Well I still need a fuckin internship for this summer, so I really shouldn't be wasting time with balzac's fuckin ballsack, but it's been a while so fuck it.
The next issue in Essential X-Men volume 2 is X-Men Annual 3. Annuals are giant size issus, usually like 60 to 80 pages or something instead of the usual 20, that comic companies put out in the summer at triple the cost to get more money from kids. This is the first annual for the X-Men that features the new team, and the first annual that's not reprints, so we're all in for a treat.
The treat comes in the form of a loin clothed dickhead named Arkon, who looks like a viking and throws lightning bolts.
The plot is pretty stupid and predictable. Arkon shows up in the middle of New York and stumbles upon the X-Men, who then fight each other, naturally. Then they become friends and the X-Men help save Arkon's planet. The end.The only thing that makes this issue special is the interior artwork by George Perez. Perez was at the height of his powers back in the 70's and his pencils here, aided by the always incredible Terry Austin, are spectacular. I personally find Perez's human forms a little stilted but the detail he gives to the inanimate surrounding is breathtaking.
HOLY SHIT CAN YOU EVEN BELIEVE HOW GREAT THIS FUCKIN SHIT IS? YOU CAN'T, CAN YOU? NO BECAUSE SEEIN IS BELIEVIN BABY.
Anyway, that's all I feel like saying about this annual. I need to go find a fuckin job and the issue sucked anyway. Next, back to the regular fuckin series!
