Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Fantomex MAX #1 of 4
MAX (Marvel Comics)
Hope, Crystal & Loughridge
Fantomex is a character that I think most believe is the perfect candidate for a MAX series. He's a James Bond type (with a criminal twist) with his missions and his ladies and doesn't quite fit all that well in the normal Marvel Universe. The opening issue of the mini-series isn't quite what I was looking for in this series and seems to depart a little too much from what makes this character great. I just had a difficult time getting into this book.
The book opens with Fantomex stealing some sort of living, but alien, gun that attaches to the wrist. He's being pursued by some characters that are mostly disposable except one Agent Flmyng. Her failure to detain Fantomex launches the book into its bigger plot.
The bulk of the issue has the reader getting to know the team of lunatics that are hunting down Fantomex. While the book does cover a bit of Fantomex's characterization, mostly through him talked to his female A.I. that is also his ship, the surface is only scratched.
The aspect of the book that works is that there is a wide spread of characters. This helps to keep the book moving nicely. The book is entertaining in that regard but the book isn't able to dig very deeply in their personalities, which leaves them feeling slightly generic.
The part of the book that doesn't quite work is that this is clearly written for the experienced reader. Little about Fantomex is explained or explored. Much of what makes this character unique is included in the book as if the reader already understands what he can do. A new reader to the character just isn't going to get it that well. To the untrained eye this character seems an awful like Deadpool in this book and that is most likely not the intent.
The artwork is good. There is plenty of action and cheesecake which you probably are looking for in a MAX title. There are some missteps, particularly the airplane sequence when he hands the parachute to Flmyng, but these are few in number. While the story does kind of jump around a bit I found the art to keep the comic flowing in a logical fashion which is a positive for the book. Overall, this is a good visual book.
I wanted to love this book. Fantomex is a great character and Remender put new life in him during Uncanny X-Force but this first issue isn't what I was looking for. Hopefully the plot will carry the rest of this series in a better direction. You might want to give this book a try.
2.5 out of 5 Geek Goggles
