CREDIT Marvel Comics
Rating: 3.5/5 – Wendigos, Alpha Flight and Colossus…Yes, Please!
by ComicSpectrum reviewer Shawn Hoklas.
When you see a cover like the one on Amazing X-Men number eight, you can’t help but get excited. Not only does it have a great image of Wolverine being smothered by a bunch of Wendigos, but the title alone, World War Wendigo, lets you know just what type of story you’re in for. This storyline looks as though it’ll be a fun and wild ride, but this first issue provides more of a setup of what’s to come over the next five issues. First story arc writer Jason Aaron is gone as the popular duo of Craig Kyle and Chris Yost come aboard.
Wendigos are the result of an ancient curse that will cause anyone who eats the flesh of another to be turned into the frightening and powerful white haired monster. As Kyle and Yost set this issue in Canada, we see just how this batch of Wendigos are created. Since it takes place in Canada and Wolverine is on the cover, there’s little surprise that Alpha Flight will play a prominent role in this issue. As Wolverine investigates the disappearance of the Guardian, Storm is concerned that he may be running into danger that he may not be able to handle due to the loss of his healing factor. The pacing moves quickly in this opening chapter as it looks like the action will be ramping up quickly. Regrettably, the fast pace didn’t allow more time for a reunion scene between Colossus and Nightcrawler that could have been something more than it was. With a title like World War Wendigo, I understand the emphasis will be on the action, but a quieter scene between these two fan favorite characters could have lasted more than the page and a half that it did.
Ed McGuiness is back on the art after a couple issues away, but unfortunately inker Dexter Vines doesn’t join him. McGuiness’ art couldn’t be more tailor made for a story like this and it shows with a couple fantastic splash pages, but inker Mark Farmer gives the book a less clean style than what we saw on this title’s first story arc. It’s not bad by any means, but McGuiness and Vines are the perfect combination so anything else just seems less in comparison.
This story looks as though it could be one of those classic X-Men tales though with X-Men and Alpha Flight teaming up, Colossus getting back into this team’s rotation, and a classic marvel villain. There’s a lot to like here as Kyle, Yost and McGuiness look to put the emphasis on action and fun with this Amazing X-Men arc, and fortunately we’re just getting started.
Reviewed by: Shawn Hoklas
(shawn@comicspectrum.com)
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