Search

Search only in certain items:

New Mutants by Zeb Wells: The Complete Collection
New Mutants by Zeb Wells: The Complete Collection
Zeb Wells | 2018 | Comics & Graphic Novels
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
So, thanks to recent good deals on Comixology, as well as mandated COVID-19 stay-@-home in NC (it's the same elsewhere in the U.S., but I just felt like throwing out where I am in the mess), I have taken it upon myself to catch up with some classic Marvel mutant madness that I had missed first time around. For this week's excursion, I took on Zeb Wells' NEW MUTANTS run.

First, let me say that I had never read anything Wells had written before this. That being said, I would agree with what I saw a number of people saying in their reviews: that Zeb Wells does a bang-up job of writing for X-youngins! The dialogue and characterization never felt off or just plain badly written. It felt like he had a genuine fondness for the characters, and it was reflected in the way he treated them in the stories.

The only thing that prevented me from giving it four Stars was the art. I felt the stories detailed were interesting and several towards the end were very tense and exciting to me. However, that art? Not so much.

It started out great in the beginning w/the art by Dio Neves during "Return of the Legion". However, it just became a sea of inconsistency, as just too many artists of varied styles made for a mess that kept it from being a four Star book!

Final conclusion.. The art, while severely conflicting with the differences in styles, was not a high point of the book. Zeb Wells' writing? So, so good! Made me remember that not all the X-books at that point in time were angst-y and full of internalized self-conflicts!

Next on my list? I have the two volumes of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning's run of NEW MUTANTS, which picks up after Wells' run. To coin a phrase from comedian John Mulaney's act, "This oughta be good!". See y'all when I am finished with that one.
  
X (2022) (2022)
X (2022) (2022)
2022 | Horror
8
7.6 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Ti West has been gruesomely carving his name into the horror genre for a little while now, but with X, it feels like everything is really falling into place. It's a snappy, funny, unnerving, visceral, and chaotic ride that is easy to get lost in.
Despite it's fast moving narrative, it still finds time to slowly build its tension. Even before shit goes south, and everyone's having a bloody lovely time snorting cocaine and filming porn, something just feels off, to an almost unbearable degree.
Creepy, elderly antagonists have been done before, but the villains of the piece here have a well realised soft edge to them in the form of their relationship. There's some touching moments between them (as well as some gross ones), and it very much drives home the point that getting old sucks, and there's definitely a sliver of sympathy in there somewhere in between all the stabbing and nastiness.
The main group of protagonists are all a joy to watch on screen and are all pretty likable. Mia Goth is superb in her dual role, and it's great to see Jenna Ortega furthering a promising career in horror. The whole cast are decent and sell the unfolding madness with aplomb.
It's beautifully shot as well, from the opening scene, to the moment the credits roll, every frame feels like it's been slaved over with a great degree of passion. There's homages everywhere you look, the most obvious of course, being The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, from its setting and general vibe, to the very arthouse style that the film is presented in. It's really quite a treat to look at.
The more slasher side of things eventually takes over, and proceedings do become relatively predictable, but by that point, the film has descended into a crazy, gory, good time, and it's hard to care about any slight misgivings.

In short, X is a fucking blast and is well worth making a cinema trip for any fans of the genre. Don't sleep on it!