‘Generation X #2’ & ‘Old Man Logan #24’ Review
Generation X #2
Written by Christina Strain | Art by Amilcar Pinna | Published by Marvel Comics
When looking at recent relaunch of all the X-Men titles there is no question what the weakest link is so far and that is Generation X. So far it is a series that is severely lacking its own identity. Yes there are similar characters that once appeared in past Generation X stories but so far the characterizations have been poor and uninteresting. There are some ideas here that could work. Having to approach the teaching of teenage mutants differently based on their gifted powers could yield a good story if it ever gets to that point.
With some better editing this could have been a much shaprer book. Looking at these two issues there is no reason the story so far should be taking as long as it has been. That may sound hyperbolic for a book that is only in its second issue, but so far the hook every book needs to compel the reader to come back is missing.
The thing is the formula is there to make a title like this work. Books like The Young X-Men, Wolverine and the X-Men, and the aforementioned Generation X were all books about school aged X-Men and all were great. What they did and this has failed to do is build great characters and a layered dynamic between them. The only dynamic so far is these characters are nearly all crazy and dislike one another, which does not make for a very enjoyable read.
Amilcar Pinna art is also not doing the book any favors. Character faces look distorted at times and widely inconsistent. Being only two issues in this series can still right the ship by figuring out exactly what it wants to be. It is fine to follow a formula as long as you execute it properly. So far this is not much more than a poorer version of a better comic.
** 2/5
Old Man Logan #24
Written by Jeff Lemire | Art by Eric Nguyen | Published by Marvel Comics
When you take a character like Old Man Logan and bring him into the normal Marvel universe the question is what is the purpose—outside of just selling more books. Jeff Lemire took this book and made it more than just the Wolverine replacement. Many of the themes Mark Millar established in his original series where developed to a finer detail.
This final story arc Past Lives had its ups and downs. Pacing wise it moved so quickly many of the story elements did not have much of an impact. It felt like a cheap excuse to pick and choose some of the more iconic moments in the history of Wolverine. By the third issue the initial point of the journey was seemingly lost.
All that changed when Wolverine finally made it back to the Wastelands. The moments of Logan being with his family again were touching and hopeful. That hope was replaced with an emotional gut punch when Logan discovered just how little he could change, and with that realization the devastating horror the lay waiting for him. Death has for the most part become meaningless in the world of superhero comics so when a writer can make the killing of a character matter again that is something to take note.
Who knows where this series will go with Lemire leaving, and with the proposed Marvel Legacy series coming out one wonders how much longer this character will be staying in this universe. Lemire left this series as a solid ending point so if Old Man Logan were to fade into the distance it would actually make sense. At this point I simply wonder what stories can still be told. I do not envy those who have to follow this act.
**** 4/5
