Review: X-MEN: BATTLE OF THE ATOM #1
Bendis has been putting in overtime on what seems like dozens of books. Even though it feel’s like he’s stretched thin, he’s still managed to keep the quality at an exceptional level, his X-Men books being among the best.
One of the great things about this event is the all the books involved fall under the umbrella of one writer. Everything referenced is smooth, we don’t have to worry about mix-ups continuity, and there’s not several interpretations of the same characters that appear in different books, they all feel complete.
Jumping right in, this is a fast paced issue, from beginning to end you’re on a ride. The action at the beginning of the issue sets the speed, brining the new, old and Cyclop’s X-Men into a huge battle, with repercussions crazy enough to make any X-Men fan jump with excitement. But once again Bendis brings in the drama, pinning a hard decision of putting the young X-Men back where they belong or giving them the chance to prevent the horrible history they’ve seen unfold first hand. It makes for many anxious and eager flips of the page.
The tandem of Frank Cho & Stuart Immonen handling the art duties is a pleasure to gaze upon. Their art is lively and contains the youthfulness that these young X-Men need to separate them from the rest of the world. Most importantly the transition between the two is not rough or disjointing, they play off each other quite well. Still you can tell Cho from Immonen, Cho offers a detailed and acute style, while Immonen does the same with a smoother presentation. Thankfully color work really holds everything together seamlessly. There’s also a sense of realism, the poses, actions and most importantly, the emotion all conveys the passion and excitement throughout the entire issue.
X-Men Battle of the Atom is a wonderful start for the latest Marvel event. The variety of elements wrapped into this book make for an extremely entertaining read. On top of that, the second part of the event came out in the same week so waiting to see what happens next isn’t even a problem. Readers who just want to hop on also are presented with a decent platform as this issue serves as a crash course introduction to one of Marvel’s best books.
J.R. Johnson