“The Rise and Fall of the Shi’ar Empire: Chapter 8: Imperial Rescue”
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artists: Billy Tan (p), Danny Miki, Allen Martinez (i)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Plot: After a difficult trek through foldspace, the X-Men reunite with old allies. But are they a sufficient force to rescue Charles and Lilandra, whose peril is greater than they know?
Comments: The consistency of this arc continues to impress. Nothing too surprising this issue (until a big-deal final reveal, that is), just Brubaker proving he’s down with another established facet of X-lore: the Starjammers, who are led by Corsair, A.K.A. Major Christopher Summers, I.E. the father of Scott, Alex and Vulcan. Brubaker’s creative choice of cast means it’s the atypical Summers brother (Alex) who enjoys the family reunion, and it is appropriately he who reveals the new family developments to Corsair, who is shocked that his third son lives. Corsair burns in renewed anger at the vicious Shi’ar ruler D’Ken, who long ago killed his wife Katherine.
Brubaker doesn’t stint on his other characters, however, despite the intensity of this encounter. Hepzibah and Ch’od sound like themselves. Like all of the rebellious Starjammers, they are battle-hardened warriors. And our regular crew features the thoughtful planning of Nightcrawler (zipping interestingly around the walls and ceiling thanks to Billy Tan, who seems to think he’s Spider-Man), the determination of Warpath, and even a tender page of girl-talk between Lorna and Rachel.
Meanwhile, at another locale (the target transport ship the ‘Jammers plan to attack) Lilandra, Charles and Darwin suffer in and out of captivity. And Korvus is invaluable in both powering the dangerous nondimensional trek and in fighting at the X-Men’s side during the pirate attack. He also attempts to explain away his ridiculously heavy blade, which is at least a cute try.
Something happens on every page, something important to the developing story at hand. There is no downtime, no wasted space, and a plethora of showcase scenes and dedicated dialogue for each character. The whole, involving laser rifles, boarding parties, military coups and clandestine attacks, isn’t really about anything deeper than pulpy space opera. There may be something about right and wrong leadership concerning Lilandra and her rivals, and Korvus and Rachel are embarking on a possibly doomed love affair, but really it’s all just rayguns and space ships and action.
Which is fine. The X-Men haven’t done space opera well in some time, and there’s nothing wrong with a ripping yarn now and then, even if that’s all it is. Brubaker understands these characters perfectly, and Tan’s art makes sure that the colorful diversity of individuals that should comprise the X-Men at the best of times is well-represented.
And there is a building story, after all. Will Corsair, whose family was ripped from him years ago by the Shi’ar and their insane Emperor D’Ken, emerge from this story with three living sons, or is he in store for more filial tragedy by the end?
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