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| Amazing X-Men 13 cover by Nick Bradshaw and Rachelle Rosenberg |
Amazing X-Men #13 focuses on the young mutant Anole along with Nightcrawler and Northstar. In a brilliant move, these characters become the focal point for a relevant and poignant examination of being different in general modern Western society. In particular, the issue examines homosexuality, physical appearance, and coping with being marginalized.
This is what is at the heart of X-Men stories, and it is retold here in a refreshing manner.
We get to witness a substitute creative team for this issue; James Tynion IV jumps on board, while Jorge Jimenez fills in on the art, and together they create a quality, slick piece of work together.
Simply put, Amazing X-Men #13 is an awesome issue. It delves into real-world issues that really connect an audience with the fictitious characters while still having some fun.
Anole straddles a difficult position in his world. There is a lot riding against him, and he feels apart from his society. As an openly gay young man with a physical mutation, he stands out, and he learns how these characteristics make him stronger as both an individual and a mutant. As a role model and teacher, Nightcrawler has gone through so much in his life that the lessons he can impart to Anole are straightforward and sensible. Northstar may not seem like much of an exemplar of heroic attributes on the level of Nightcrawler, but given the previous arc in Amazing X-Men, we know that his mettle is just. Tynion has chosen the right characters and uses them to great effect in telling this particular story.
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| Anole is feeling out of his depth. | Nightcrawler and Northstar need to work together to save Anole. |
As a bridge between arcs, this issue was pleasure. The resonance of the story by Tynion is matched by the art from Jimenez.
Page by page the story has certainty and flow that make for a seamless reading experience. Jimenez utilizes a dynamic panel arrangement that is engaging; all the while the focus is squarely on the interior art itself. Jimenez and colorist Rachelle Rosenberg work hand-in-hand on the panels, with the latter highlighting important focal panels with an extra layer of color around them, making them stand out on the busy pages.
Jimenez has a sharp detail to his inking, with a clean line style that leaves texture to Rosenberg, who employs some very nice features for the landscape and mutations of characters, such as Rockslide and Anole. Rosenberg's colors are a standout feature of this issue. There are some spectacular shots set up by Jimenez that pop out of the page because of the fantastic color work involved.
Amazing X-Men #13 is a great follow-up to a very nice series so far. We are getting good stories, with consistent action, quality art, and an array of characters that aren't being explored elsewhere by Marvel. I am sure this will continue as we move into the next arc.
If you haven't already gotten your hands on this issue of Amazing X-Men, I suggest you get down to your local comic book shop and do so, or buy it online. As a stand-alone story in this ongoing series, it is well worth it. However, if you already have read it, make sure you let us know what you thought about it and leave a comment below.
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