Writer: Chris Claremont
Art: Salvador Larroca, GURU-eFX, and VC’s Clayton Cowles
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Release Date: December 28th, 2022
Logan leads the hunt for Ogun in this week’s X-Treme X-Men #2 by Chris Claremont! The X-Treme X-Men have reunited to aid their comrade Kitty Pryde, but as Wolverine leads the hunt for their mutual enemy Ogun, Rachel uncovers a dark secret! And what does Purity hope to gain in the chaos of the mutants’ battle? Chris Claremont and Salvador Larroca take X-TREME to the next level in this issue!
If you’re interested in this comic, series, related trades, or any of the others mentioned, then simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon as you read the X-Treme X-Men #2 Review.
THE DISPATCH
X-Treme X-Men #2 continues as the team tries to find a way to trap Ogun and stop him from jumping across different hosts. Alas, Claremont provides more talking and monologuing instead of action in this week’s installment than fans may desire. As Ogun floats around for most of the issue trying to find host after host, the X-Treme X-Men team circles behind him attempting to somehow trap him with ideas left off the panel to the reader, which got a bit frustrating at times.
On top of the off-panel developments, readers get a showdown between the Purity’s hero Beasty-Brute and Bishop which somehow took center stage more than Ogun. So now, readers get to see a bit of a battle on two fronts, which does develop the story a bit more. Nevertheless, it’s the most action readers get in this week’s X-Treme X-Men #2. And with a title labeled “X-Treme”, wouldn’t you expect a bit more action? Moreover, the plethora of characters needing air time dwindled down the depth of the narrative in order to juggle all the talking heads just to give them the space they needed.
ART
Salvador Larroca and GURU-eFX amplify this surface-level assault with some valiant artistry. The colors are incredibly bright and splash this 90s feeling throughout each panel extremely well. The fight scene involving Beasty-Brute was laid out splendidly with the perfect panel arrangements to help the fight scene flow with ease. Moreover, it was the colors that drew this reviewer deeper into the issue. From the black and white scheme inside the mindscape to the intense reds and oranges that leaped off each page, GURU-eFX helped fortify X-Treme X-Men #2 and provided the strong change of pace when needed within the issue.
FINAL THOUGHTS
To summarize, X-Treme X-Men #2 is simply ghost-tracking, off-panel solutions, and one showdown with a jacked-up bodybuilder. The story lacks character depth and assumes that readers know all the background details before diving in, which isn’t always necessarily a bad thing. However, in the premise that is X-Treme X-Men #2, I feel like more context other than issue one would have been helpful. Additionally, with the busy nature of the issue, it felt like the characters were all extremely surface-level. Nevertheless, it was Larroca and GURU-eFX who helped salvage the issue with some incredibly crisp and vibrant art that kept this reviewer entertained enough to the end. Nonetheless, I highly recommend adding much more action to a title that’s meant to be “X-Treme” before you lose readers fast. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!