Posted in: Comics, Marvel Comics | Tagged: angel, Beast, bloodstorm, cullen bunn, cyclops, danger, iceman, Jean Grey, jimmy hudson, magneto, Marvel Comics, marvel girl, marvel legacy, polaris, thony silas, x-men, x-men blue

X-Men Blue #16 Review: Time Collapses Around Them

Reeling from the attack from Mojo, the X-Men are resting up at their Madripoor base. Cyclops broods on the rooftop with Bloodstorm. Iceman watches the programming the Mojo Network is still putting out. Angel and Polaris help Jimmy Hudson train. Jean Grey spends time with Beast while he tinkers with his toys. This is all interrupted when Magneto is hit with a psychic attack, and he contacts Jean. Time is beginning to collapse around these time-displaced X-Men, and the reckoning has come.

This kind of story was inevitable for X-Men: Blue. They have been removed from their place in time, and, one day, they will have to go back. It just seems to be continuously postponed, most recently by them seeing themselves in the past already, implying they are from a different timeline.

I am certainly intrigued in where this will be going. Whatever happens, it appears inevitable that the results will have a lasting effect on this team of X-Men. This prologue to it doesn't throw any particular curveballs yet with the exception of Xavier's possible involvement, but the cover already implies that.

This story is fairly muddled by CW-esque teen drama. Cyclops' brooding with Bloodstorm seems a tad immature. Beast is exceptionally passive aggressive towards Jean due to her apparent romantic kindling with Cyclops. I do understand that these characters are supposed to be teenagers, but you would think the life-and-death struggle that is their lives would contextualize some of this for them. Beast really has no room to be such a wad since he's actually provided one of those life-and-death struggles recently. In fairness, Jean does point this out for him.

Iceman watching some of the Mojo programming is pretty damn sadistic too. Mojo is broadcasting Survivor-esque reality television with the twist of putting the contestants in extreme danger, mostly involving hungry and carnivorous animals. He's essentially watching snuff films.

Thony Silas' artwork leaves a lot to be desired in this comic. The figures often look out of proportion with themselves. Faces are very geometric and with sharp edges. That being said, there are some panels that work very well and look solid. Needless to say, the art is inconsistent and could use some improvement.

Rain Beredo's color work does help make up for this some with some good color balancing. It leans more on the bright side for characters and items in focus, making for a very eye-catching color palette.

While it's not amazing, X-Men: Blue #16 does provide a functional story. The interior team drama can be a tad exasperating, and the art is inconsistent. However, the premise is interesting enough, and the art does have moments where it holds together well. I can recommend it to the dedicated X-Men fan, and people who fall under that category can feel free to check it out.

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