There’s a lot to cover on Wednesdays. We should know, as collectively, we read an insane amount of comics. Even with a large review staff, it’s hard to get to everything. With that in mind, we’re back with Wrapping Wednesday, where we look at some of the books we missed in what was another great week of comics.
Let’s get this party started.
The Approach #1
Written by Jeremy Haun and Jason A. Hurley
Illustrated by Jesús Hervás and Lea Caballero
Colored by Brett Weldele
Lettered by Ed Dukeshire
Reviewed by Quinn Tassin
That’s it? “The Approach” #1 isn’t a bad comic by any means but it’s definitely an underwhelming one. The premise of this series, which we finally get a whiff of about three pages before this debut issue ends, is solid. The notion of a big group of people trapped in an airport when a plane that’s been missing for 27 years crashes, carrying some kind of monster on it is great. And to be fair to the writing team, it would be foolish to open on the main thing. As a horror/sci-fi story, it’s certainly effective to build up to a big reveal. But this issue totally lacks a real sense of buildup. Sure, there’s a certain inevitability to something bad happening. After all, small snowed in airports at night aren’t exactly a setting where you expect good things to happen. But knowing something bad is coming is entirely distinct from feeling that something bad is coming.
The reason for all of this? “The Approach” #1 is extremely poorly paced. We spend a very long time getting ready for a not-mysterious flight to make an emergency landing and meeting our main characters. Problem is, those characters aren’t all that fleshed out. We get hints at who they are but very little to actually latch onto outside of how uniquely bad they think this snowstorm is. The plane crash that this series revolves around comes halfway through the issue but even that feels a little inert. In the process of seeing the rescue of one passenger (who we later learn is dead), there’s no real tension, nor is there much that illustrates who our main characters are. Sure, they run into a burning plane but they’re literally first responders so it just makes sense. The intrigue only comes once the mystery has been introduced and the big monster reveal is solid but that all happens so quickly that it doesn’t turn the issue around. Instead, the issue at the point where the first interesting thing happens. It’s good to have readers ready to buy a second issue, but it’d sure be nice if they didn’t feel a second issue was the one it took to figure out what this series actually is. The upside is that now all of the pieces seem to be in place for “The Approach” to execute in its second issue.
The artwork is the easy highpoint of “The Approach” #1. While the writing fails to follow through, there’s certainly a foreboding tone established through the rough shading and dark coloring used throughout the issue. The character design, too is great, particularly Mac’s exaggerated frame. The layouts are strong insofar as they emphasize important moments and keep the issue easily readable; at the same time, though, they help bog down the pace of what could be more exciting scenes. While the plane crash initially feels big, effectively piercing the darkness of the rest of the issue with a massive explosion that jostles both the characters and the readers, the rescue is more workmanlike. The same applies to the discovery of the monster: it’s absolutely well rendered but it lacks a certain sense of mystery and urgency that you need in big reveals. Still, it’s effective work that the team is doing and now that the monster has arrived it’ll be exciting to see them flex their muscles in the future.
Final Verdict: 5.8 – Poor pacing and thin characterization hold back the first issue of what could become an interesting series
Legion of X #6
Written by Si Spurrier
Illustrated by Rafael Pimentel
Continued below
Colored by Federico Blee
Lettered by VC’s Clayton Cowles
Reviewed by Alexander Jones
Marvel’s “Judgment Day” has been the type of crossover to add higher stakes across the entire X-Men line of comics. The Progenitor has arrived to pass judgment and Marvel’s “Legion of X” are also subject to said judging. “Legion of X” #6 is stepping up to tie directly into the crossover event. With so many different plot threads opened up in “Legion of X” it is remarkable to see how author Simon Spurrier is able to enrich the script with aspects of the epic crossover.
Artist Rafeal Pimentel joins Spurrier for the issue. Pimentel’s linework rises to the bold script and offers a climactic visual battle between Uranos and Legion captured with so much nuance. The way that Pimentel visually interprets the fight between Uranos and company with the pages showing a montage are gorgeous. The colors from Federico Blee during Legion’s Progenitor moment’s really stand out as well. I hope to see Pimentel contribute nuanced art to “Legion of X” alongside Blee in future issues. Pimentel’s facial expressions for characters like Nightcrawler are really bold in certain scenes. Pimentel’s uses innovative layouts as well throughout the issue.
Spurrier’s script is utilizing key plot elements from titles like “X-Men Red” and “Judgment Day” without making “Legion of X” #6 over encumbered. The plot threads naturally lean into each other as David visits Arakko in this issue to take care of mutant business. The way that David’s discovery of his own agency or confidence takes place here is really meaningful. The sequence with Magneto and Legion is going to stand the test of time and become as epic as the final moments in “Way of X.”
It is shocking to see just how many great moments Spurrier and Pimental sneak into “Legion of X” #6. I wish the creators of this issue were able to sneak some of the elements here into the main series. The moments between Legion, Magneto and Uranos don’t just feel important to the series but to the entire X-Men line of comics. If you are following “Judgment Day” in any serious capacity this is an essential chapter to Marvel’s landmark comic book event.
Final Verdict: 8.7 – “Legion of X” #6 uses the confines of a crossover to flesh out critical character beats with precision.
The Least We Can Do #2
Written & Lettered by Iolanda Zanfardino
Illustrated & Colored by Elisa Romboli
Reviewed by Alexander Manzo
This second bite of the apple by Iolanda Zanfardino still gives the reader plenty to chew on, but it doesn’t provide as many answers as they’d hoped. This issue feels like the training montage of a movie or tv show where the protagonist isn’t doing as well as they’d hoped. Uriel gets beaten down by the Eclipse Rebels to test whether she is worthy or not of not only the stone she possesses and if she can help them out at all. Zanfardino does give Uriel a Captain America “I can do this all day” mentality with her stone healing her while she is in battle training that provides the rebels, and the reader, some respect for the main character. Still, there’s not much else built on in this issue. Uriel has to be spoon-fed the answers that she will have to change her way of attacking the enemy by actually having to use force.
There’s a bit more exposition explained throughout the issue for a couple of the characters and even an explanation of the composition of teams based on the stones, but both are sped through and leave the reader wanting more. For a fantasy world, we’re still only provided a brief explanation of the war and the people involved other than “good guys” versus “bad guys,” and it is starting to feel strained for a second issue.
The artwork by Elisa Romboli is filled with clear, concise linework that’s also very bright and dynamic that fits well with all of the action that this issue contains. There are a couple of scenes of fight training with Uriel, primarily one-sided, where she is being chased or flipped, whereas, in other comics, it can feel overwhelming and frantic, but Romboli makes it feel much more focused. Romboli also makes it easy to distinguish between flashes of memories with different coloring that may be looked at as a small obvious detail. Still, again it can be overlooked and confusing.
Final Verdict: 7.8 – This issue may have a good amount of action; it lacks answers for the overall arc of the storyline to cause more questions for the reader.
