Comic Review: X-Men Legacy #215

X-Men Legacy #215

Writer: Mike Carey
Penciler: Scot Eaton
Inker: Andrew Hennessy
Limited Pencils and Inks: Frank D'Armata
Colorist: Frank D'Armata
Limited Colorist:Jean-Francois Beaulieu
Letterer: Cory Petit

Story: Walkthrough Part 1 of 6

The focus of X-Men Legacy #215 involves Professor X approching Cyclops while the X-Men are still setting up shop in San Francisco. The Prof wants to warn Scott that, while merged with Sinister, he learned that Cyclops's memories of the orphanage were all constructed by Sinister himself who posed as the people in charge, other orphans, etc. Cyke is pissed because, in order to talk with him privately, Prof. X gave him a subtle mental push.

My problem with this scene between Charles and Scott is what seems like a bit of forced melodrama. Xavier apparently gave his X-Men a little mental push to become his X-men. I can handle Scott being angry at being manipulated, but I can't believe that Scott things would have been better without the X-Men. It's hard to believe he would really think that.

Furthermore, Scott doesn't completely trust Xavier considering he was briefly merged with Sinister, but that ignores the fact that Cyclops was also merged with Sinister for a longer time. I understand being a comic geek and an X-Men fan that I have a greater chance of keeping track of this stuff, but then that's the challenge of writing something that's been around for 700+ issues. Very little change would be necessary to fix that. A little less anger. Skip the accusations of being like Sinister and Magneto. Keep the mistrust but with less acceptance of the facts...That on their own, many of them would have been killed many times over.

Meanwhile, having nearly been killed (again), Rogue goes back to Australia for isolation. Nothing's happening with her yet except a mental discussion with Mystique and some flashbacks to the X-Men's Australia days. She makes a declaration that it is up to her if her powers are going to change and hopefully this will finally be a step toward her getting control of them. It was nice seeing Mystique's old uniform with the skull belt again.

And finally we see a meeting of the Hellfire Club. We have new members and they're not all getting along. Hopefully we'll get an explanation of who is whom before long, but Shaw speaks of a big war to come. Based on some advertisements about the upcoming "Manifest Destiny" storyline coming up, this war will occur then. Hopefully we'll get a good show from the Hellfire Club.

Carey's construction of parallels in this issue is impressive. We have Scott and Charles at odds in a sort of father-son confrontation with Cyclops playing the teen unable or unwilling to accept that sometimes the father has to be stronghanded to help the son choose the right path. Meanwhile, we have Mystique and Rogue, mother and adopted daughter. Mystique's personality tries to persuade Rogue that her decision to isolate herself is a bad idea. Is it possible that Mystique's personality is influencing Rogue's decisions and is trying to reduce its own influence due to love? Finally, Shaw, head of the Hellfire Club, almost the patriarch, watching the other members of the family debate and fight over petty things like a dysfunctional family. What will these families do when confronted by each other?

The art is pretty good. The switch from Eaton and Hennessy to D'Armata is almost seemless. There wasn't anything particularly fetching, but they did what they needed to do, tell a readable story in pictures.

Overall, X-Men Legacy #215 was interesting, but not very exciting, but then it's the first part of a six part story, so Carey is just setting things up here.

Rating:

3 1/2 Worms - Great characters, good art, interesting plot construction, hindered by melodrama.