Well, I'm pleasantly surprised.
I picked this up from my local library, just to see what it would be like, and if, by chance, I will like a 'Storm' comic, or an 'X-Men' comic with Storm as the protagonist and leading, leader lady.As it turns out, I do like it!
I'm so happy I like a comic about Storm, a cool, complex POC superheroine!
'Storm: Blowback' is about Storm/Ororo Munroe and her development - of her character, her growth, and her weather-based powers and how they work. It is about how she functions as the leader of the X-Men, and how the other members react to her and her choices, negatively or not.
Goddess, queen, leader, biker, and former thief and street rat, Storm truly is a powerhouse, not to be messed with. She's killing that mohawk, to boot.
Plus it's just nice to see her smile now and then, for a change! She's not always grumpy, cold and unreasonable (at least, that's the impression I got from most other 'X-Men' comics I've read, which admittedly is few). She's a grown, experienced woman who is introspective and thoughtful, not predominately bad tempered.
Apparently, 'Blowback', a modern, 2023 publication, is set during a classic age of 'X-Men' comics - in the eighties, and the events surrounding that era are referenced in it. That explains why Kitty Pryde is a young teenager, and why she is so immature.
However, as impulsive, angry, rude, and petty a "rebellious teen" stereotype my girl Kitty Pryde is in 'Blowback', she does reveal her smarts and cunning, in small but impactful ways, throughout the course of the story, after the first issue. She isn't useless.
The comic tricked me: the writer does understand Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat, after all. (As a footnote, her pet dragon Lockheed is present.)
'Blowback' is big on female friendships, in spite of Ororo's romantic plot with some guy who of course turns out to be very important to the plot later on. She, Kitty, and Rogue are great gals, and even during spats and fallouts (over stupid things, yes), in the end they are best friends through and through, coming together, especially in saving the world. Rogue's aggressiveness, cheekiness, sass, and overly-affected Southern accent are endearing. She's also smart, self-aware, and knows right from wrong. Mystique is included as a villain, and Rogue's adoptive mother.
The guys fare well, too. Wolverine is Wolverine (and a hunk), Nightcrawler is a sexy demon (BTW, the comic has beach scenes and pool scenes, with the men in speedos), though he sadly disappears in the last two issues, and Professor X is actually decent here. He cares about people's privacy and boundaries when it comes to psychically invading their minds. He cares about ethics and consent! I'm not sure about Colossus and his relationship with Kitty, though. Isn't she still thirteen? How old is he?
Overall, the superhero comic is entertaining, action-packed, and funny. It definitely has its shining little moments and clever spots, such as the drama and revelation surrounding Kitty's impulse tattoos, and explaining how Storm keeps her mohawk up! It contains scientific and environmental anecdotes; mainly to do with analysing Storm's powers and their impact on the earth.
'Blowback' is also definitely flawed, I know. It is kind of jumpy, and rushed at the end. Then again, I've gotten used to that serialisation and editing flaw in most Marvel comics. The main villain's origins and motivations, sporadically revealed as the comic nears its closure, are confusing and make no sense. Mystique's role is a bit confusing as well, and closer to the climax, and in the final issue, she is bushed aside and forgotten about. Guess she and her genocidal, world domination plans don't matter that much here. There's the problem of even the possibility of Ororo considering giving up everything to be with a man she just met, no matter how well written and believable it might be from her perspective. And the petty squabbles between the X-Men team members can get a bit much, though this dies down the further the comic progresses. And progress it does, minus the rushed, slapdash climactic issue.
Through all that, I enjoyed 'Storm: Blowback'. Not since 'X-Men, Vol. 1: Primer' have I liked a female-led 'X-Men' comic. It shall join that, plus 'X-Men: Kitty Pryde & Wolverine', 'Astonishing X-Men: Kitty Pryde - Shadow & Flame', and 'X-Men: Days of Future Past', as part of my personal 'X-Men' comics collection (not the library copy, of course, but my own purchase). I like comic book Storm now. Rogue is really funny and complex, alongside her.
Don't forget Kitty Pryde!
A lightning flash! a wind-roaring hooray for strong, powerful, complicated superheroines saving a world that hates and fears them, and for diversity, and thoughtful creativity.
Final Score: 3.5/5
No comments:
Post a Comment