Age of Apocalypse Part 18
Generation Next #2
Written by Scott Lobdell
Art by Chris Bachalo
Inks by Mark Buckingham
Colors by Steve Buccellato and Electric Crayon
Lettered byStarkings and Comicraft
Open with:
A beautifully rendered picture of Illiyana Rasputin and a human girl hiding in a hovel of a slave mining town. The two are hiding out from a mutant that roams the paths of the mining town. The mining town it's self is drawn with great line work that gives a since of age and scope to the world. As the two girls hide we see the first glimpse of this creature that has this mining community cowering in fear. The creature is called The Sugar Man.
The Sugar Man walks by Illyana's sleeping quarters but pauses momentarily takes a couple of quick sniffs. He then walks away and the two girls feel a since of relief.
CUT TO:
Above the Mining village two humans are standing around discussing their work day. Which sounds rather grim, mentioning how many dead they had to take care of. It is very much a double act similar to classic doctor who Robert Holmes stories. So the two humans hop onto the shuttle that will take them home.
Inside the shuttle the two continue their conversation only to be interrupted by a figure in the shadows. That figure being the mutant Chamber, and he uses his power to take out the two humans as part of the over all plan is to use their uniforms to sneak into the mining facility.
MEANWHILE:
Outside the perimeter of the mining facility, Piotr and Kitty are making there way on foot to sneak in the back. The two give us a quick breakdown of the plan they came up with between issues 1 and 2. We also learn that the two consider themselves married in this alternate reality, so we get a little of the married couple squawabbling like a typical comic trope.
As Kitty takes a moment to light up a cigarette, hey this is a nineties comic, she is grabbed from behind from the shadows. Piotr comes back to her to see what is taking her so long and see that the person that grabbed her was a mutant named Undercloak a mutant that uses shadows and darkness as his power. Of course Piotr just picks up the boulder next to him which distracts Undertow. Then Kitty uses her claws to stab undertow in the back.
CUT TO:
The Spa in the mining colony, Paige Guthier a.k.a. Husk is disguised as a slave attendant to the Spa and appears to be tending to a mutant by the name of Quietus. Quietus is top level mutant in the mining facility and also a scumbag. He orders Paige to come with him after his bath and he takes her back to his quarters.
Quietus forces himself onto Paige and kisses her, She then pushes him off her and gets sick. At which point Quietus tells her he has a mutant detector that makes other Mutants violently sick. He then punches Paige after assuming that she is a mutant assassin.
Quietus then begins the typical henchman rant and sees the flask that Paige brought with her. Being cocky he takes a big swig of it. Paige asks him not to drink it, but with in a few seconds Quietus learns why. After some burping and bubbling Vincent forms back into his human form an tears Quietus from the inside out. The two then have the opportunity to look through Quietus paperwork and files to locate Illyana and report back to Colossus.
CUT TO:
Outside the mining colony wall a service man is taken out by Mondo. Just then a Quietus look alike of one Paige Guthire and Vincent walk past unaware of Mondo's camouflaged location.
Pagietus walks up to the entrance to the mine and questions the guard and see the two mutants of her team. She tells the guard that the two workers are to accompany her/him on his rounds.
Elsewhere:
Below the entrance to the mine we see Illiyana hanging outside her dwelling when one the guards calls out that the work shift is beginning. Of course he does it in a more colloquially term and blasts Illyana in the face with a water stream from his mouth.
Next issue: THINGS GET WORSE.
THOUGHTS ON THE STORY:
Scott Lobdell has a way with Young teams, during the mid Nineties he had way of making the characters believable and three dimensional. You really got invested in there hopes and trials. This particular issue continues that. Scott manages to tell the start of what could be considered a heist story while still introducing each character's role in the team. While the goal is established at the beginning of this book, Save Illyana, it also continues to build the world around this teenage team.
ART:
Chris Bachalo has a special talent with borders panel layout and backgrounds. His figures and simplistic and amazing. With very Little line work he can create figures that are gritty and have an aged look to them. In this particular issue he is able to draw two young girls in the opening of this story that have a look of being in a mine and just look tired and worn out. Then later in the book he draws and renders Shadowcat with a look of youth but manages to convey a wisdom from years of fighting.
Finally his line work on backgrounds gives the story a feeling of scope. He makes the world look lived in and the characters shine in this world of broken and battered buildings and scaffolds.
Score 8.5 out of 10
