty dialog and that cheesy sneer? I have to admit that Grayson does a good job of faking us out toward the middle of the book… you really start to see the potential hero in this kid, and like Cyclops, we feel some sympathy for his lack of control.
What’s really disappointing, though, is the ending. The Professor discovers that the Mimic is in fact not a mutant. Instead, he’s just a boy who has been mutated by his father. Maybe it’s because he knows the end of the issue’s coming up fast, or maybe he’s got deep mutant envy; like the flicking of a light switch, this simple revelation turns Calvin from a likable guy to a raving maniac. The same thing inexplicably happens to his mother. As if this wasn’t bad enough, from there the X-Men decide they don’t want to help him. The Professor says nothing as he walks out, Cyclops glares at him, and Storm flat out says that he “does not belong here.” Ummm… hello? What ever happened to trying to bring mutantkind and humanity together? What happened to the Prof’s credo to help all those in need? Since when did Storm become such an anti-human bigot? And no, don’t try to tell me that the X-Men reject Calvin because of his attitude. That excuse doesn’t work when Wolverine and Rogue are members of your team.
The ending is decent, but not on par with the endings of a few of the other issues (notably #1, #2, and #4). Those other conclusions could make chills run down your spine. This one just reminds you of a substandard Keanu Reeves flick.
I’m coming across as pretty harsh on the story because I know how much better Grayson usually is. I’m probably being a lot tougher on her than I should be, because there’s a lot of great story elements here. The plot, as a whole, is pretty good… as long as you ignore the X-Men’s uncharacteristic rejection at the end. Spyke comes across as a very believable character, and the interplay between Scott, Jean, and Logan is outstanding. Professor X remains possibly the coolest character in the book, thanks to his calm, witty, and fatherly demeanor. Rogue’s infatuation with Cyclops is so realistic as to be almost uncomfortable for those of us who’ve had unrequited crushes. The very fact that your stomach squirms in sympathy for her is a sign of the great job Grayson’s doing with Rogue’s character.
As for the art, UDON shines again this issue. They do an excellent job of conveying Jean’s confidence and especially Rogue’s hopeless depression. Spyke is drawn quite well, while the Mimic’s facial expressions are a real treat. It’s obvious that UDON used the Cal Rankin from Exiles as their model for Evolution’s Mimic, and it’s a good choice. I do have a complaint on Calvin, though: isn’t it a bit odd that he always wears a big orange T-shirt with a red “M” on it… even though he’s not called the Mimic yet? As foreshadowing goes, this seems to be overdoing it, and is far too reminiscent of Calvin’s 616 costume.
Beautiful backgrounds, gorgeous effects, and hey, Calvin’s mom is a babe! But I’m not sure exactly what UDON is doing with Cyclops. Throughout the book, almost every time we see Cyclops, he looks really… really… the only word that pops to mind is “dorky.” Now maybe that’s UDON’s intention: after all, realistically and statistically, at least one of those 9 X-Men should be something less than suave and composed. My question is, do they make him look like a geek on purpose? If so, I wish it was more obvious in the script. If not, I wish they wouldn’t.
Still, these are minor complaints. All in all, UDON’s art rocks.
So after a very strong four-issue start and a better than average fifth issue, X-Men: Evolution #6 seems to be much closer to what you’d expect from a cartoon tie-in story: action sequences without a clear point. The story is still much better than it should be, but it’s a far cry from what we’ve seen before. UDON’s art really saves the day, and makes the book a pleasure to read.
Personally, I’m really hoping that these last two issues were flukes, because there’s nothing I’d like better than to read stories as unique and thoughtful as the ones we’ve seen from Grayson before.
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/xnone.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!