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Exiles #100 Review
- by Brian Cronin
- in Comic Reviews
I have to tell you, New Exiles had better be a good book, because this feels like the tenth comic book from Chris Claremont that I find myself saying, "Yeah, this issue was not that good, but it's mostly getting stuff out of the way for New Exiles, so New Exiles can still be good."
This issue was actually better than most of the other comics that I would describe as "An issue designed just to set up New Exiles," but at the end of the day, it was "an issue designed just to set up New Exiles," which is not a great formula for a good comic book.
The issue opens well, with Claremont evoking the first issue of Exiles (which was conveniently reprinted in the back of the comic - and, by the by, was not that good, either - the series was pretty good, but the first issue was a TOTAL info dump) to basically go over what has happened over the past 99 issues.
And there ARE a number of nice character moments, make no mistake, and the structure is actually quite sound (it appears as though this is the first Claremont comic I've read in months that reads like Claremont originally meant for the comic to go this way).
My biggest concern is that a lot of the character bits just don't resonate. To wit, we JUST met Anna Raven/Rogue, and she had basically NO plot in the crossover, so essentially, we know nothing about her, so it seemed silly to suddenly show her as though she's just another cast member. Same with Mystiq (how is that supposed to be pronounced, by the way? It better by pronounced Mystic). Claremont is already giving him "deep thoughts," when we barely know anything about the guy!!
Sage gets better treatment, as her troubles dealing with having Roma's memories was handled well.
But the departures of Nocturne, Thunderbird and Blink (ESPECIALLY Blink) just felt like "Well, we have to go!" It's not that I would blame Blink for wanting to take time off, I just don't think we were given a good enough reason in the comic for her to go (Claremont even obliquely throws in a "It is good strategy! They won't expect this arrangement!" reason - which makes little to no sense, but whatever). Her actual departure was handled quite well, though, especially her talks with Sabretooth and Morph (I really wish someone would just retcon the Proteus thing).
Tom Grummett's art was fine. Nice, solid performance.
One of the better Claremont issues in recent memory (and yes, there were plenty of silly Claremontisms, such as Rogue calling Cat Pryde "silly girl" two sentences in a row - "The silly girl's gone too far" followed by "The silly girl's in trouble," Nocturne calling herself "Stroke Girl," and Blink referring to herself as "a body," as in "It's the kind of thing could make a body believe in miracles."), but still a bit light on interesting content.
But there's some real promise there for New Exiles!
So for this issue - Not Recommended.
- Posted on December 19, 2007 @ 07:05 PM
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18 Comments
FunkyGreenJerusalem
December 19, 2007 at 7:21 pm
I quite enjoyed the first issue of Exiles.
Info dump sure, but it got the characters and concept introduced quite clearly, and left me wanting more.
Novaya Havoc
December 19, 2007 at 7:48 pm
Cat Pryde FTWWWWWWWWW!!!!
Jordan D. White
December 19, 2007 at 9:22 pm
Yes, it is pronounced "Mystic".
kevin
December 19, 2007 at 9:48 pm
i just wanna say claremont better not eff up my favourite series. (and yes proteus being morph is retarded.)
T.
December 19, 2007 at 11:29 pm
I think Claremont would benefit from two requirements:
Some to do all his dialogue for him.
A policy that any plot thread he introduces must be resolved within 14 issues.
jazzbo
December 20, 2007 at 1:26 am
I didn't read the crossover with Excalibur, but I thought this issue was decent enough. A good wrap up to the previous series and intro to the new. I also had never read the 1st issue before, since I just got into this title when Longshot joined. I thought it was pretty good. A lot of info, but it makes me want to pick up that first trade. If I had read it back when it first came out I would have been on board for issue #2.
Thenodrin
December 20, 2007 at 9:55 am
Would you recomend it for someone who has never read Exiles, but is considering getting New Exiles? From your review, it sounds like a good jumping-on point.
Theno
Brian Cronin
December 20, 2007 at 1:20 pm
I basically agree with that statement. I just don't think "decent enough" is enough for a recommendation, that's all.
I'm really not knocking the book that much, just not recommending it, ya know?
Brian Cronin
December 20, 2007 at 1:20 pm
New Exiles sounds like it will be a good jumping-on point, yes.
jccalhoun
December 20, 2007 at 5:43 pm
I've read all the issues of Exiles but I didn't bother reading the crossover or buying this issue. I've just got no interest in reading about Claremont's pet characters any more. Bye Exiles, it was fun while it lasted.
Anonymous
December 20, 2007 at 6:35 pm
Stroke Girl.
Stroke Girl.
Stroke Girl.
Rohan Williams
December 20, 2007 at 7:48 pm
So, the Exiles started out as a book about alternate reality versions of X-characters written by Judd Winnick, didn't it? Isn't getting Chris Claremont to take over that title kind of like getting John Lennon to take over the songwriting duties in Oasis from Noel Gallagher?
Michael
December 20, 2007 at 8:05 pm
"Stroke Girl."
I thought that was Psylocke's new code name.
Jack Norris
December 21, 2007 at 7:38 pm
Rohan Williams said:
"So, the Exiles started out as a book about alternate reality versions of X-characters written by Judd Winnick, didn’t it? Isn’t getting Chris Claremont to take over that title kind of like getting John Lennon to take over the songwriting duties in Oasis from Noel Gallagher?"
No, it's like getting Don Henley. Seriously, Claremont as the John Lennon of comics? Where can I get drugs as powerful as yours? If there were some sort of contest to see who deserved the title of "John Lennon of comics" (if that even means anything), the list of people in line before Claremont would be a loooooong one.
Brian Cronin
December 21, 2007 at 11:09 pm
I think you're misreading Rohan's analogy, Jack.
His point was simply to say that Exiles was started as Winick's homages to Claremont, and now Claremont himself is writing the book.
Which would be similar to Noel Gallagher being replaced by John Lennon, as Gallagher is seen as a fellow who homages Lennon a lot.
Jack Norris
December 22, 2007 at 8:19 pm
It was a deliberate misreading, to an extent; I now wish I'd ended my comment with the "Don Henley" crack.
I realize he wasn't actually putting forward a "John Lennon of comics" analogy, and probably should have left that part of my reply out.
Nevertheless, relating those two (even if not really equating them) bugged me enough to want to say something snarky.
Rohan Williams
December 22, 2007 at 10:54 pm
Yeah, Brian, that was exactly it.
Marvel Exiles #100 — ComicBitsOnline.com
December 25, 2007 at 2:57 pm
[...] http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2007/12/19/exiles-100-review/ [...]