X #7 Review


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X #7 doesn’t pack quite the visceral punch that most issues have but it’s setting up a much larger story that will focus X on his code and loyalties when fighting the underbelly of Arcadia.

Official Description from Image:
The manipulative Lt. Setter has charged rookie Ruidoso and a team of other honest cops with capturing X, knowing that X’s code won’t let him fight back lethally. As X battles the Dogs of War in Arcadia’s toxic sewers, Ruidoso has to make a choice…

Issue #7 of X is titled ‘Ruidoso’ and writer Duane Swierczynski’s main focus is on the rookie officer and his team of, at least to this point, uncorrupted officers to hunt down X. They are unexperienced and under supported which makes them the perfect lambs to slaughter of their boss Lieutenant Setter and while they do all the heavy lifting he’ll reap the rewards. X, however, has a code, which he demonstrated last issue by not killing Ruidoso when he had the chance because his was innocent and that will throw a wrench in Setter’s plans.

X_007CoverThis is mostly a chase and X showing massive restraint in the face of it. Ruidoso plays by the book and so does his team but all that gets thrown in his face by Setter who just wants X dead. His team, the Dogs of War, are waiting in the wings if Ruidoso won’t complete the job. The rookie is typically naive, with what passes for rose colored glasses in Arcadia, fighting in the toxic sewers, but that doesn’t make him weak, just vulnerable to what goes on behind his back.

As previously stated this issue is not as brutal as previous issues but the lines are less black and white when X deals with the innocents in Arcadia. That said, artist Eric Nguyen does his best with the story he’s given and still brings as much spring-loaded action to the chase as possible. His work still reflects the grit but with less blood than we’ve become accustomed.

Swierczynski does a good job showing innocence in Ruidoso’s team but also gives them enough smarts and chemistry to make them more than formidable in the long run. Glimpses of that starts to show itself here and by the end Ruidoso will have leverage that  Lt. Setter only could dream of but will put them in the cross hairs of X. As we’ve seen before that’s not a healthy place to be. While I was hoping for a little more punch X #7 still hits the mark and puts things in motion for a longer story arc and return to the brutality that X possesses. Overall a solid issue where X marks the spot.

3/5

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