X-Men '92 #3 Review

Welcome back to X-Men ’92, an X-Men book made to more closely resemble the 90’s X-Men TV series with a modern twist. Last time, The X-Men were dealing with a Vampire problem, spearheaded by the mysterious vampire, Alpha Red. This lead Storm, Bishop and Psylocke to seek out the lord of all Vampires himself, Count Dracula.

Our comic opens with what may very well be the coolest idea Marvel Comics has had since Stan Lee said “why don’t we make a character with all the powers of a spider.” Somewhere, in the deepest darkest corner of limbo, lays a mysterious gothic castle that serves as the meeting place to the Council of Cross-Time Draculas. That’s right, what we have here is a dark cabal consisting of the various incarnations of Count Dracula throughout the multi-verse.

I may as well end this review right now, because I promise you, there is no way this series is ever going to top this awesome idea.

Anywho, the council convenes and the head Dracula says they’ve been called to order to witness a great victory for Vampire kind, because in one reality, the very nature of what it means to be nosferatu is about to be changed forever.

Sadly, that’s all we see of the council, and we rejoin the X-Men at the Castle Dracula of their reality. Now, last time, I mistakenly assumed that the count was the one behind the X-Men’s recent vampire problem. In actuality, Storm, who has a complicated history with the dark prince, has sought out Dracula because she believes he’s the only one powerful enough to cure the other mutants of their affliction. Dracula agrees to help Storm, but only if Storm agrees to be his bride. Storm outright refuses but when Dracula insists, that’s when Storm reminds Dracula that while he may be a king in his realm, she is a Goddess. Storm subsequently proposes a new deal: Either Dracula helps them, or she will literally call down the thunder on him to rend his castle from its very foundations. Dracula smiles and agrees to Storm’s terms, but warns her that nothing in this world comes without a cost.

Back at Xavier institute, Beast and the professor are helping the remaining students who still have a heartbeat escape their now vampiric classmates, but things quickly go from bad to worse when Alpha Red arrives at the mansion, now having added Wolverine, Rogue and Gambit to the ranks of his undead army. Alpha storms the mansion, locates Cerebro and tells his acolytes to boot up something called The Darkhold Program.

Back in Transylvania, while Edie, a teleporting mutant who serves as our heroes’ ride home, recovers her strength for the trip home, Dracula exposits that Alpha Red is, in actuality, his son, Janus. Obsessed with surpassing his father as the lord of the undead, he sought to augment his powers by means of the Russian Super Soldier program. The process augmented his powers ten-fold, but also changed the nature of his bite. Instead of granting immortality, his victims crumbled to dust after their first night, meaning the afflicted X-Men now have a ticking clock.

The X-Men, with Dracula in tow, return to the mansion, only to be greeted by Alpha and the afflicted mutants. Storm uses her powers to blast the vampires with sunlight, but to the shock and horror of everyone, even Dracula, it has no affect and Alpha Red and the others. And so our comic ends with Alpha Red claims that he has eliminated the weaknesses of his people and has given birth to a new evolution of both mutant and vampire.

What Works:

I could seriously talk forever about how awesome the concept of the Council of Cross-Time Draculas is. It’s such a cool concept that it’s almost too good for this book. I really hope the writers do more with it in the future, and not just in this series. Otherwise, this book is still pretty awesome. Dracula and Storm’s scenes were great and the threat of Alpha Red provides excellent tension.

What Doesn’t:

Like I said, the Council of Cross Time Draculas is almost too good for this book, and if this is all we ever see of it, then that is a sad waste of a good idea. Also, while I’m well aware this is not the first time the X-Men have fought vampires, for a first arc of a new series, it feels really out of place. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a cool idea, but for a book that’s meant to recapture the feel of the 90’s X-Men cartoon, you’d expect something that feels more typically “X-Men” for your first story-arc and save the vampires for another time. Overall: 5/5 This issue is a blast through and through. It introduces an awesome idea with a lot of potential, gives us some great character interaction, and presents a great threat for our heroes. All in all, it’s everything a good comic should be.