Generation Next 4: Well I wasn’t expecting a happy ending, but damn!

Credits: Written by Scott Lobdell, pencilled by Chris Bachalo, inked by MarkBuckingham and edited by Bob Harras

Cast: Earth 295 versions of Piotr ‘Colossus’ Rasputin, Kitty ‘Shadowcat’ Rasputing, Ilyana Rasputin, Jono ‘Chamber’ Starsmore, Paige ‘Husk’ Guthrie, Vincente, Mondo, Angelo ‘Skin’ Espinosa and the Sugar Man.

Plot: Mondo has found and retrieved the lost Ilyana and is making his way to the exit, diverting the guards Husk and Vincente (posing together as 2nd in command Quietus) is facing the Sugar Man who has told them to kill Skin, who is between them. When Quietus hesitates, a suspicious Sugar Man fires his tongue at the mutant, revealing Husk and Vincente. Then a previously considered dead Chamber appears and starts shooting with a guard’s fun. Then to cover their escape obliterates the Sugar Man with the powers that emminate from his chest. But with only Sugar Man down, there is no escape for this beleagured quartet until their teachers arrive.

Colossus cleans house with Shadowcat’s help, but Mondo is caught be a rapidly healing Sugar Man, who kills Mondo and steals Ilyana from him. But before he can move, Colossus lands on him and tears him to pieces. This second death of the Sugar Man causes a human led rebellion and the guards fight back hard, causing a bloodbath all over the place. Colossus and Kitty get Ilyana out of the compound, knowing that puts the students at risk and the students know that as they watch their teachers escape. Once clear, Colossus promises to go back and rescue Husk, Chamber, Skin and maybe Vincente who by now has stopped breathing.

He is at the door to get back to them, but by now it’s too late and he either can’t get back through the doors, or knows it’s no use. In failure he returns to his wife and sister, but everything is different now, a darkness has come out with them and it does like like we’re not quite done yet with the Sugar Man

Notes: Since the 2nd tier teen X-book was introduced back in the mid-80s, the tradition has been it’s the more bleak and harsh book. It’s where Dani squared off against Death, it’s where Xi’an spent years enslaved by her uncle, then months by the Shadow King leaving her bloated and traumatised, it was the book where Doug Ramsey was shot and killed after the team left school without permission and how they had to explain death to Warlock. It was where heartbreak happens even more than the more adult books. This is no different. Chamber, Husk, Mondo, Skin and Vincente are all seemingly sacrificed to retrieve Ilyana. It’s left very ambiguous how hard Colossus tries to save them, but no matter what, there was no hope. This series played that perfectly, that absence of hope and this final part puts that theme on a big canvas for all to see. Good dies and the evil keeps returning. Each series has shown the Age of Apocalypse to be a dystopia, but these four issues tell you that this is a world that needs to end. Telling this issue from Ilyana’s perspective only highlights more how far this world is from even the 616, a world that hates and fears the X-Men, this world hates and fears everyone and by the end, we’re all a little sadder.

Verdict: Writing 3 out of 5 – This is the weakest individual issue for writing, but what it does do is keep everything moving along and being a genuine end to the series in a way most of the part 4s have not been. This is a series that can be read as a single piece and this issue really sells that particular idea.

Verdicts: Art 5 out of 5- Chris Bachalo in his weird period is a joy to behold, even when it’s a dark and miserable world you’re beholding. Every page holds some extra tid-bit, extra pic or quirk that makes it a dream to just look through. Quietus and the Sugar Man are characters that would not work in the hands of another art team, but here it all fits into the world. Beyond the weirdness, this has moments of pure illustrative artistry. The look on Husk’s face as Colossus leaves is haunting in a way that seems impossible to be just paper and ink. The last shot of her is also striking and reminds you that the ones who fell bravely were just children and that doesn’t go away just because the issue has ended.

Overall: 8 out of 10 – A strong final part of a strong 4 part and it was emotionally affecting throughout. With a different art team at any point, this would not have worked, this 4 part story then becomes a testament to the talent of Bachalo and how well this team works together, a true highpoint of the Age of Apocalypse.

Next Time: Back to the saga and some more Scarlet Spider.