Chaos War: X-Men - a Review

Writers: Chris Claremont & Louise Simonson; Art: Doug Braithwaite; Colors: Rob Schwager & Ulises Arreola; Covers: Carlos Pagulayan & Ed McGuiness

Rating 3.5 out of 5 stars

As I mentioned in my review of Dead Avengers, I did not read most of the Chaos War crossover. I decided to pick up the two issue Chaos War: X-Men tie-in because it was written by Chris Claremont and Louise Simonson.

Claremont and Simonson have worked together in the past in certain capacities. Simonson was Claremont's editor on Uncanny X-Men and New Mutants in the early 1980s. In addition, the two of them wrote separate chapters of crossovers such as "Inferno" and "The X-Tinction Agenda." However, Chaos War: X-Men was the first time the two have actually co-written a story. I am a fan of both of their works, and was curious to see how that collaboration would turn out.

As with the other Chaos War miniseries and specials, Chaos War: X-Men features a revived cast of previously deceased characters, this time ones with ties to various mutant groups. The role call consists of Thunderbird, Banshee, Moira MacTaggart, three duplicates of Multiple Man, Esme & Sophie of the Stepford Cuckoos, and Destiny. I was a bit surprised that none of the trio of major X-Men who are currently dead, namely Jean Grey, Nightcrawler, and Cable, showed up. The editors of the X-Men books probably have their own plans for those three down the road. But this actually works to the advantage of Chaos War: X-Men, as it allows Claremont and Simonson to examine & develop a number of supporting characters. That is especially true for Thunderbird.

As long-time X-fans probably know, John Proudstar a.k.a. Thunderbird was created by Len Wein & Dave Cockrum, and was part of the "All-New, All-Different" team introduced in Giant-Size X-Men #1. Thunderbird was a rash, headstrong fighter with a short fuse and a chip on his shoulder. At the time, it was felt that there was too much of an overlap between him and two of the other new X-Men, namely Wolverine and Colossus. And so Wein and Cockrum, along with incoming writer Claremont, made the decision to kill off Thunderbird. He died in Uncanny X-Men #95, futilely attempting to stop criminal mastermind Count Nefaria from escaping.

In hindsight, disposing of Thunderbird in the new X-Men's second adventure may have been a hasty move. Cockrum would later remark that if they had known what a huge success the series would become, they would have kept him around. I definitely think that Thunderbird is one of the most interesting and dynamic character designs that Cockrum came up with. Obviously Claremont must have agreed that there was potential to Thunderbird, as he wrote flashback scenes in Classic X-Men #s 1-3 fleshing out the character, and also introduced Thunderbird's younger brother who took up the name & costume.

The original Thunderbird, revived amidst the Chaos War, realizes that his death was a stupid & pointless one. He regards his return as a second chance. This time Thunderbird keeps his temper in check, his head clear, and he assumes charge of the hodgepodge group.

The presence of Thunderbird also allows Claremont and Simonson to use him as an introductory character for the reader. Because he was the first of the group to die, and he hasn't really met most of them, there is a more natural flow to the exposition as the characters introduce themselves to him. Since he was not there for any of their deaths, or even for some of their introductions, it makes sense for them to explain their histories to him.

Chaos War: X-Men also provides Claremont with the opportunity to finally make cannon a piece of back story that he's had in mind for many years, but was never able to delve into until now. We learn that Destiny and her shape-shifting teammate Mystique from the Mutant Brotherhood were more than close friends, and in fact were actually lovers, with Mystique taking the form of a man when they were physically intimate. (Apparently Claremont also originally intended for Mystique and Destiny to be Nightcrawler's biological parents.) That sort of detail was impossible to explicitly spell out when Claremont first introduced the characters thirty years ago, as it was a different time, a different publishing environment. And so he dropped a number of veiled hits over the years. But as far as I know, this is the first time Mystique and Destiny's romance is explicitly stated.

I am not exactly certain how Chaos War: X-Men ties in with the main Chaos War miniseries. It appears that Claremont & Simonson were given the remit to write a story that appeared important to the overall crossover, but which was not a crucial piece of reading in order to understand the primary book. That is an extremely fine line to walk, and for the most part Claremont and Simonson do succeed in making the events of their books seem relevant.

The revived characters are tasked with -- well, doing something. To quote the book, they must "unleash the most ancient and primal spirits of the earth itself," which is apparently one of the key factors in defeating the Chaos King. And so the King dispatches his lieutenant the Carrion Crow to thwart the efforts of Thunderbird's group.

The pacing of Chaos War: X-Men is uneven. In the first issue, the characters seem to spend a lot of time standing around wondering what is going on. Then, in the second issue, suddenly a whole bunch of stuff happens, with events speeding along like a freight train. Because of this, issue #1 left me somewhat unimpressed. But then issue #2 caused me to wish that there was a third chapter, so that events could have unfolded more gradually.

I am curious as to who wrote what here. The cadence of much of the dialogue and narration appears to be more Claremont than Simonson. Likewise, the mystical Carrion King, with his ability to twist and reshape beings physically and mentally into his dark servants, is a very Claremont-ian concept. On the other hand, the dysfunctional interaction between Esme and Sophie could be part of Simonson's contributions. A great deal of Simonson's past writing has dealt with the relationships that exist within families. In any case, I like how the complicated dynamics of the two Stepford Cuckoos are explored here.

Certainly the most significant aspect of Chaos War: X-Men is the aforementioned re-examination of the long-dead Thunderbird. The threads of characterization that had been hinted at in his few published appearances are sewn together here. He achieves a sort of peace, feeling he has finally accomplished something significant. If the character of John Proudstar is not seen again after this miniseries, then it will serve as a fitting coda for the arc of his life story.

The artist on Chaos War: X-Men is Doug Braithwaite. I've enjoyed his art on various titles in the past, and he does some very good work here. There are a lot of personal, intimate moments, especially involving Thunderbird and the Stepford Cuckoos. Braithwaite really communicates the emotions of the characters through his storytelling, especially in the second issue. Pages 13 & 14 of that issue are a highlight of the book, with Esme and Sophie pitted against one another by the Carrion Crow, while Thunderbird seeks to finally achieve serenity and meaning by tapping into the ancient forces of creation.

It appears that Braithwaite's artwork was printed directly from his uninked pencils. In the past, I've commented that I'm not especially fond of this method. For most pencilers, too much of the detail is blunted or obscured by the coloring. At times, that is the case on Dead X-Men. I would have preferred to see Braithwaite's work inked, perhaps by Robin Riggs or Mark farmer, who have both done a fine job over his pencils in the past.

That said, the story has very spiritual, ethereal aspects to it. Perhaps the decision to print directly from Braithwaite's pencils is not too inappropriate. There is a sort of raw, ghostly atmosphere to the artwork as a result, which suits the material. Also, I think that Rob Schwager and Ulises Arreola's coloring on these two issues, especially the second one, has enough subtlety and nuance that it enhances, rather than obstructs, the artwork.

So, after a somewhat underwhelming first issue, Chris Claremont and Louise Simonson turn in a very strong concluding chapter, aided by powerful artwork from the pencil of Doug Braithwaite.