Amazing X-Men vol. 1: The Quest for Nightcrawler

I was disappointed when I found out that Jason Aaron would be leaving “Wolverine and the X-Men,” though that disappointment was short-lived when it was revealed that he was going to write the new X-title “Amazing X-Men.”  The first arc was even going to bring back Nightcrawler.  How could things go wrong?  Well, it turns out that he’s only going to be writing this arc on the series as it now seems destined to quickly fade back into “also-ran” status amongst the other X-titles.  Don’t take that as a sign that Aaron’s story isn’t a good one though.  While the writer brings the same demented brand of insanity that characterized “WatXM” to this tale, he’s joined by Ed McGuinness who matches him for energy — and a very specific case of adorability — on this romp through the afterlife.

Yes, “The Afterlife.”  Don’t expect any of the usual retcon shenanigans with Nightcrawler’s resurrection, we find out right at the start that he did die in the events of “Second Coming” and is now on to enjoying his Heavenly Reward for a life well-lived on Earth.  Or, at least he’s trying to as the mutant also known as Kurt Wagner can’t help feeling that there’s still more to the story of his former life.  The mutant is proved right when Heaven is invaded by swashbuckling demons and their pirate king — Nightcrawler’s father Azazel.  The red teleporter is looking to steal enough souls to make him the ruler of the afterlife, and only his son stands in the way.  His son, and the rest of the X-Men at the Jean Grey School who have stumbled onto a very interesting project involving the Bamfs in their basement.

Assuming that you can square the idea of “Pirate Adventure in the Afterlife” with whatever belief system you subscribe to, then you’re going to be in for a good time.  Personally, I think that Aaron at least needed to address just what God and the Devil (or at least Strong Guy after the “Hell on Earth War” arc in “X-Factor”) were up to while all this was going on.  Maybe they were off playing chess or something?  Even so, the energy that Aaron and McGuinness bring to the story is infectious and at least makes me willing to look past gaps in the logic like that and accept the story on its own terms.

Seeing Nighcrawler back in action, and in full swashbuckler mode?  Awesome.  Witnessing his reunions with Wolverine, Storm, Beast, Iceman and others?  Genuinely heartwarming.  Watching the X-Men fight pirate-themed demons and handing Azazel his ass in the process?  MY IDEA OF A GOOD TIME!  It’s ridiculous, over-the-top, and maybe just a touch maudlin at the very end — I’m honestly not sure if I want to see one of the most upbeat of the X-Men dragged down by what he has lost here.  For the majority of its run, however, this is a rousing adventure that effortlessly draws the reader in.  (Assuming that said reader is a longtime X-fan, of course.)

McGuinness works in the same brand of cartoonish expressiveness that characterizes the work of other artists I like.  “WatXM’s” Nick Bradshaw comes readily to mind here, though McGuinness works in a bigger, bolder, less-intricate style.  It works great for the fast-paced, action-driven story being told here, and he’s great with the many different demon designs and Hell-and-Heaven-scapes featured in the story as well.

The one thing that McGuinness does better than Bradshaw (and original artist/designer Chris Bachalo) is the Bamfs.  Throughout “WatXM” they’ve been portrayed as mischievous tattooed little mini-Nightcrawlers.  McGuinness chucks that approach and makes them into little super-deformed mini-Nightcrawlers and the result is ADORABLE!  I can’t explain why the artist’s redesign for them really hit me in that particular way, but now I can’t see them as anything other than how they’ve been portrayed here.  This is also fortunate since we finally learn their origin here, and… it’s kind of disgusting.  At least they wind up getting a better fate at Nightcrawler’s expense here.

After the pirate madness in the afterlife is over, we get an epilogue issue where the X-Men give Nightcrawler a proper welcoming back at the local bar.  Even Cyclops’ team shows up to join in the festivities, though Wolverine won’t let him drink on his tab.  While this is going on, Nightcrawler winds up having to deal with some unfinished family business that puts a damper on the issue’s entertainment value.  Still, the celebratory bits are fun and it finishes on a high note, though the issue would’ve been a lot more enjoyable if artist Cameron Stewart had been on form.  Stewart usually works in a cartoonish style that isn’t too far removed from the likes of McGuinness and Bradshaw.  In this issue, he’s working in a rougher, harder-edged style that makes me think he was a last-minute choice to get this issue out on time.  What’s here isn’t terrible, but it’s far from his best work.

So that’s it.  This is the last we’ll see of Aaron on the X-books for the foreseeable future given that he’s busy with “Thor” and creator-owned projects like “Southern Bastards” and the just-announced “Men of Wrath.”  I’ll certainly miss him after his runs on “Wolverine” and “WatXM” as he brought a great sense of fun and energy to both series, which was evident here as well.  That could’ve helped set this series apart from the other X-titles, along with the general fact that we’d be seeing him helming a genuine mutant team book.  He’s being replaced by veteran X-writers Christopher Yost and Craig Kyle.  They’ve done good work on the issues of their titles featured in crossovers, though I’ve yet to hear about them writing anything that has gone and demanded my attention.

At least Aaron gets to go out on a high note.  I haven’t enjoyed every story focusing on Marvel’s Merry Mutants that he has written, but he at least never wrote any terrible ones.  The man can move on from here knowing that he left the franchise in better shape than he found it.  If he ever decides to come back and tell another story about the “X-Men,” then I’ll be here to read it.