Comic Review: X-Men Gold Annual #2

It’s a good week for the gold X-Men team. X-Men Gold #33 and now X-Men Annual #2 mark the direction that this series should be going. The series’ run has been mediocre at best, but as the series steps further away from the wedding issue, it finds more of what makes X-Men so great. X-Men Gold Annual #2 takes a break from the extinction-level threats and simply focuses on a Kitty Pryde.

The issue, written by Seanan McGuire, explores Kitty at the age of 14 as she goes off to summer camp. It’s a nice story about facing the type of adversity you’d expect for teenagers, as opposed to the X-Men kind. McGuire’s script is mostly wholesome, with the story taking on the typical summer camp story. Of course, the theme of prejudice and discrimination is still prevalent here, with Kitty finding herself feeling very alone due to everyone else being “normal.” The issue doesn’t have any particularly noteworthy moments, but this doesn’t detract from how well written it is.

The solicit for the issue also implies that we will understand Kitty’s wedding decision a little more after reading this, but this isn’t really the case. There is only one event that could possibly influence the wedding, and it’s a stretch to even connect those. Those who are wanting some answers will find themselves disappointed.

Marco Failla’s art is fairly inconsistent throughout the issue, especially with faces. Sometimes Kitty doesn’t look like herself, and when she is, another character has an odd facial expression on their face. The page layouts, however, are gorgeous. Each panel has a clean layout that allows the story to progress naturally without a hitch. One page, in particular, has a layout that reminds of JH Williams III’s work in Batwoman, which has some of my all-time favorite art in it. Despite the inconsistencies in art, it gets the job done without taking away from the story-telling.

X-Men Gold Annual #2 is a nice read for those who want to either step away from the massive events or just want to refresh themselves on what makes X-Men so great. Despite its flaws, it is one of the best X-Men Gold issues to date.