By Title: X-Men Gold #24
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writers: Marc Guggenheim
Artists: Thony Silas
Story Rating: 6
Art Rating: 8
Color Rating: 10
Overall Rating: 8
Marvel Comics returns to the X-Men in multiple perspectives as the team is threatened inside prison and on the streets of New York. IceMan and the new reformed team stand against a foe with insurmountable power while Kitty Pryde and the rest of the incarcerated X-Men struggle with government corrections.
Marc Guggenheim juggles two different scenarios in the time of great crisis the lesser threat of the story has greater focus being Kitty Pryde, Storm, and Prestige all being held behind bars. These women combat jailhouse bullies and corrupted guards only to suffer solitary confinement.
In the more extreme doom upon the Marvel Universe is rather solved quickly with The Shredded Man. The substitute team of Iceman, Rogue, Magma, Ink, Armor, and Pyro struggled to defeat the madman until it came to simple communication. The villain’s impending chaos was solved through only talking and Rouge’s abilities of power transference.
The issue has the presence of two completely different books. Neither situation affects the other in terms of storytelling or character development. The book has a lot of unexplored depth, which keeps the book from reaching its full potential.
Thony Silas continues to illustrate and complete yet common trend within the art. Characters are not too dynamic between each other only separated with respectable costumes unique to the person. Everyone has the same facial qualities and limb perspective giving a basic reform with everyone on the panel.
The pencil work is contained with sharp lines possessing minimal detail. The background does not hold much significance in either detail or shape for the focus remains of the characters. The movement to power representation make up the most appealing forms of the page.
Color expression is clear with a large array of hues blending upon characters with highlight light source and natural skin. The most alluring colors come in the form of orange red, purple, and blue. The utilization of divine superpowers gives a radiant spark to the panels and the actions within the scene.
The story doesn’t end with a compelling cliffhanger one that should feed into the imagination of deep uncertainty. The issue ends on Storm’s great fear of small closed spaces, which she has to endure for the next three days inside solitary. There is no hint at the alien God Scythian or any struggle that now propels the story forward but rather a psychological stigma.
