Pic from Comics Continuum
The 4th Rail 3/27/02
Critiques on Infinite Earths by Don MacPherson MUTANT X: ORIGIN #1 "Once Upon a Time..."
Not Recommended (2/10)
Marvel Comics
Writers: David Tischman & Howard Chaykin
Pencils: Lee Ferguson
Inks: Jon Holdredge
Colors: Hi-Fi Designs
Letters: Tom Orzechowski
Editors: Mike Marts & Andrew Lis
Price: $3.50 US/$5.65 CAN
I've caught bits and pieces of the syndicated Mutant X show from time to time; never really drew me in. So going into this comic-book one-shot, my interest in the property and the characters was low. Now, it's ever lower. Mutant X is not, as Fox purported, an X-Men ripoff. Instead, it's more of a riff on The X-Files, but from the point of view of the conspirators and ex-conspirators. Sounds like a strong concept, but ultimately, it's cliched and not terribly compelling.
More than two decades ago, genetics students and friends Adam and Paul founds their research cut short by a lack of funding, and in stepped a government-connected corporation called Genomex. Before long, their experiments shifted from mustard plants to human beings, but their first attempt at creating a superhuman went horribly wrong. That's when the company's security chief found his body and mind twisted by an accident, and when Adam discovered that he could no longer live with Genomex's ethics, or lack thereof.
Ferguson's art just doesn't bring enough definition to a script that is in dire need of it. Backgrounds are lacking, and the characters are portrayed inconsistently. There's a nice Kyle Hotz influence at play in the art that suits the story's dark tone, but in the end, the visuals are as uninteresting as the plot.
I suppose one can assume that this comic book will be of interest only to fans of the TV show, those familiar with the characters and the premise. The writers certainly seem to make that assumption. I had a passing familiarity with the players and plot, but I was nevertheless lost at several points in the book. This is not an accessible introduction to the world of Mutant X.
Perhaps the greatest problem with the book, though, is that the premise is a bit too much to swallow. For one to believe in this story, one has to accept that a man as brilliant as Adam is pretty oblivious and even naive, and I just don't buy it. Furthermore, the plot elements are rather tired, and there's a vagueness in the script that's unsettling.
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