Like Ed Brubaker on Uncanny, Mike Carey is starting his run on X-Men with a multi-part story. The difference being that Brubaker is telling a 12-part story while Carey's "Supernovas" is a 6-parter. There's a whole lot of action in this issue. Carey hits the ground running, or rather Sabretooth is running, from 4 new characters. His healing factor on the fritz, he seeks sanctuary at the X-Mansion.
Meanwhile, Rogue's been given the leadership position for an X-strike team. She picks Cannonball, Iceman, and Mystique, the latter to keep an eye on herself. From the cover box, we know Cable and Sabretooth will join her team as well. Fitting that Cable will, since he founded the first X-strike team in X-Force. With Cannonball, no less, huh.
Interesting character dynamics in the future. Rogue is the leader, Cable is a messiah (and former leader), Cannonball has been a team leader, Mystique has lead the Brotherhood, Iceman's been around long enough to command respect, and Sabretooth doesn't follow anyone. Let's see if Carey even brings this dynamic into play at some point.
At first read, the story is enjoyable. It's fast-paced, things progress, and things go boom. It's the opening scene of a summer movie, in other words. Compare this to Uncanny, where Brubaker used alot of words, other or not, in a slower paced story. And I didn't like Uncanny. I said it didn't interest me enough to get the next issue because it was too much of a commitment.
Well, Carey's 6-issue arc is less of a commitment, more condensed and..... the more I think about it, it's just not a very good story. I took for granted what Brubaker did, setting up the characters and motivations of the team in Uncanny. But in X-Men, Carey has everyone acting impulsively, things happen a little too quickly for convenience.
Damn I'm hard to please. I complain nothing happens in Brubaker's first issue to interest me. Then I complain so much happens in Carey's first issue as to interest me... until I think twice about the rationale for what transpired.
It's hard out here to begin a run on an established series. Both X-writers start with a gathering of the team. Brubaker took 22 pages, Carey 3 panels. This kind of story just doesn't ensnare me, no matter how it's wrapped together.
I'm gonna go read Detective again. I want Paul Dini to take over every book. Who do you like?
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