Post by Scotti on May 28, 2012 0:54:39 GMT -5
Academy X #5 - Jeffrey Rist
Death. The central theme within this issue is death. The death of a character to be exact. Most times in stories the death is a big event and then afterwards the aftermath of that death is worked on for all characters. In this case Jeff goes with something different. The death itself is nowhere near as important as what it does to others. In fact the death only takes up the very first small section of the issue and after that it is all reacting to the death and growing the characters around the one that died. While it is a shame that the character in question is now dead and no longer able to get character work done, as they were one of the characters that Marvel criminally underused, Jeff does a good job of building to the death before and delivering it and the effects it has that one can get past missing the character.
In that first section a part that stood out to me was where one character at the bedside of the dying looks onto to wonder why there are so many phrases and words for death in the English language, meaning it is nothing strange to consider, yet it is so difficult to accept at times. At the same time the concept of how movies and stories always seem to portray death as hard but easy at the same time as things were always romanticized or softened so as to not be blunt at hitting the viewers with the idea of death.
The pairing up of characters between a students and a staff member for training is a nice touch. Especially Sabretooth and Wolf Cub. I'm a big fan of the less than snarling and killing Sabretooth that comics have favored at times. The writers at MA have done a good job on working the different facets of Sabretooth and that continues here in Academy X. The best part to me was the twisted way that Jeff is choosing to write and portray Layla and the new twist is really creepy and works so well for the character. Instead of just having her be a perfect vision of what is being done with her at Marvel. It puts his own stamp on her.
Death. The central theme within this issue is death. The death of a character to be exact. Most times in stories the death is a big event and then afterwards the aftermath of that death is worked on for all characters. In this case Jeff goes with something different. The death itself is nowhere near as important as what it does to others. In fact the death only takes up the very first small section of the issue and after that it is all reacting to the death and growing the characters around the one that died. While it is a shame that the character in question is now dead and no longer able to get character work done, as they were one of the characters that Marvel criminally underused, Jeff does a good job of building to the death before and delivering it and the effects it has that one can get past missing the character.
In that first section a part that stood out to me was where one character at the bedside of the dying looks onto to wonder why there are so many phrases and words for death in the English language, meaning it is nothing strange to consider, yet it is so difficult to accept at times. At the same time the concept of how movies and stories always seem to portray death as hard but easy at the same time as things were always romanticized or softened so as to not be blunt at hitting the viewers with the idea of death.
The pairing up of characters between a students and a staff member for training is a nice touch. Especially Sabretooth and Wolf Cub. I'm a big fan of the less than snarling and killing Sabretooth that comics have favored at times. The writers at MA have done a good job on working the different facets of Sabretooth and that continues here in Academy X. The best part to me was the twisted way that Jeff is choosing to write and portray Layla and the new twist is really creepy and works so well for the character. Instead of just having her be a perfect vision of what is being done with her at Marvel. It puts his own stamp on her.