Review: Multiple Man #5
Even for comic book characters, the world of the X-Men is rather complex. You have alternate dimensions, time travel, clones, aliens, aliens of clones, alien clones from an alternate future, and that does not even include the convoluted back story of a character like Cable. That is part of what makes them great, however at times you do have those  X-Men stories can get lost in the weeds and become so consumed with the mechanics of the world you are left with a hallow confusing story. All that makes the success of Matthew Rosenberg and Andy MacDonald“s Multiple Man mini-series all the more perplexing. Somehow it is able to be purposely confusing to the point of enjoyment. It is like if you starred directly into the sun and it improved your vision. (Note: I do not advocate starring directly into the sun or any shiny object for that matter)
Issue five brings the conclusion of this multifaceted, multilayered, multiperson comic series. Jamie Madrox was killed during X-Men vs Inhumans due to the floating cloud that killed any mutant it came in contact with, however, one multiple of Madrox remained hidden away in a bunker and was surprised to find he was the only one left living. With Jamie Prime now dead his life was set to be short-lived. This sent him into the future to find a cure. In true Jamie Madrox fashion, he simply cannot get out of his own way causing major devastation all around him including a future ruled by an evil version of himself. So now the only person who can stop Jamie is Jamie unless Jamie messes things up for Jamie. Got it? No. Good.
In all honesty, this story is confusing when you try to connect all the dots. Time travel, in general, is hard to figure out. As the film Looper so aptly pointed out if you attempt to talk about it you“ll take all day and start making diagrams with straws. Then imagine you have time travel with a character that can make multiple copies of himself to send to various time streams. This ends up existing in this unique middle ground. If you can simply let go of the need to understand every fine detail there is a lot to enjoy, or if you are willing to do the work to put this massive puzzle piece back together there is plenty of satisfaction to be had. For those caught in-between those two spectrums, this may not make for an overall enjoyable read.
With this being a series that never takes itself too seriously it makes it that much easier to accept how the insanity leads to absurd enjoyment. Rosenberg“s dialog is strong full of clever lines and well-timed humorous quips that keep the tone consistent even when actions turn dark. The inevitable conclusion does come off as a moment that needed more room to breathe. Jamie“s final major choice is noble, yet felt like an odd choice to jump to given the situation. A stronger lead-in could have made it more plausible, yet again it could also be a byproduct of the narratives complex elements. This does come off as a story that will improve upon subsequent readings.
Andy MacDonald“s art style is also key to setting the tone. It leans a tad more to the cartoony side compared to traditional Marvel house styles, which lessens the blow when things get a tad graphic. His body language is also fantastic. A moment that sticks out includes Hank Mccoy“s despondent reaction to being the person who always has the answers to questions no one would ever imagine needing to ask. MacDonald is task is not an easy one as it involves making scenes look coherent that are jammed full of characters–most of which are the same person. Due to his strength in facial acting, he is able to give distinct personalities to characters that are generally the same person. One hopes he and Rosenberg work together more often as they compliment each other“s style quite well.
Final Thoughts:
Anyone that has been enjoying the Multiple Man series thus far will find issue five a fitting end to this enigma of a series. Marvel has given Matthew Rosenberg and Andy MacDonald their own little corner of the X-Men world and they made the most of it. Considering the stories tone and complex nature this may not appeal to the general X-Men or comic fans. If you are the type of reader that enjoys when publishers give creators the freedom to go outside the normal constraints of the superhero world there is a lot here to appreciate. This is the type of series that may only gain in fandom as it gradually receives the fanfare it deserves.
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Writer: Matthew Rosenberg
Artist:Â Andy MacDonald
Color Artist: Tamra Bonvillain
Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham
Author Profile
- A fan of all things comics. Growing up on a healthy diet of 90's Batman and X-Men cartoon series ignited a love for the medium that remains strong today.
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