Review: Hellions #3
With all the new “X” stuff going on and the constant everything is not the same as it was that seems to pervade the the main X books, its nice to see a little bit of recognisable history rearing its thigh high clad, really odd bikini wearing red head. Yes, its all board for the Madeline Pryor crazy train !
Now that Krakoa has become the mutant’s “des-res” it falls to Mister Sinister to get rid of his cloning factory in order to prove his worth. Therefore, the Hellions are on a bit of a field trip. Though what started as a simple clean-up op, has quickly turned in to a fight for survival….. as normal!
Writer Zeb Wells has cleverly moved his pieces around in this story, with the main players in part being replacements for possibly more well-loved originals. To go with Maddie, we have Alex Summers and of course Psylocke now far removed from Betsy Braddock. By using proxies, Wells manages to show the struggle that personal perceptions can cause. All three characters should have their place in sun, yet each one is damaged in someway. This damage then creates lasting scars, with only Psylocke seemingly impervious, at least in this issue, unlike her time in Fallen Angels. I enjoyed the Goblin Queen dialogue as she weaves her spell, entrapping her former replacement lover. The fight scenes between Psylocke and Wild Child are well paced, with some excellent usage of the psi-blade as well as recognising Psylocke’s fighting skills.
For a lot of readers (me included) the main draw for this book is the art. Stephen Segovia pulls out all the stops. Starting at the top, Madeline looks gorgeously evil as is her want with fiery red hair off-setting the most impractical but visually stunning costumes in X-world history. Who can blame Havok for being speechless? Add in a ninja in a swimsuit in Psylocke and you have a book that wears is curves firmly on its sleeves. Segovia also does well showing the torture of Havok, never one of my favourite X-men to be honest, as well as the fury of Wild Child. I do think that the lesser characters kind of get short shrift towards the end of the book as if Wells and Segovia have put their efforts on their immediate focus. The colors from David Curiel adds a level of darkness to proceedings. I love the deep red backgrounds. Of course with this being an X-book, letterer Ariana Maher does the requisite Clayton Cowles X-font.
For a book that, at its inception, felt like it could water down the product, I have to say that I quite enjoyed this issue. I do worry that once the Madeline focus is resolved, will the book falter in the same way as Fallen Angels. After all, both books use the set mission approach, that may not offer much wiggle room. That’s a concern for down the line; for now, just revel in the gloriously visual chaos of a vengeful Goblin Queen!
Writing – 4 Stars
Art – 4.5 Stars
Colors – 5 Stars
Overall – 4.5 Stars
Written by; Zeb Wells
Art by; Stephen Segovia
Colors by; David Curiel
Letters by; Ariana Maher
Published by; Marvel Worldwide
Author Profile
- I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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