New X-Men: Mercury Falling (33-36)

I wanted to congratulate Craig Kyle and Chris Yost for making it through an entire story without killing anybody, but then I remembered Mammomax. I'm sure someone's going to miss him.

After making it through a series of depressing stories meant to pull the new team together, we're treated to a story about X-23. Sure, it's got Mercury's name in the title, but this is the X-23 show. Surprisingly, I've grown to like X-23 (something I never would have said when Claremont had her in Uncanny), but that's largely because her creators are writing her. I've heard both of her mini-series (also written by Yost and Kyle) are also quite good. Good thing to get a character with a very shaky premise (a Wolverine clone, for crying out loud) over in the minds of fans.

However, it can't be forgotten that this is not a book about X-23. It's about the New X-Men. While Hellion gets a featured role in the story (setting up to be X-23's main man probably had something to do with it) and Mercury plays the damsel in distress, Rockslide, Surge, Elixir, and Dust do practically nothing through the entire story. Of course, this is just one story. As long as the X-23 and Friends show doesn't continue on, the book will be fine.

The tie-in to William Stryker seemed to be weak. If scientists are going to breed horrible monsters using a mutant's power, and they just happen to be in X-23's origin, then run with that. No need to tie it in to the previous story. Again, I hope this doesn't lead to a habit in this title. If it does, it may have been a better plan to keep Stryker alive at the close of the previous story.

Since all my complaints are about the possible future, I'd have to say this book is doing quite well right now. Of course, the next story looks to be bringing back the long-dead Illyana Rasputin (see my earlier rant on death in comics), so we'll see how that one goes. As for now, though, good stuff.