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| Cyclops #4 Cover by Alexander Lozano |
A little male bonding under the stars can do wonders to mend the relationship and learn new things about each other—even if the stars are galaxies away from Earth and space creatures see you as a fine meal in waiting. Does it make for a good story, though?
The verdict isn't clear on this. Cyclops #4 seems to be a transitional issue. It places the pair of Scott and Chris Summers between set action pieces in issue 3 and 5. Now there isn't anything wrong with this, but if the execution is awry, then the final product can feel flat. Although I didn't feel this for Cyclops #4, without the back story a new reader could pick this up and wonder where it was going.
We now know that Greg Rucka will be leaving the series after next month's issue, to be replaced with John Layman. This is sad, because Rucka seemed to have aspirations for the series, but it was necessary due to his other work load. Given this, the transition is more than just story pacing and the beats of the narrative; it is creative also.
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| Cyclops #4 Interior by Carnero, Pallot and Sotomayer |
For the story in Cyclops #4 we are still treated to the ongoing development of the Summers relationship. Cyclops and Corsair are pitted against their circumstances and must struggle to survive against a lack of provisions and native fauna while trying to escape from their marooned state. Amid these trials there is a touching scene that is reflective for father and son; Corsair reprimands young Scott for appearing to give up hope and contrasts his attitude with that of his older counterpart back on Earth. This comparison galvanizes Scott into making a decisive decision to find a way off the planet they crashed onto. The result sets up nicely for a confrontation with bounty hunters who are after Corsair in the next issue of Cyclops.
I'm not always such a sucker for the cover appeal in mainstream comics, but I have to admit that Alexander Lozano's art has impressed me every issue so far. It has an artistic and polished quality that stands out and grabs attention, as a good cover should. This has been supported by the able interiors of Russell Dauterman in the preceding issues, although the artist changed to Carmen Carnero in Cyclops #4.
Carnero's interior penciling and Terry Pallot's inking do well to link into the nice start Dauterman has made with this series. The transition is smooth and able thanks to the continued coloring by Chris Sotomayer. It would be great to preview some of the different stages of the art process to see where the cosmic landscape so much on display in Cyclops #4 is put to the page. Regardless, it is providing a uniqueness to this X-Men book that is not on display across other titles that are X-related.
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| Cosmic Colors by Sotomayer |
With another artist, Javier Garron, picking up the pencil with the change in creative team from issue 6, I hope the feel of the book continues to hold fast to the good standard already set.
Cyclops continues to be a fun series to read, and it will be an interesting ride for as long as it continues. I have to wonder how long this will be. as it is expected that the young Scott from the future may need to reunite with his teammates at some point. It is overhanging questions like this that continue to leave some intrigue for the series. What is going to happen to Corsair? What changes will the creative team bring? Leave your thoughts below and keep coming back for more on the Cyclops series.
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