Last month, X was limping his way to enacting justice which kept the drama of his character to a minimum. It was a done-in-one story though, and the next arc kicks off today. Is it good?
X #6 (Dark Horse Comics)
Find out what’s going on by reading our summary in our X #5 review.
This issue embodies every reason you’d want to read a superhero crime book. What are the three rules of superhero crime comics? 1) Gore and violence. 2) A mystery to solve. 3) An element that pits the hero or the good guys in great danger. Ding ding ding! All three are accomplished right here in the issue. I have to say, writer Duane Swierczynski does a great job setting up what will most likely be an even better story than the first story arc.
The story unfolds with a narcotics squad shaking down some innocent shopkeeps who sell illegal ziploc bags to customers. There’s a city mandate against such baggies to stop people from selling drugs. It’s all a ploy to steal from the poor and give to the coffers of the criminals. If there was ever a job for X, this is it. Most of the comic spends its time with X dealing with this squad, which is taut with action. Thankfully Swierczynski also adds to the developing story and the boss of said squad who may take it upon themselves to take the fight to X. Of course, this further complicates the drama between X and his new journalist friend Leigh.
Eric Nguyen once again nails the gritty style a crime comic needs. The gore is messy, the fighting right there on the street and the violence felt throughout. He has a way with the bad guy faces that particularly makes them scary and evil. It’s partly the shadows used, but also the angles of their faces. It’s like they’ve been cut from demon cloth and most definitely need to be destroyed by X. That helps make X’s fatalistic methods all the more understandable.
The only downside to this book is the undercooked relationship between Leigh and X. The problem is time has passed and all of a sudden they seem cool with each other. This was a relationship that was barely working before, based on a loose sense of trust, but now seems solidified. It’s a bit of a jump, which makes it feel slightly false.
9.0
- Great action and setup of the new arc
- Leigh and X are now buds…when did that happen?
Is It Good?
Looking for a crime comic with a lot of grit, some interesting plot developments and a kickass hero? This is it. Seriously. In a lot of ways he’s better than Batman because he’s limited in his dealings and can take on the most corruptible. That and the villains aren’t super in the slightest, but the type of dudes you will see in crime dramas.
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