X-Men: Forever #4 - Review

X-Men: Forever #4 - Review

Writer: Chris Claremont

Artist: Tom Grummett

Hex’s score – 3.5 out of 5

This comic makes me feel dirty because I can’t help but like it. As far as superhero comic books go, this is pretty much one of the most ridiculous going, but it is fun nonetheless. It’s kind of like watching a crappy action movie, the storyline and acting aren’t the best but for cheap thrills, it’s great!

Before I get into this review a quick crazy recap of important goings on in this series (SPOILERS):

- X-Men fight & defeat Cortez
- Wolverine & Jean are secretly in love
- Wolverine is then killed by Storm
- Wolvie’s burnt skeleton found with a missing claw?!?
- Nicky Fury takes an active approach in the running of the X-Men
- Sabertooth hunts Storm to avenge his son (Yes he is Wolvie’s daddy in this messed up Universe)
- Storm blinds Sabertooth
- X-Men battle Storm
- Kitty pops a claw!

Quite a lot happening for the first 3 issues. So what happened in this issue?.... Spoilers on!

After the shock ending of last issue where Kitty pops her claws and attacks storm, it is explained off that when the X-Men battled Cortez, kitty used her phasing powers to save Wolverine. That, mixed with Cortez’ mutant power to amplify other mutants powers, resulted in things getting messed up and Kitty ended up with one of Logan’s adamantium claws!?!? Remember the ridiculousness I mention earlier? So Kitty battles Storm while the other X-Men are locked in the danger room. Storm escapes to the Morlock tunnels and after Kitty frees the trapped X-men, Sabertooth agrees to join the team in the hunt for Storm.

This issues ends with the X-Men divided into two teams, one trailing Storm, the other investigating a weather anomaly discovered by Beast. Then there’s a few more twists and turns chucked in by Claremont. First; Storm escapes the Morlock tunnels only to be met by a group of military agents who’s mission objective is to kill Storm, then the unusual weather anomaly turns out to be none other than a miniature Ororo! (Remember when she was physically regressed to childhood by Nanny back in the late 80’s?- well looks like the same Ororo). Mini-Storm hugs Gambit only to have the issue end with a sniper rifle aimed at them!

Wow, this comic is so crazy it seems every other page is designed to shock the reader, and while it is often laughable and ridiculous it keeps me coming back for more. The dialogue and captions are written very much in the style of the late 80’s early 90’s Marvel period which may put some reader off, and some X-fans may be a bit put out by the way Claremont totally disregards X-Men continuity since he left the book. But hey, the general concept of this book is basically a What If? Claremont continued his X-Men run?, and while I have some doubts as to this is the same story he would have written 20 years ago, I still find it very entertaining and a refreshing alternative to the main x-books.

-MatthewHex