Story: Brian Wood Art: Steve Pugh/Jimmy Palmiotti/Bob Wiacek
Publisher: Marvel
Plot: Chamber meets a girl he really likes.
It seems like a recurrent theme in X-mutant comics; mutant hero meets person he fancies then finds him/herself unable to reciprocate physically and emotionally because of their powers. Cue much angst on mutant's part, and all ends unhappily ever after. It seems like this particular situation is one that Marvel simply cannot get enough of, and because of that Generation X #71 may seem a little formulaic to some.
But, don't forget, there is the old argument that if something isn't broke, don't fix it; and in this issue the adage seems fairly apt. The writers obviously realised that by focusing on the human elements of their characters (in this case Jonothon Starsmore AKA Chamber), they can really bring a character to life and lend empathy to his situation.
By focusing on his angst, it makes Jono seem more real and making the characters realistic (from an emotional point of view at least) is one of the most important things to do if you want to make a comic a success.
The artwork is excellent, from the Arther Adams cover to the work inside the comic. Granted, the internal art is not quite as polished as it could be, this only serves to lend a likeable quality to the look and feel of this issue so top marks all round for that.
Put simply, this comic is a well-scripted and engaging work with a lot to offer and although there are countless similar stories in the Marvel back catalogue, give this one a try because it is definitely well worth a look.
