Three comic book reviews: Pull List #2 ('TMNT', 'X-Men Legacy')

My comic book supplier surprised me and was a bit quicker sending out my latest shipment than usual. Unfortunately, between Marvel’s Avengers vs. X-Men event and their Marvel: NOW initiative, this meant a lot of their titles were double shipping to get out last crossover issues and final issues before the new creative teams arrive.

So, I got a small shipment with a lot of Marvel superheroes, and not so much furry, again. Luckily, X-Men Legacy had a storyline featuring cat people, so I didn’t have to use the exact same comic books as last time. Just very similar.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13

This issue is a bit of a breather after last issue brought a year’s worth of stories to a close — or as close to a close as you get in ongoing comic books. We see a bunch of character vignettes; the turtles in their off-time, April confronting Casey Jones about his abusive father, Karai trying to impress the Shredder with her ninja skills and General Krang revealing to Baxter Stockman his true form (not a surprise if you are familiar with basically any previous TMNT incarnation).

The issue ends on an odd cliffhanger, as Raphael storms off to confront Casey Jones’ father himself, instead of just talk about it. Splinter takes off after him, almost everyone sure that he intends to assuage Raphael’s rage. The last page of the comic reveals Splinter has a very different agenda.

The art by Andy Kuhn is a bit rougher than some of the previous issues, and does not feature a lot of detail. The turtles’ expressions are a bit weird throughout.

X-Men Legacy #271

I’ve followed Christos N. Gage, the current writer for X-Men Legacy, from book to book for a while now; I was originally disappointed when they changed writers for this book, until I found out he was the replacement. Now, with Marvel: NOW, he’ll be leaving pretty soon, so that’s disappointing all over again.

Anyway, this issue involves the X-Man Rogue, who has recently arrived on an alien planet for reasons, once again, best explained on the recap page, where two races of aliens are at war. This issue she meets a catlike race, who decide she can win the war for them, since she currently can fly and has super strength. In a funny scene, a group of cat warriors offer to stay the night in her tent. She turns them down; Rogue is no longer untouchable, but she isn’t that interested in making up for lost time.

I’m not sure what Rafa Sandoval is going for with the catpeople; if they are aliens he just happened to draw mostly catlike, or if he was supposed to draw catpeople, and made them a bit more alien. For the record, I have no idea why the cover makes it look like Rogue is ready for battle against vampires.

X-Men Legacy #272

A bit of trivia; X-Men Legacy used to be the “Adjectiveless” X-Men. This is the same book that still holds the record for the most bought single issue of any comic book, ever. Now, when Gage leaves, they’ll be “rebooting” it; not continuity-wise, but with a new #1. These are some of the last chapters of a historic comic book.

In this issue, Rogue has been captured by the planet’s other aliens when her borrowed superpowers conked out. They are a race of insects with a “hive mind,” and they want to add both Rogue and all the catpeople to their collective conscious. The queen tries to induct Rogue, but it turns out, for complicated continuity reasons, Rogue is the single worst person in the universe to do this to. So, Rogue learns the real reason behind the war, and, with a newly freed bugman in tow, finishes the issue trying to return to the catpeople.

The cover is much better this time; that’s a really creepy bug queen right there. Inside, Sandoval does a much better job with the bug people, as well.