Grant Morrison’s next batch of issues is also readily
available, along with five other collections of his
work on the New X-Men title. Note that the
title on the stands now labelled New X-Men
is actually the continuation of the New
Mutants title, and not this title. This title
has two continuations, in a way. The numbering
continues on the adjectiveless X-Men, while
the story and team roster continues in Joss Whedon’s
Astonishing X-Men.
General Information
Title: New X-Men Vol. 2: Imperial
Author: Grant Morrison
Illustrator(s): Frank Quietly, Igor Kordey, and ethan
van Sciver
Original Publication Date: 2002 reprint of material
first published
from 2001-2002.
Issues collected: New X-Men 118-126
ISBN: 0-7851-0887-4
Cover Price: $19.99 US, $32.00 Can
Buy from: Amazon.com
or Amazon.ca
Past comic reviews can be found here.
Premise
This follow-up to Morrison’s
first story
arc is so much of a continuation that it might as
well have been
published as a single, large volume. This includes
the resolution to
several of the stories that were unresolved in that
first volume. The
Shi’ar Imperium is back, those loose Sentinels are
tracked down, the
character invited to join the team shows up, and the
public response
to other events comes to light.
High Point
“Last time you lit up like this, the whole
universe peed its
pants…”
Low Point
Hank’s distraction program seems out of character,
particularly when
he sends the students to join those being distracted.
Also, I doubt
he’d use that program to calm perfect strangers who
are supposed to be
there to be convinced that this is a school for
abnormal children.
The Scores
This set feels just as original as the
first, but it does so
while still feeling like the X-Men. I give it 5 out
of 6.
The artwork is still mostly Frank Quietly,
and it’s still a 4
out of 6.
The story is well written, and feels like an
X-Men story. I
give it 5 out of 6.
The characterization is pretty good. We not
only get the
characters well defined, particularly Emma, but we
get some strong
student characters showing up and populating the
school. I give it 5
out of 6.
The emotional response this produced wasn’t
as good as it
could have been. I think the big problem was that
this was released
as a seperate volume from the first, when really it’s
just finishing
that story. It wouldn’t stand on its own, just as
the first didn’t.
It would read far better in the hardcover collecting
the first two
paperback volumes. (It’s item AUG04 2193 STAR 16889
on the latest
Diamond order form if you can’t find it in stores.
Amazon seems to be
sold out, so I won’t provide a link there.) I give
it 4 out of 6.
The flow was, again, well done. It dives in
because it’s not
the whole story, but that is a problem that’s best
left to other
categories. I give it 5 out of 6.
Overall, it feels more like the X-Men, but
I’m still not
completely sold on the other five volumes in his run.
I give it 4 out
of 6.
In total, New X-Men Vol. 2: Imperial
receives 32 out of 42.