X-STATIX #17

As much fun as I have with Peter Milligan's scripts for his super hero comic X-STATIX, a commentary on American media-pop culture and naked self-interest, the comic book wouldn't be fun without an artist who takes his work seriously. Still, the artist should not be so serious as to draw everything in an anal retentive, realistic or photo-realistic style.

Mike Allred's so-called pop art style is perfect for a book about popularity and power. Most important is that he is a good storyteller. The art is as clear and concise as it is stylish and colorful. It harks back to another era when art simply told the story by taking the writer's script and visually translating the plot, characters, and setting. That was before comic art became a collectible and art meant for storytelling became portfolio pieces and "original art."
[DRECK, DULL, READABLE, PRETTY GOOD, EXCELLENT]