Tomes of Costumed Adventurers: X-Men: Prisoner X

Tomes of Costumed Adventurers

Welcome to the land of "reality", where scientific experiments, accidents, genetic heritage, and alien influences affect the lives of ordinary mortals. Join me as I observe the superhumans of planet earth and their struggles against equally powerful foes.

W A R N I N G !

This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the book.

That said, on to the review!

Title: X-Men: Prisoner X
Author: Ann Nocenti
Publisher: Boulevard Books
Format: Paperback
Copyright Date: 1998

Everyone knows the power of the media, and no one knows better how to manipulate it than Mojo, an other-dimensional monstrosity who markets real events as fictitious television programs, such as the execution of a human being, all in the name of ratings. But he does more than that, marketing virtual reality video games and using them to influence and manipulate the minds of the players, teaching teenagers all manner of things like how to commit suicide and how to commit murder. However, his very presence in the universe warps nature, tipping off such sensitives as Storm and Wolverine of the X-Men, and the oddities of the VR games and the increase in teen suicides worries others of the team, like Gambit, Phoenix, and the Beast. And when they learn the identity of the prisoner to be executed, it's the last straw: he's none other than Longshot, former X-Man and refugee/rebel from Mojo's original dimension. Now it's up to the X-Men to rescue their comrade-in-arms and put a stop to the deaths. Their only problem...how do you break into a prison that's orbitting the Earth?

X-Men: Prisoner X is a rather grim novel, with dark overtones throughout the entire book. Given the plot, it couldn't be anything else. And while the plot could have been different, then it wouldn't be the same book, now would it? One thing I'd have to say is this: if you wanted a statement on the increasing power of the entertainment industry over modern society, then this is definitely a book for you to look into. As political statements go, this is a rather intense one, even masquerading behind comic-book characters, and it's much more oppressive and direct than those special comics that warn against smoking or doing drugs or other things.

The best part of this novel, I'd have to say, would be the reappearance of Longshot in the continuum. I came (back) to the series only a few issues before he left the team, with only a few guest appearances here and there. What I saw, though, was enough to make him a favorite of mine. As I recall, he had the charm, the charisma, and the luck to win the heart of any girl, and at the same time be agile and skillful enough to dodge through a storm of bullets without getting hit once. Also, there was something about his uniform that made him much more impressive than some of the other X-Men. He's different here, though, which you'd expect given his situation and the time he spent away from the X-Men and how he spent that time. Still, he makes this novel that much more interesting for me.

X-Men: Prisoner X is, to me, worth the effort of reading from cover to cover. Some readers may find it too dark. Some may find it too political. Some may find it just too convoluted to be interesting. All I can say is that you should give it a chance. You just may learn something!

Rating: Thumbs up! X-Men in outer space to break into a prison...who'd have thought it possible?

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