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October 13, 2004
Subway Reading
New X-Men Book 5: Planet X
Written by Grant Morrison, pencils by Phil Jimenez, inks by andy Lanning
Though I did pick up a troublingly high stack of comics today during lunch, I had begun this trade on the ride to work and couldn't resist finishing it on the ride home. Especially considering the debate I had with my Wednesday comic day buddies Peat and Matt regarding the merits (or lack thereof) of Grant Morrision's run on the X-Men.
This was the story arc where it was revealed that the enigmatic Xorn was actually -- gasp -- the previously presumed dead Master of Magnetism, Magneto! He had been playing Xavier and the X-Men for months, carefully laying the groundwork for his assault on the human race in general and New York City in particular.
I read these comics when they were first released in monthly form. I later sold the comics on eBay, knowing I would be picking them up in TPB format. I have been cherry-picking my favorite arcs from Morrison's run however, because I found the art to be such a mixed bag. Frank Quitely and Jimenez? Awesome. Igor Kordey? Well... The rumor was that he was pressed into rushing through his pages because Quitely had dropped the ball and fallen behind. So I can forgive him, but that doesn't mean that I am in a rush to pay for the books a second time.
But I digress... back to Jimenez. I first became aware of Phil's work in the pages of The Invisibles. His style is highly realistic and detailed, but he rescues it from looking stiff and lifeless by choosing exquisitely sublime poses and facial expressions. Check out the sequence in Book 4 of this arc, where Jean and Logan are trapped on an asteroid that is hurtling toward the sun. Look at the acting that he directs for Jean Grey, who is steadily growing delirious and lethargic from the overwhelming heat. Between his pencils, Grant Morrion's dialogue, and their combined efforts on pacing, this scene stands out as one of the most effective in recent memory.
Speaking of Morrison, I know that he left Marvel and the X-Men of his own free will, but I can't help but feel like Marvel didn't know how good they had it when he was scripting this book. Yes, it's your standard "badguy distracts the goodguys and gets really close to destorying the world before the good guys come back and get him" story, with the same old "Magneto wants to destroy the human race, Xavier wants to live together with them" conflict. But when Morrison works in his poetic dialogue and clever wit, it reads like pure honey. The comedy of the new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants provides a welcome counterbalance to the devastation and carnage that Magneto is unleashing on New York City. And have I mentioned the Jean Grey & Wolverine flying into the sun scene?
Morrison is definitely the anti-Claremont. Instead of pounding you over the head with exposition, he whittles it down to the quick and forces you to pay attention lest you miss any plot developments. This stylistic decision clears the way for characterization. In a more tangible sense, his elimination of extraneous dialogue also clears the way for his artist to shine.
While I appreciate his wackier books such as Seaguy or The Filth, I think Morrison is at his best when he is playing in the sandbox of the iconic superheroes such as the X-Men or JLA. He tells a well-worn story for the millionth time, but does it with so much style and skill that it becomes a unique joy to read.
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at October 13, 2004 08:53 PM