Brandon Yates
Feb 7, 2002, 05:29 pm
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/ncv2-3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/ncv2-3t.jpg" align=left alt="Nightcrawler #3" border=0></a>Reviewer: Brandon Yates, brandonyates@zentertainment.com
Quick Rating: Below Average
Story Title: Taken
More of the same, as Nightcrawler struggles with more goons and self-doubt, in a futile effort to save those who are in too deep.
Written by: Chris Kipiniak
Cover by: Massimilliano Frezzato
Penciled by: Matthew Smith
Inked by: Mark Morales
Lettered by: Jon Babcock
Colored by: HiFi Design
Editor: Pete Franco
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
I wish the emotionally powerful portrait of the furry X-Man featured on the cover, by the extremely talented Massimilliano Frezzato, was an indication of the story inside.
This third part in the four-issue Nightcrawler mini-series is no better than its predecessors, being just as dull, with no victory in sight. The best stories in fiction have several ups and downs during its course as to keep the readers interested in and sympathetic to the character(s) but this whole series thus far has painted Nightcrawler as a loser, who dives into a pool without water and, once crashing hard, crawls and whines his way back to the diving board. His sheer determinism is admirable, but when all it amounts to is clobbering the enemy night after night, it becomes frustrating to watch.
Writer Chris Kipiniak is, admittedly, very good with internal monologues (as shown in captions) but there is too much of that here when, so close to the conclusion of the series, there should be more action, more twists, more suspense. Instead, we get a plot that drags one leg on the ground, tranquilized by it’s own lack of substance, and I think I know what is holding it back: there is no hope. At all. Once we understand that Nightcrawler's mutant abilities are next to useless against his current enemies, we realize that this is a lost battle and any payoff that may come in the series' conclusion will probably be unsatisfory.
Even Father Whitney, Nightcrawler's "mentor" in the way of religious faith, is a major buzz-kill. Maybe if he was the rock that Kurt could grab onto when things turn sour, he would serve a real purpose, but for now, we have to watch the padre forever drinking from a suspicious flask and stating the obvious, that Nightcrawler is "setting [himself] up for a fall." Those of us who are sober figured that out after the first issue.
I've said most of what I could say about the art in my last two Nightcrawler reviews, so this time I'll make a comment in the form of a little anecdote: So I was reading this issue and as I looked at the first few pages I thought to myself "Kurt kind of looks like Frankenstein's monster in these shots." Later, we read Nightcrawler mentioning that when Professor X first found him, Kurt was "being hunted like Frankenstein's monster." Well, no kidding. I think I like Shadowcat's "furry elf" description better.
Virtually no new ground is covered until the final pages, as we listen to more of Oleg’s inconsistently stilted dialogue, more of Nightcrawler’s insecurities and more of our hero fighting thugs inside barren real estate. Oh, right, but this time he gets shot. I guess I should be biting my nails until next month’s finale, but this utterly mundane book could be no threat to any reader’s peace of mind.
ART:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
STORY:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xhalf.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg http://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: Below Average
Story Title: Taken
More of the same, as Nightcrawler struggles with more goons and self-doubt, in a futile effort to save those who are in too deep.
Written by: Chris Kipiniak
Cover by: Massimilliano Frezzato
Penciled by: Matthew Smith
Inked by: Mark Morales
Lettered by: Jon Babcock
Colored by: HiFi Design
Editor: Pete Franco
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
I wish the emotionally powerful portrait of the furry X-Man featured on the cover, by the extremely talented Massimilliano Frezzato, was an indication of the story inside.
This third part in the four-issue Nightcrawler mini-series is no better than its predecessors, being just as dull, with no victory in sight. The best stories in fiction have several ups and downs during its course as to keep the readers interested in and sympathetic to the character(s) but this whole series thus far has painted Nightcrawler as a loser, who dives into a pool without water and, once crashing hard, crawls and whines his way back to the diving board. His sheer determinism is admirable, but when all it amounts to is clobbering the enemy night after night, it becomes frustrating to watch.
Writer Chris Kipiniak is, admittedly, very good with internal monologues (as shown in captions) but there is too much of that here when, so close to the conclusion of the series, there should be more action, more twists, more suspense. Instead, we get a plot that drags one leg on the ground, tranquilized by it’s own lack of substance, and I think I know what is holding it back: there is no hope. At all. Once we understand that Nightcrawler's mutant abilities are next to useless against his current enemies, we realize that this is a lost battle and any payoff that may come in the series' conclusion will probably be unsatisfory.
Even Father Whitney, Nightcrawler's "mentor" in the way of religious faith, is a major buzz-kill. Maybe if he was the rock that Kurt could grab onto when things turn sour, he would serve a real purpose, but for now, we have to watch the padre forever drinking from a suspicious flask and stating the obvious, that Nightcrawler is "setting [himself] up for a fall." Those of us who are sober figured that out after the first issue.
I've said most of what I could say about the art in my last two Nightcrawler reviews, so this time I'll make a comment in the form of a little anecdote: So I was reading this issue and as I looked at the first few pages I thought to myself "Kurt kind of looks like Frankenstein's monster in these shots." Later, we read Nightcrawler mentioning that when Professor X first found him, Kurt was "being hunted like Frankenstein's monster." Well, no kidding. I think I like Shadowcat's "furry elf" description better.
Virtually no new ground is covered until the final pages, as we listen to more of Oleg’s inconsistently stilted dialogue, more of Nightcrawler’s insecurities and more of our hero fighting thugs inside barren real estate. Oh, right, but this time he gets shot. I guess I should be biting my nails until next month’s finale, but this utterly mundane book could be no threat to any reader’s peace of mind.
ART:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
STORY:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xhalf.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg http://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!