X-Men Legacy #228 Review: Good Enough to Eat

Hey, everyone, jrpbsp here… Only one review this week so here we go with ‘X-Men: Legacy’.  Hope you enjoy it.

X-Men Legacy #228 coverX-Men Legacy #228 (preview)
Writer: Mike Carey
Penciler: Daniel Acuna

NOTE: Wolverine appears only in the background in this issue.

SPOILERS BELOW…

RECAP: The issue opens with Roxy in Emplate’s lighthouse. The young mutant attacks him and DOA with her diamond shards but does not hurt Marius. Emplate then chases her down and feeds on her marrow.

Back on Utopia, Cyclops confronts the others about Roxy’s whereabouts. They quickly ascertain that Emplate took her, but they do not have a way to follow Bling! through the dimensional breech. Hope comes forward and says she can see the door and would be able to travel through in her Trance form. Cyclops refuses to let her go since she does not have the training. Rogue volunteers to take Trance’s power and go instead.

Since it would take a couple of hours to be able to force open the dimensional barrier, Scott agrees as long as Rogue stays in contact with the Cuckoos. She takes Hope’s hand and drains off her powers.

Roxy awakes in Emplate’s dungeon alive but feeling awful. It appears to be the same room where Penance was long imprisoned. DOA asks for time off now that Emplate has a new food source and is nearly killed for the request. It is revealed that Marius once has other servants but ate them.

Back with the X-Men, Rogue has Trance’s power and separates herself. She is able to find the doorway and slip through to Emplate’s dimension. The place is chaotic and she is attacked quickly but the creatures cannot touch her. Although at first she gets disoriented, Rogue quickly sights Emplate’s home and heads for it.

Marius goes to Roxy’s cell and explains her situation. She is trapped there and the X-Men cannot reach her. He tells her that he was exiled to that place and is limited on his movements. Before Bling! can pry too deeply, Emplate feeds on her again. He then makes his way to another chamber where he is feasted on and tormented in turn.

Rogue makes it to Emplate’s home and loses contact with the Cuckoos. She quickly finds the twisted chamber that is his bedroom. Curiosity overwhelms her and she turns on an old movie projector which shows a current scene of Scott talking to Nemesis. They are not having much luck breaking through and Cyclops wants a plan B. DOA interrupts before she can see any more.

Rogue learns that Trance’s sting cannot harm the creature but neither can he touch her directly. Unfortunately, he summons a group of extra dimensional monsters that feed on ghosts. They quickly prove that they can hurt Rogue even in Trance form.

MY TAKE: This is another well-written issue that focuses on the characters as much as the plot. Continuing directly from the Annual, we are given more on the story about Emplate and Roxy. While I am not a fan of either of these characters, they are written well and you can actually feel sympathy for them. Even Marius, who has never been shown to have much in the way of an actual personality before.

Rogue takes center stage again which is to be expected. I do like the way she is being portrayed as a smart, courageous and capable young woman. Not sure if she is going to be interesting enough to effectively drive the series, but I am enjoying reading about her so far.

The plot is pretty straightforward but it does serve to move the story along. We are given a smart and simple reason for Rogue’s involvement, and one that allows Trance to remain in the picture as well. I also enjoyed getting to see Emplate’s dimension and some of his house. It is something that is long overdue.

I am still not completely sold on this new direction for the series, however. While I do think we need a title that is focused on the younger mutants, I am not sure this really qualifies. Although Rogue has certainly changed and matured in recent months I do not really see her being someone that kids will look up to. It seems like a stretch, but at least they are taking it slow and giving the idea some time to develop. I would just rather just have a title where the youngsters are the stars.

In the end this was a solid issue and fun to read despite my not really being a fan of any of the characters. That takes very good writing and a well-developed story. I always thought Bling! was too silly to be redeemable, based on the code name alone, but she is shown to be smart, tough and resourceful here. I only hope the trend will continue and see more characters being helped through the title.

Thanks for reading my review for Wolverine Files. I will be keeping to this format for the most part but please keep the comments coming and I will see everyone again next time.

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