Review by Frank Plowright

The X-Men already intended a positive PR blitz for their relocation to an island off San Francisco’s coast, and the opening chapter of With Great Power has them positively intervening in a number of situations beyond the regular police’s ability to handle. One of these is reports of alligators in the New York sewers.

With the darkness having been explored during Curse of the Mutants it’s the light initially in focus here, despite an exploratory poke through the sewers not making it seem that way at first. Chris Bachalo art sells this immensely well with his bold use of white on a page, and has there even been a single project not elevated by Bacholo’s participation? However, he does draw an extremely stylised Wolverine. From alligators the search turns to missing teens, and while Victor Gischler has Gambit pass some sarcastic comments, it’s within what’s generally a sympathetic understanding of what it’s like to be the constant target of bullies.

Given that’s where Gischler’s heading, the light fades and the villain steps from the shadows. Can it really be one of the X-Men’s own?

Spider-Man is present throughout the four chapter opening story, which maximises the possibilities of the subterranean location, and while all the home truths dropped mean it’s not exactly cheery, it is fun.

It’s followed by Jubilee having difficulty coming to terms with her transformation into a vampire leading instead into memories of Professor X’s younger days. The late 1950s is a world largely without mutants, so his mind reading abilities shine, yet there are always thugs, and it turns into a surprising meeting with the sniff of setting something up further down the line. Al Barrioneuvo’s art looks a lot like Alan Davis pages in places, but it’s competent and he sells the action scenes.

With Great Power closes with a much earlier teaming of the X-Men with Spider-Man, also included for featuring a nod to what’s coming in FF, but with the best will in the world it’s poor. Bill Mantlo’s obviously been reading Roger Zelazny as he merges titles of two Zelazny novels for ‘The Lords of Light and Darkness’, and takes the theme of scientists becoming gods. It’s confused and mediocre, and Sal Buscema seems to have drawn it extremely rapidly. As it’s an extended story the inclusion drags down the rating for Gischler’s work.

Following the original continuity, First to Last is the next graphic novel, but it’s a standalone story by other creators, and Gischler’s run picks up again with FF.