Marvel Comics 2017
Written by Sina Grace
Penciled by Edgar Salazar & Ibraim Roberson
Inked by Ed Tadeo & Ibraim Roberson
Coloured by Rachelle Rosenberg
Lettered by VC’s Joe Sabino
In between mentoring his younger self, reconnecting with parents and saving a young mutant from a purifier attack, Bobby is still trying to find his place in the world. Luckily, he has his duties at the newly opened Xavier Institute to provide Clarity….
So it’s a tough time to be an X-Man but then again when it isn’t? We’ve seen Bobby’s history of underachiever, jokester, womanizer and all around joke through the years. Then along comes a time-displaced younger version of Bobby who kind of explains why he’s been that way his entire life, he’s been fighting who he really is. So with young Bobby being more secure and open about himself he lands a boyfriend while older more established Bobby is only starting to come to grips with the truth about himself. Sina is taking on a monumental task here with this character.
Emma threw it in his face that she could do more with his power than he could. This started a journey of exploring his powers more fully. Now he has to come out to himself while figuring out who he is just as he had to learn to discover the extent of his powers. Interestingly enough both cases stem from outside sources. So it’s no wonder that Bobby isn’t attending Pride Parades or seeking out boyfriends he’s still trying to reconcile things within himself. That Sina is bringing this delicate balance to use through a smart, intelligent manner that doesn’t rush and allows him to explore all aspects instead of just one is why this series is off to it’s monumental start.
I like the interior artwork here. The attention to detail is nice to see the linework is strong, clean and can be quite powerful. The creativity in seeing the uses of his power is brought to life nicely. The utilisation of page layout through angles, perspective and backgrounds make the story flow nicely and keep us engaged in the story in ways that are unexpected.
The dialogue and the interaction between Bobby and Kitty is nicely done as are the solo moments we see of him just going about his business. That we see the telltale signs of his own discomfort and unease at being who he is serves as that perfect reminder of him trying too hard, once again in his life, to be who others see him as. We’ve never seen this kind of conflicted, honest and forthright portrayal of a gay superhero before. I mean this is the penultimate story of self-discovery.
Set in the backdrop of the Xavier Institute surrounded by past lovers, girlfriends and students he has to find a way to be himself and forge his own unique path in the world while fighting crime, megalomaniac dictators and trying to rescue kids whose own abilities are just now emerging.
Sina is the logical and best choice for such a stark, honest and compelling series. Now here’s hoping that Marvel allows it to grow, evolve and become all it can be like any of us would ever wish to be ourselves.