Written by Chris Claremont
Art by Todd Nauck
Published by Marvel Comics
I feel like this moment should’ve garnered more attention than it actually did. Chris Claremont makes his triumphant return to Marvel and the X-Men! Ever since he was brought back from the dead in the Amazing X-Men, Nightcrawler is a character that’s seemed destined to get his own solo series with the All-New Marvel NOW! initiative.
Nightcrawler is just recently brought back from the dead and right now is a time to see familiar faces, get re-acclimated with his old surroundings, and restart his life that was ended so abruptly. This issue starts with Nightcrawler, a.k.a. Kurt Wagner, fighting with the man he calls his best friend, the man we all know as Wolverine. Calm down though folks; it’s just a training exercise in the Danger Room. It doesn’t take long before Kurt is teleporting all over the place, visiting old friends, and saving the day…just like old times.
What can I say about Chris Claremont that hasn’t been said over years and years of him writing some of the most classic X-Men stories in the history of the title? I know there was some grumbling about Wolverine being in this title, but it’s only for a few pages. I actually really like the use of pairing the two best friends together to start this book. They’re both in very different places from the last time they were able to really spend time together and these few pages are a really great way to see that in action. Logan no longer has his healing factor and is forced to face his own mortality every single day while Kurt HAS faced his own mortality and is viewing the world in a different light. I’m not sure if it’s because of the character or because of the way Claremont writes him, but I get such a great sense of adventure in every panel of this title, even if there’s nothing going on. I have the sneaking suspicion that we’re going to be seeing some really fun adventures in this title going forward.
When I saw the beautiful Chris Samnee cover in the previews for this book I was so excited for everything it could be. Needless to say I wasn’t disappointed. Where Samnee set the bar with his gorgeous cover, Todd Nauck met the challenge head on and it came out beautifully. This issue has a real sense of fun and adventure and Nauck’s decision to make it look really cartoony works wonderfully to help convey the tone that Claremont set beautifully. While the book is really great to look at, I did take issue with some of the faces Nauck drew though. Sometimes, not always, they look almost crooked or lopsided sometimes.
This book is a big milestone for Marvel with all of their new books and re-launches. To have one of the all-time greats back to writing a character that seems like he’s getting a push into the spotlight like Nightcrawler is. A Nightcrawler book should have a sense of fun and adventure engrained into it’s very core and I think that’s exactly what Claremont and Nauck are going to deliver to us!
4 out of 5 nerds
Irwin Fletcher
I'm an LA journalist who really lives for his profession. I have also published work as Jane Doe in various mags and newspapers across the globe. I normally write articles that can cause trouble but now I write for FTN because Nerds are never angry, so I feel safe.
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