Fanboys Anonymous

All-New X-Men #38 cover by Andrea Sorrentino and Marcelo Maiolo

"The Black Vortex" (part 4)

As we pick up the story from the last issue, things were progressing, albeit slowly, among the vast cast of characters involved in this sprawling crossover event. It needed a slight injection, a little top up, to boost the reading experience.

Bam!

Prepare to be dazzled as this chapter, in All-New X-Men, delivers just what this story needed.

Writer Brian Michael Bendis hits his stride here, providing a much better experience than his first part of the crossover in Guardians of the Galaxy #24. This is superbly enhanced by the art in the issue, but some more on that in a bit. Bendis makes way for his artistic compatriots in this issue with good reason; their art needs to tell the story much more than his usual dialogue-heavy scripts can do. Don't get me wrong: the presence of Bendis's wit still shines through, and the rapport between characters has been restored, most notably Kitty Pryde and Peter Quill, but the focus isn't as much as what is spoken as what is seen.

Sorrentino's and Maiolo's space... ...is beautiful to behold
The art combination of Andrea Sorrentino and Marcelo Maiolo is utterly breathtaking. I realize this is a comic book, but the art inside this issue was so very good, I struggled not to rip the pages out and hang them on my wall. Having been stunned by the work of Sorrentino on the All-New X-Men and Uncanny X-Men annuals late last year, it was so pleasing to see him back in an X-book again. The panels are spot-on for pacing; we are sped through the story, gripped by the panel to panel and page to page transitions. Bendis and Sorrentino are both at the top of their game with this issue.

Beast, Gamora and Angel cosmically enhanced by The Black Vortex

The tone and emotions invoked from the colors by Maiolo are mesmerizing. They work in concert with Sorrentino's pencils to produce a reading experience that is cosmic in scope and epic in nature. A great example of this comes from the first few panels featuring Storm. Sorrentino's depiction of an utterly barren, ravaged landscape on the Moon of Spartax is mirrored on Storm's face. This is then given a new level as Maiolo brings out the sense of Storm almost crying on the last panel of the page. All this on a page that contains 10 words, nearly half of which are just a location caption.

I cannot do justice to the actual imagery on the page; hopefully you get the sense of what these meager words can convey. If not, go and get the issue; it is fabulous to read.

We really want to hear what did you think of this issue? Did it change "The Black Vortex" for you? Does it meet your expectations of the talent on board for it? Tell us below or head over to the Fanboys Anonymous Facebook or Twitter and leave a comment. Make sure you come back for the next part of the event with All-New X-Men #39.