Thoughts

The regular team on the X-book are all in place for this third issue of Marvel Fanfare, which also brings in Storm, Colossus, Wolverine and Nightcrawler from the X-men. (Cyclops is apparently ill, and Kitty is looking after him. Probably because she feels guilty as he’s likely caught form her the flu that kept her out of Issue 145)

The X-men are travelling to the Savage Land, summoned by Angel after the last issue ended with Sauron unleashed. The quartet selected for the mission make a good team, and its weird that Angel is probably getting more to do with these X-men than he ever did during his recent brief stint as a member of the team.

I feel I have to be honest and say that I find Sauron an underwhelming villain. On paper, a good man with a Mr-Hyde alter-ego that happens to be an Evil Pterodactyl with Hypno-powers that needs to drain life force to survive should be great fun. But it never quite lands to me. His villainy just seems too pedestrian compared to that insane premise, while there’s no real connection to his Good Karl Lykos persona that could be explored. Sauron’s just an evil bastard. With a Tolkien-rip-off name.

On top of that, I love the Savage Land as a lost land of mystery but this issue sets up the fact that the place is surrouinded by the UN in an attempt to preserve this unique habitat. This certainly feels credible, but I think it detracts from the true nature of the Savage Land as a dangerous unexplored wilderness. It becomes the Savage UN Nature reserve which is a lot less fun.

Fun Panel

This story represents the first appearance of Vertigo. A brutal savage granted powers by EVIL SCIENCE. Also a weird trippy bathing suit costume. The design of the lower half of the costume is however potentially problematic, and there attempt to address it doesn’t really make it any better. Indeed, scanning through these issues, the artists definitely have an odd time trying to make that lower circle work. Is it part of a swimming suit? Is it black underwear? Every issue so far has tried a different tack to avoid looknig very, very wrong indeed.

Vertigo as seen in the last two issues…