GENERATION X #52 - June 1999

Secret Identities

Credits: Jay Faerber (writer), Terry Dodson (penciler), Rachel Dodson (inker), Kevin Tinsley (colors), Comicraft (letters)

Summary: Gen X’s classmate Tristan Brawn threatens to expose their secret after he catches them training in the woods. His condition for keeping quiet is for Husk to go on a date with him. To everyone’s surprise, she agrees. Meanwhile, Emma gives Artie and Leech image inducers, which they soon misuse as toys. Later, Tom Corsi is introduced as a new teacher at the school, Banshee receives word of Siryn’s injury, and Jubilee discovers a disoriented Paladin outside of the school grounds.

Continuity Notes:

· Synch tries to show Chamber how to fly by using his powers. Chamber is unable to grasp the ability, and is annoyed that Synch can use his powers better than he can.

· Colossus makes a cameo as a guest art instructor.

· Spider-Ham and Ducktor Doom (I’m guessing that was his name) are not in this comic. That would be Artie and Leech playing with their image inducers.

I Love the '90s: Jubilee comments that they don’t know Tristan Brawn from the Backstreet Boys. Artie and Leech’s hidden room is filled with Furbie dolls, and an original Playstation.

Review: Jay Faerber never hid the fact that he was more interested in character drama than superhero fights, so it’s not a surprise that this issue only hints at possible violence in the future. This is largely a collection of subplots, and while none of them are particularly bad, none of them are really stand outs, either. A human student is blackmailing the team, which is a decent idea but similar to one Larry Hama explored early in his run; some old continuity is dredged up, as Chamber’s non-existent ability to fly is finally addressed in an actual story, and Tom Corsi returns from the Realm of the Almost-Dead; cross-title continuity is acknowledged for the first time in a while, as Banshee is notified of Siryn’s injuries in X-Force; and a few character subplots continue as Jubilee prepares to make her claim on Synch while Husk tries to make Chamber jealous. Faerber’s still getting some mileage out of the integrated school concept, with an amusing scene that has M quickly ruining Chamber’s reputation as sexiest male on campus, and it’s hard to complain about a Spider-Ham cameo, even if the cover is slightly deceptive. So, nothing too exciting, but Faerber writes the characters well and the Dodsons are doing a great job even in the “quiet” issues.