X-Men #34 Review - Mobile Edition

Marvel Comics
X-Men #34 Review
By Andy Frisk
August 22, 2012 - 21:31

Marvel Comics
Writer(s): Brian Wood
Penciller(s): Roland Boschi
Inker(s): Roland Boschi
Colourist(s): Dan Brown
Letterer(s): VC's Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist(s): Jorge Molina
$3.99 US

Following the trail of smuggled genetic material left over from the laboratory of David Michael Gray (see last issue), Storm's team of X-Men find themselves having to infiltrate a religious cult who are headquartered on a constantly moving ocean liner (kinda like another well know religious "group" is headquartered). These fanatics are looking for was to evolve the human race, spiritually and, apparently, genetically as well. Psylocke and Domino go undercover and quickly discover that the situation is more critical than they originally thought...

Okay, so I've flip flopped faster than Mitt Romney on healthcare. I am totally in love with Brian Wood's run on X-Men. I was worried about it at first because I was then so in love with Victor Gischler's run (and still am) and what it entailed, but now I can't imagine anyone else writing X-Men at this juncture. He brings global sensibilities, sharp sequential art storytelling, and sharply subtle social consciousness to a level in X-Men that the X-Men, as a franchise, has rarely experienced recently. This is the X-book to read right now (along with Aaron's Wolverine and The X-Men).

Roland Boschi's mastery of body language and ability to subtly covey things like depth and perception in his panels is breathtaking. It fits Wood's story perfectly. He also masterfully moves the story along with only his panel art to clue the reader on to what is happening for the first four pages of the issue before a single word balloon appears.

"Subterraneans 1 of 2" is the type of X-Men story that only Brian Wood can write, and I for one hope it's just one of many in a long and already storied run by the writer on X-Men.

Rating: 10/10