Mini Reviews [38]

X-Force #1 by Benjamin Percy, 

Dustin Weaver & Joshua Cassara (Illustrators)

Synopsis (via Goodreads): THE HIGH PRICE OF A NEW DAWN! X-Force is the CIA of the mutant world—one half intelligence branch, one half special ops. Beast, Jean Grey and Sage on one side, Wolverine, Kid Omega and Domino on the other.

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I really didn't like X-Force. The entire story felt disjointed and bounced from one character to the next without much preamble (and there are a lot of characters in this one). It's also very violent and gory, which isn't my cup of tea. I think the author killed someone for the shock value, and then twisted their death so that it somewhat impacted the rest of the story.

This person! I'm having a hard time believing everything went down the way it did. Running away? Seemingly scared to death? An island full of mutants is overwhelmed by a handful of nobodies? Ugh. I'm sorry, but it simply wasn't plausible. Magneto? Apocalypse? Any of the psychics? The island? No one was able to glimpse or prevent the outcome? (My husband is telling me this is normal for the X-Force comics, and that nobody stays dead for long.)

When you kill a popular character, people are going to want to know why, so you sell more comics. I'm too frustrated with this issue as a whole to even consider continuing the series. If I wouldn't have felt ridiculous, I would have DNFd it after the first few pages. Additionally, the artwork felt sloppy and didn't compliment the story being told. (★★☆☆☆)

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Family Tree #1 by Jeff Lemire, Phil Hester,

Eric Gapstur, Ryan Cody (Illustrators)

Synopsis (via Goodreads): When an eight-year-old girl literally begins to transform into a tree, her single mom, troubled brother, and possibly insane grandfather embark on a bizarre and heart-wrenching odyssey across the back roads of America in a desperate search for a way to cure her horrifying transformation before it’s too late. But the farther they get from home, the more forces threaten to tear the family apart as fanatical cults, mercenaries, and tabloid Paparazzi close in, determined to destroy the girl—or use her for their own ends.

A new genre-defying series written by New York Times bestselling author JEFF LEMIRE (GIDEON FALLS, ASCENDER) and illustrated by acclaimed artist PHIL HESTER (Shipwreck, Green Arrow), FAMILY TREE combines mystery, action, and horror into an epic story about the lengths a mother will go to in order to keep her children safe.

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Family Tree was trippy in the best possible way! Jeff Lemire is an astonishing writer, and this story is incredibly unique. What would you do if your child started transforming into a tree?? I would freak the fuck out! I'm not sure how her mom stayed so calm and clear-headed, and surprised myself by laughing when her brother made a joke (he's a sarcastic teenager). It was definitely not the time or place for humor, which made it even more hilarious.

I also really liked the setup! We get to see a normal day play out before the world falls apart, which provided a nice before-and-after contrast. I honestly have no idea what's going on (was that Lumberjack Santa?), only that I need to know more! The family was dysfunctional but seemed solid, and I particularly loved everything that happened with the son at school -- hah! It felt authentic and totally believable, which is saying something since the girl is turning into a tree. (★★★★☆)

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Spider-Man & Venom: Double Trouble #1

by Mariko Tamaki, Gurihiru (Illustrator)

Synopsis (via Goodreads): You’ve seen ‘em duke it out in the Marvel Universe for years, but prepare to see Spidey and Venom as you never have before: as begrudging… buddies? It’s fun of the freaky variety this time around, as an unexpected mind-swap sets Spidey and Venom in each other’s bodies! But WHO swapped them, and why?! From Mariko Tamaki and Gurihiru comes an all-new take on your favorite arch-Frienemies in the MU – and now they’ve gotta work together to set things right!

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Spider-Man & Venom: Double Trouble was incredibly childish and not at all what I was expecting. It's definitely a series to read with your children, and I struggled to enjoy it on my own. I think my son would've liked it, but that would require me reading it a second time, which I'm not inclined to do. On a more positive note, the artwork was phenomenal and really captured the essence of the story. I think if I had been better prepared, I would've liked this one more. (★★★☆☆)