Wolverine and the X-Men #3

I'm still torn on this series.

On the one hand, I enjoy the sense of fun and good humor that permeates Wolverine and the X-Men. The characters are fresh and fun and each one has his or her own voice.

I also like the idea of bringing back the Xavier School for Gifted Children (here renamed in honor of Jean Grey).

But it seems that every villain knows the group's new address, which means the students are in constant danger of attack. As this issue begins, the Hellfire Club is doing just that, using the living island Krakoa (which has somehow been placed under the school) to attack.

And that brings us to the part I don't like. The story by Jason Aaron is so over the top, so extreme that the school is (for all intents and purposes) destroyed utterly - yet everyone acts as though nothing has happened.

There just seems a complete disconnect from reality here (I know, it's a silly accusation to make about a comic book) - everything that happens is so zany that it's difficult to buy into.

I feel the same way about the art. I usually enjoy Chris Bachalo's work, and much of it here is excellent - creative, fresh and exciting. But there are some panels in there where I have no idea what's going on, and that disrupts the storytelling flow.

So I'm divided - I appreciate the effort and talent that went into this comic, but it doesn't feel like it's quite come together yet - but it's almost there.

Your mileage may vary.

Grade: B-