Customer Reviews

X-Men: Longshot

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While not a comics masterpiece, this miniseries has a unique energy to it.

In Longshot, Ann Nocenti and Arthur Adams tried to create something brand new in the Marvel of the '80s. The story & characters come from two freshman creators excited to have their own series, honored to have the privilege to play in the Marvel sandbox, eager to contribute something truly worthwhile--and this is exactly what the story feels like.

For most creators, that kind of situation would result in a comic full of too many ideas crammed in with too many rookie mistakes, but not so with Nocenti & Adams. Longshot himself turns out to be a very original kind of superhero, as does the world he inhabits and the characters he encounters.

Adams, of course, went on to become one of the most influential comic artists of recent decades. While he was clearly still working out some kinks in this--his first major project--his art is still very skillful and has that same innate sense of fun (even when he's drawing truly horrific monsters) that continues to characterize his work to this day. There's just never any sense of him "phoning it in". His work always appears as if he is genuinely thrilled to draw it.

Nocenti had only scripted a few comics when she pitched Longshot, so this was her first big break, too. I had originally read this series back in '87 or '88, so I was pleased to find the writing more layered than I'd remembered. The story itself my not be groundbreaking, but Nocenti and Adams managed to do exactly what they set out to do: Introduce a brand new hero into the Marvel Universe that was truly original and exciting, sending readers' imaginations spinning.

Plus, he's got a kickass mullet. Gotta love that.

This is a nice collection of the Longshot miniseries that came out in the mid-to-late 80's. It's a great story, IMHO. This would be a nice addition to anyone's collection that is following Exile, Excalibur, or Secret Invasion.