<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: A Mutated, Yet Still Solid Graphic Novel
Review: Let me say, right off the bat, that this review of the comic book adaptation of X-Men 2 does not contain any major spoilers about the film. If you want any crucial plot details, I suggest you pick up any one of the movie tie-ins that are now available. In addition to the film adaptation, the book also features separate stories about Wolverine and Nightcrawler. Both of these tales act as prequels to the second film. The stories take place some time after the first film ended and as film number two begins. This may sound like a minor quibble, but I can't understand why the prequel adventures appear after the main story, rather than before it. It's kind of like having an appetizer, after eating the main course. The placement of these bonus tales made them anti climatic. THE STORY-It seems as though adapter Chuck Austen captures the movie versions of these characters quite well. Based on what is represented in the book, the story allows for the X-MEN to work more as a team this time out, then in the first feature. Mutants are still greeted with mistrust and skepticism by most humans. However when powerful forces attack the President-the cause for mutant kind is even further complicated. As an assault is planned on Professor X's school and mutant enemy and ally must work together. This action packed main story, while good, in the end felt rushed at only 48 pages long. The Wolverine story written by Brian K. Vaughan , has Logan on a quest to find out more about his mysterious past. As for the Nightcrawler tale written by Austen: readers are treated to information about his start as a circus performer and how he turned hero. THE ART-Patrick Zircher and Larry Stucker handle the artistic chores on the film adaptation. For the most part I found their work to be just OK. The quality seemed varied at best. Some of it was really fantastic-especialy capturing Magneto-while at other times it wasn't nearly as detailed as I expected it to be. Most of the actors likenesses were a bit off (for legal reasons?) too. The Wolverine tale featured the work of artists Tom Mandrake and Dan Brown, while Nightcrawler's art team of Kark Kerschl and Jung Choi's Transparency gave their best to give the prequels a more polished over that of the main story's art Overall, the Graphic Novel is pretty good stuff. This despite a few problems as a comic book itself. Movie adaptations are hampered in a way by page limits and sometimes art concerns as well. X2 seems to have a bit of all of that going against it Somehow it still manages a [four star] star rating The book has 152 pages
<< 1 >>
| 
