Welcome to our new segment – Comics Newbie – where I’ll be reviewing some of the titles I’m reading as I jump into the world of comics.
For my first comic review I have read vol #1 of the Marvel title Exiles which contains Exiles #1-#4. First off I have to thank David for suggesting this title and providing the volume to read (huzzah!).
Exiles vol #1 is written by Judd Winick and drawn by Mike McKone.
I went into reading Exiles with a lot of excitement. It is a series that I had not heard of before and when it comes to a new comic series I am like a kid in a candy store (gimmegimmegimme).
A quick summary: The Exiles are a group of characters from different Marvel universes who have been grouped together and now must roam the Marvel universes to save their own lives.
This first volume is broken down into three stories:
- The team coming together and character back story
- The first adventure
- A famous Marvel story mash up
The opening story of a new series must be a very tricky thing to tackle for a writer. Take too much time with exposition and you risk the comic not kick starting quickly enough, too little and the reader may not know what on earth is going on and may give up there and then. I feel that Winick got the balance right with Exiles. The characters Winick has chosen are good choices as they all relate to major characters from the Marvel U even if it is a different universe so you can feel a certain familiarly.
The art of McKone was visually pleasing. A particular highlight was a series of panels near the end of the book when two of the characters were discussing leadership of the Exiles.
The highlight of the book for me was in the Exiles’ first adventure, when it is revealed that Charles Xavier is not who you expect him to be. I love when the status quo is shaken up. I also really enjoyed some of the jokes in the book.
My only issue with the book is that the chapters were spaced awkwardly. For better or worse I like to read a chapter take a short break and then get back into it. It gives my brain and eyes time to rest and to take in everything I have just read. Not a big issue but a slight annoyance.
The ultimate test for a first volume or first comic in a series is ‘will it make me want to read more?’ In this case it is a big yes. I cannot wait to read more stories about the Exiles and after a little bit of internet research I’ve found that I have a lot of reading ahead (hooray for my brain, but bad news for my wallet).
I give Exiles Vol #1 – 3/5 Lukes
I would love to hear your feedback on Exiles and my review. Please comment on this post, or you can contact me via Twitter @bennykane1983. If you have suggestions on other titles that I should read I would love to hear from you.
For my next review I will be looking at the first issue of the Image Comic Snapshot.
Benny
