Review- Uncanny X-Men: Quarantine

UNCANNY X-MEN: QUARANTINE (Marvel, 2011; Softcover)

Collects Uncanny X-Men Nos. 530-534 (cover dates January- April, 2011)

Writer: Matt Fraction and Kieron Gillen

Artist: Greg Land

Not bad, not bad at all. Some of the dialogue, especially those stupid character caption boxes, were annoying. The character caption boxes, which serve as a quick reference to a character, their secret identity, and their powers, are annoying when they are used every panel, with some stupid joke inserted in it that doesn't further the story. Matt Fraction's ideas are pretty decent throughout this arc, but it's his 'witty' dialogue that annoys me. I also cannot stand Greg Land's artwork. The way that he draws faces on women grates my nerves. There is just something about the way that he draws their mouths that annoys me. 

Okay, sometimes the witty writing is indeed witty.

I have to laugh at Marvel's 'Architect” title that they have bestowed upon their modern day star writers. The architects of the Marvel Universe are Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Steve Ditko, end of discussion. Brian Michael Bendis and Matt Fraction are like fratboys renting out the House of Ideas, breaking furniture and knocking holes in the walls with their 'parties'. Worse still, they are ignoring the cracks in the basement walls, and the resulting damage to the foundation of the Marvel Universe that will ensue with their continued neglect. Ed Brubaker has also been given an 'Architect' title, but he is more like the roommate who pays his share of the rent on time and mows the lawn. It's these other yahoos (Bendis and Fraction) who are wrecking the House of Ideas.

The Black King (Sebastian Shaw, no relation of mine) is a great villain, and it was cool seeing him again. The whole nanotech mutant virus was an interesting angle, ditto the designer drug mutants. While this was decent, I am still done with the X-Men. It would figure that there was an uptick in quality just as I had finally decided to quit. Oh well, I'm still done with the modern X-Men collections.

The OCD zone- Wax coated cardstock cover coupled with the return of the thicker paper stock make me a happy OCD camper.

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