Rayboy's Review: X-Men Forever 2 #1

Nothing quite says "I badly want a sales spike" like a top publisher cancelling a book, only to immediately restart the very same title, with the very same creative team and continuing the very same storyline - for instance - like Marvel Comics X-Men Forever 2 #1.

This utterly ridiculous gimmick blows smoke up the asses of the intended audience, while at the same time artificially boosts sales on a new "#1" issue, at least long enough for the great and powerful Wizard of Claremont to enjoy his extra shekels, spinning his alternate-continuity X-festivities.

Here's a bit of the double speak used to sell this turkey to the fanboys who can't accept the fact that they are the peanut inside Marvels ongoing shell game:

"CHRIS CLAREMONT CONTINUES HIS LANDMARK SERIES WITH A NEW STORY, A NEW TEAM, AND EVEN MORE TWISTS AND TURNS! With the drastic events from the end of Volume 1, the X-Men are shaken to their very core. As they start to pick up the pieces, they are confronted by a new enemy, more powerful than any other they've ever faced. With original series artist TOM GRUMMETT, these are two issues you won't want to miss."

I've just gotta ask if anybody out there really enjoys playing king of the hill on top of such a huge pile of bullshit? I gave the first couple of issues from last years initial volume a try because I liked Tom Grummett's artwork, and admittedly out of curiosity over what Claremont intended to do with the X-Men after so long an absence from the title. Well, he started the ball rolling by killing off Wolverine in the first issue of volume one, then rather than focus his energy on some of the remaining cast and how this seminal event would shift the interpersonal dynamics of the entire team, Claremont shoehorned Sabretooth in as a De facto replacement for Logan. Yeah. I see that glimmer in your eyes already; he basically hit the easy button! Adding insult to injury, Chris made so many bizarre changes to the other remaining X-Men, that even this title - which was pitched as a return to the original X-team, freed from three dozen ongoing other "X" series gobbledygook brouhaha's - seems just as out in the left field of the twilight zone as any other current Marvel series.

I also have to say that Grummett's decent art efforts aren't well served by the inking of Cory Hamscher, but Wil Quintana partially salvages the package - a bit - with his nice coloring work. I can't say that this unnecessary relaunch gets my attention any more than last years model, but maybe 2011's X-Men Forever 3 #1 will finally do the trick. Stay tuned!