Domino #5
Domino has been an absolute joy to read every week. Domino #5 picks up right after last month’s issue, with Dmonio and Shang Chi dealing with their uninvited dance partners.
Gail Simone has an incredible understanding of the characters in this series, especially Domino. The dialogue is as good as it gets, with witty banter that hits the mark almost every time.
The action moves along fairly well, but not without a few bumps along the way. The panels layouts are serviceable, but sometimes the panels don’t have the best angle for the action. This doesn’t prevent the reader from enjoying the issue at an appropriate pace and is only a minor nitpick. Despite the sometimes shaky action, this issue looks great. Michael Shelfer and Jesus Arburtov’s characters look wonderful.
Domino is one of the best written and best-looking books on out there right now. This issue suffers from some minor flaws, but overall is exhilarating, funny, and just a joy to read.
Rating: 9/10
Exiles #6
Exiles has been a very fast series since the first issue. Exiles #6 wraps up shortly after the wild conclusion of the first arc and serves as a calm before another inevitable storm.
Exiles has suffered from pacing issues since the beginning of the series. The series has been moving at a breakneck speed, and while it has been enjoyable, it’s been a little too hard to keep up with Saladin Ahmed’s script. Exiles #6 is a much-needed step back, allowing Blink and her team to digest their previous adventure. The dialogue is fun and punchy and allows for each character to have the spotlight. The second half of the issue takes the Exiles to the wild west to set up the new arc, which seems to be going in an interesting direction.
Rod Reis art is mostly hit or miss. The shift in style to match the setting is welcome and effective. The problem throughout the book is inconsistent faces. Still, there are quite a few scenes that just look great, especially the majority of the pages in the second half of the issue.
Exiles #6 is a fun issue that offers are a quiet and effective jumping on point for new readers.
Rating: 7.5/10
X-Men Blue #33
Following Magneto’s encounter with Jean Grey and the rest of the original X-Men, Magneto had to quickly flee. Magneto took a leap through time and to the future in a desperate effort to escape his reality. Unfortunately, this new future might not be healthy for Magneto’s state of mind.
A large chunk of this issue is simply narration as Magneto explores the bleak future he has found himself in. Magneto walks among the ashes of the city, surrounded by the dead, who he obviously killed. Throughout the issue, Magneto copes with the guilt of having caused what appears to be the destruction of mutants. Cullen Bunn successfully writes one of the strongest issues in the series, showing that he understands Magneto more than any other character in the series. Unfortunately, the issue feels a bit cheesy at times, and the pacing of the series suffers from leaning too much on Magneto’s monologue to tell the story.
Marcus To’s art is great and succeeds at telling the story in places where Bunn leaves open. Magneto looks strong but also broken at the same time. The pages are full of bold and clean lines and manage to include just enough detail to make Magneto’s creation a chilling place to walk through.
This is a great issue for Magneto fans, but knowing that the series is ending in just a few short issues makes X-Men #33 feel underwhelming.
Rating: 7/10
