X-Club #1 - I haven't read the issues where he was first introduced, but i've been enjoying Dr. Nemesis whenever he's popped up in random books that i'm reading, so between that and the fact that this series seemed like it was going to have a super-science focus, min and i thought we would give it a try. So far, i'm not so sure. First, i think Simon Spurrier is writing Nemesis way over-the-top, at least compared to what i've read of the character so far. While he's clearly both smart and arrogant, he's been much more down to earth in past appearances. Here, it's like Spurrier is trying to cram in as much Grant Morrison/Warren Ellis-esque dialogue as possible into his mouth. I may change my mind and decide that i actually like it, but i'm a little unsure so far. Beyond that (and doing my best to get past the fact that the friggin Danger Room is now a walking, talking character in the Marvel Universe), my main disappointment is that i've read the first issue of a five issue mini and i have no idea what the plot of the series is going to be. Sure, the X-Men are launching a "space elevator" and that's good super-science fun, but then there's the whole Atlantean mutation attack that just seems like a distraction from the main plot. Based on the opening flashback scene with the Invaders i realize that it probably is the main plot, but it's introduced haphazardly and doesn't seem to have anything to do with the space elevator that most of the issue focuses on, and there's nothing that really establishes the "X-Club" as a distinct group or why they'd be the ones that have to deal with this attack. I don't know. I'm probably rambling. We'll see where it goes, and what min thinks. And min, this is already a limited series so you're allowed to like it without fear of it getting canceled.

Villains for Hire #1 - This was better than the .1 issue. I guess we'll learn why Misty is using villains instead of heroes against Purple Man's team. And i'd like to know why the Purple Man, whose mind control powers allow him to have anything he wants just by asking for it, would bother setting up a criminal empire, but that probably won't be addressed and it's probably not Abnett and Lanning's responsibility to do so.

Avenging Spider-Man #2 - This continues to be great. Running a bit long, maybe? I'd like to see these stories kept short and with frequent new team-up guests. But this was fun and funny all the way through.

Hulk #45 - Some cool plotting in this book. I guess we're not going to have a Machine Man/Recorder meeting like i requested since the Rigellians aren't playing an active role in this story, and that's ok. I really like this version of Machine Man, but what happened to the Nextwave-inspired one from Ms. Marvel? Did we ever see his personality revert to this one? Maybe that was secretly X-52?

By the way, i liked the art in all the above stories. No real complaints.

Omac #4 - Of course, none of those artists were Keith Giffen. Enjoying this. Bio-gaters!

XC: it was pretty easy to tell from the very first page this book was going to be a piece of shit. dude, if you are going to write something that other people are going to read, learn how to spell. and if you can't spell, get yourself a dictionary and learn how to use it. pompous is spelled with 2 Os - one in the first syllable, one in the second.

V4H: that Headhunter chick reminds me of one of the villains in the Invisibles in the storyline where all the bad guys wore sunglasses to hide their bug eyes.

AvSM: i particularly enjoyed the Spider-Man/Jameson scene when Jameson's about to accuse Spider-Man and then stops himself. heh.

Hulk: ew! they ate the Rigellian fetuses!

Surely, "there was a typo" won't be your entire review of X-Club.

fine.

The Art. the art isn't terrible in that the people don't look hideous (Annihilation: Earthfall) or like zombies (Secret Invasion) or anything, but it's not good storytelling. the opening scenes are of the Invaders. at one point, the Human Torch passes out and falls out of the sky, crashing into the enemy ship. here's the problem - i had no idea that is what was supposed to be happening in these panels. until i got to the dialogue 5 panels later, as far as i could tell, the Human Torch deliberately flew into the ship to sink it. if you can't clearly draw someone falling out of the sky, you shouldn't be working in a medium where the artwork conveying the story is so crucial.

a second instance of "uh...what's going on here" happens later when Danger leaves the space elevator for Utopia. Panel 1 shows her falling(?) over the railing. Panel 2 shows the space elevator floating above the earth, but i don't see any indication that Danger is hurtling towards the planet, so where did her body go? a few pages later, we're in Utopia where you see her body being built. did she jump, falling thousands of miles back to earth? did she transfer her consciousness to Utopia where she had another body built? i just don't know. and no, it's not necessary to the story, but is there any reason why you wouldn't want every panel to be clearly understood?

The Writing. there is not one single character anyone would like. and i don't mean "oh, they're crabby" in a Wolverine sort of way. i mean, every single person who speaks is going to irritate the snot out of you. Dr. Nemesis displays his vast intellect by talking down to everyone (even people on his science team) in pseudo-scientific lingo at great length. Dr. Rao doesn't do much except stand around being bitter about not having a direct role in this project. Danger is just an idiotic concept. if they wanted another ill-tempered robot walking around, i'm sure they could have asked Pym to build one for them. and Jeffries - he was such a non-entity in this issue that even the other characters don't pay him much mind. where the hell is the super science? why am i reading a story about a bunch of whiners NOT doing science? why do they even need them? Magneto shot that space station into space by himself. i've seen more super science done in the background of other comics. on top of all that, as fnord12 mentioned, the storytelling is haphazard. where the hell is the plot? is this going to be about the space elevator? is it about atlantean opposition to the project? is it about what's behind that door the shady business guy won't let anyone go through? is it about mutant fish? is it about danger flipping out? you want to write a complex story with twists and turns? no problem. but you don't do it by throwing it all out there at once in a mishmosh, assuring me it'll all make sense by issue #5. honey, if issue #1 doesn't make sense, there's not going to be an issue #2, much less 5.

and that is my detailed review of why X-Club stinks. my complaint about the typo stands, though. i feel it shows the level of care that went into this comic. hello? do editors still work at Marvel? do you understand what an editor is supposed to do? it doesn't just mean pushing projects along, making sure things keep rolling through. it means you check the product before it goes to print to make sure things are done correctly (e.g. everyone's got a face). tsk.