The Exiles are up to issue 58. The sales
numbers are slipping a bit, but volume 10 may be able
to turn that around.

General Information

Title: Exiles Vol. 9: Bump in the Night

Author: Tony Bedard

Illustrator(s): Jim Calafiore and Mizuki
Sakakibara

Original Publication Date: Issues 52-58 were
published in late 2004
and January 255.

ISBN: 0-7851-1673-7

Cover Price: $17.99 US

Buy from: Amazon.com
or Amazon.ca

Past comic reviews can be found here.

Premise

In issues 52 and 53, the Exiles deal with Ego as it
tries to turn
Earth into its offspring. In issue 54, the fate of
the world rests on
a cheese danish. In issues 55-57, the Exiles arrive
in a reality
distorted by Kulan Gath’s master spell. In issue 58,
they deal with
the fallout one of the characters experienced in
issues 55-57.

High Point

Issue 54.

Low Point

I’ve never liked the Kulan Gath story.

The Scores

This doesn’t feel terribly original when
looking at the
missions themselves. One of the things I loved about
Judd Winick’s
run was the use of stories that were just about the
characters, and
we’ve lost that at some point along the way. Bedard
said that issue
58 would be a character story, but that’s not the way
I read it.
Issue 54 was the first break from the “beat up that
guy” type of story
in a while, which is probably why it’s so enjoyable.
I give it 3 out
of 6.

The artwork by Calafiore is still quite
good, but I haven’t
warmed up to Sakakibara. I give it 4 out of 6.

The story can get a bit repetitive in the
main plot, but the
subplot about the Timebroker is starting to pick up.
The letters
column says that that will come to a head in issue
62, which will
likely be in the next trade paperback. (I’m no
longer picking up
individual issues.) I give it 4 out of 6.

The characterization is passable. The
Exiles are staying in
character, but we’re not seeing the character growth
and exploration
we used to see. I give it 4 out of 6.

The emotional response works on some levels.
The next story
arc should pick up, but this one is a bunch of “same
old, same old”
type of stuff. (Just once I’d like to see them fail
the mission and
see what happens…) I give it 3 out of 6.

The flow is nicely done, moving from one
panel and/or story
to the next. I give it 5 out of 6.

Overall, it’s a decent collection, but not
great. If you’re
not following the title on a regular basis, you could
probably pick up
issues 52, 53, and 58 to keep track of everything
that’s going to
impact the future. I give it 4 out of 6.

In total, Exiles Vol. 9: Bump in the Night
receives 27 out of 42.