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Wolverine and the X-Men Episode 3 Review |
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Written by Jordan Lurie
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Tuesday, 30 September 2008 |
The third episode of “Wolverine and the X-men” wraps up the series’ first storyline and gives the viewers an idea of the direction the show is headed in. The episode also introduces the rest of the characters who will make up the team, most notably one of the newer X-men: Emma Frost. Emma is portrayed well here and the writers really know how to show how cold and seductive she is. Cyclops is also given a bigger push in this episode. The problem with this portrayal of Scott Summers is that he comes across as a whiny geek that doesn’t take control of the team like the Cyclops that we all know in the comics. This might have worked if we saw Scott as a leader in the past but falls from grace after the events of the first episode and tries to get his life back on track. But in this series we only see Scott as a broken down loser that lives in a one-room apartment and never as a confident leader.
The series is still primarily the Wolverine and Beast show (they do
have good interactions though) and the other members are pushed off to
the side. The writers understand Iceman and Shadowcat well but they
sort of blend into the background and are portrayed as glorified
sidekicks to Logan. The writers missed good opportunities to flesh out
some back story between Kitty and Emma but the jealousy Kitty feels for
her seems forced and hackneyed because they share no established
history. Wolverine’s resentment for Emma is nice to see though. Forge
is also introduced in this episode and is turned more into a young frat
boy nerd than a credible government scientist that can build anything
in one day. The change is welcome at least for me because this Forge is
way more interesting than Forge in the comics has been in a long
time.
The most notable (and interesting) part of the episode is the X-men’s
field trip to Genosha. We finally see Magneto in action after making
various appearances on billboards. The fight scene is well done and
makes sense. Magneto is portrayed masterfully as a mutant with good
intentions but willing to kill for his goals. He’s very refined but
still deadly, I like it. The final scene gives the series a goal to
work towards and sets it up well but the scene is a little clichéd.
With the first story arc complete “Wolverine and the X-men” is off to a
good start but that doesn’t mean it’s flawless. It still seems like
“Wolverine and his amazing friends” despite the other characters being
handled well. Also the characters and X-men as a theme are never
introduced, action scenes drag on a little too long and the animation
can have some small glitches. Despite these small nitpicks “Wolverine
and the X-men” is an entertaining ride that could rival the past two
X-men animated series if it stays on this track.
4/5 |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 02 October 2008 )
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