Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

X-Men Second Coming Revelations: Blind Science #1Second Coming Revelations: Blind Science #1
Marvel Comics
Spurrier, Davidson, Portela & Sotomayor

This tie-in for the Second Coming crossover deals primarily with the group known as the X-Club. This issue sits prior to Chapter Eight, which shipped last week. While it's not essential and is presented by a creative team not working on any other aspect of the crossover I found the story to be compelling and very entertaining. Not only did it play well into the science realm of the X-Men but it actually managed to give some twists and action for a story that is largely about scientists rather than the brawlers, like Wolverine.

Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle ReviewsThis story picks up the threads of the X-Club stranded on the oil rig that appears ready to blow up. As Dr Rao begins to see her life, and her companions Dr Nemesis and Madison Jeffries, flash before her eyes, the trio is transported away.

While not obvious at first, it seems the group is some distant future. At first it appeared odd that the group wasn't fully committed to finding out where and how they arrived where they did, but it plays well into the story launching off the ground.

They meet an ally and begin to embark on a mission that has them trying to prevent Hope from destroying everyone. In this future Hope morphs into a mutation that keeps on mutating eventually destroying mutants and humans alike. It's not a pretty future for anyone. Dr Rao begins to work her magic on a cure. This cure should help solve the Hope problem and save those that remain. In the meantime the X-Club discovers what happens all those years ago when Bastion attacked the X-Men.

The story is very good and has a lot to like about. The characterizations are a mix of science, sarcasm and dysfunctional teamwork. The plot is a tight one that brings together many elements from the current crossover, past stories and potential future timelines. The comic book also manages to toss in a couple of surprises.

The artwork adds a lot to the story. For one thing the page layouts bring a ton of panels for a thirty plus page story. I was very impressed at how the story, visually, could pack this much into the given real estate. I also liked the detailed ruggedness of the characters. While the background appears to mostly be a red void I would say this brings a level of symbolism with the bulk of the crossover, whether it is intentional or not. I enjoyed the presentation in this story.

As a secondary title in a crossover you probably get a lot of people passing on the issue. However, despite the baffling $4 cover price this issue gives a lot of story for the thirty-two pages. I enjoyed this comic book nearly as much as any of the best single issues in the crossover. If you like some science in your X-Men comics where brains counts slightly more than brawn then this is worth picking up. I definitely recommend this comic.

4.5 out of 5 Geek Goggles