• Review - Nation X #3

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    [TD]Issue: Nation X #3
    Writer: Chris Yost et al
    Artist: Karl Moline et al
    Date Published: April 2010
    Alpha Appearance: Box and Diamond Lil; Northstar cameo
    Period in Alpha Flight's history: Current at time of publication.

    OVERVIEW:
    There are four separate stories in this issue. I will be reviewing one of them:
    Boxes: Following the events of X-Force #23, Madison thinks back over his life with Diamond Lil.

    I've listed the time period as current; it is, but it involves flashbacks over several months, since Utopia X, and even comments on their first meeting.[/TD]
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    REVIEW:

    First, the other stories in this issue aren't bad. I'm only skipping them because of a distinct lack of Alpha Flight content.

    The artwork isn't my type. It does the job, but I like more detail and realism than this artwork contains; your results may vary. It's also flat in places ("Day 17" in particular).

    The image we open with is of Diamond Lil as Snow White; but there won't be a Prince Charming to save her. Not even a dwarf (Puck, where are you?).
    The point of this story - and it's a good one - is to resolve issues between the pair, going back to Weapon X storylines and up to Necrosha. It's a very simple story, but very effective.

    There are no world-beating battles here, no villains, no life-threatening situations. The conflict is the reconciliation of a married couple. Up until now, the fact they were both on the island and married has never been mentioned.
    They spent their whole time together on the X-Men's island arguing and making up. It's sweet - bittersweet.

    One thing that a writer can do well is to bring in a single line and tie it into the story; give it a symbolic value that waxes lyrical. In this story, that line is "The first time I saw her was through glass." It gives the story symmetry and brackets it nicely.

    (btw, Northstar is in a single panel, no lines.)

    Unexpected bonus: Lil tells Madison about the events of Dark Reign: The List: The X-Men: Vs. The Supurfluous Subtitle.[/TD]
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    [TD]RATING:
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    [TD](This one doesn't get a separate 'for Alpha Flightness' rating since it is an Alpha Flight story.)[/TD]
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