What do you think?
Rate this book
Uncanny X-Men by Chuck Austen
Uncanny X-Men, Vol. 4: The Draco
The X-Men gather together to embark on an adventure that will reveal secrets of the true origins and real family history of Nightcrawler - in a story guest-starring the shapeshifting mutant terrorist Mystique. Plus: Polaris's mental state continues to deteriorate, and the Juggernaut sets off on a solo adventure in Canada.
176 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2004
5 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
About the author
Chuck Austen
432 books16 followersChuck Austen (born Chuck Beckum) is an American humor novelist, comic book writer and artist, TV writer and animator. In comics, he is known for his work on X-Men, War Machine, Elektra, and Action Comics, and in television, he is known for co-creating the animated TV series Tripping the Rift.
In his most recent prose novels, Chuck Austen has been going by the name Charles Austen.
In his most recent prose novels, Chuck Austen has been going by the name Charles Austen.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
June 23, 2021
A huge story that should probably have taken more than the six issues Austen was given. We are finally at long last, with the coming of The Draco, given us the full origins of Mystique, Nightcrawler and Abyss!!!!!!! We also get possibly the start of the fall of the Juggernaut and the rationale behind Polaris' current post Genosha genocidal condition. Add to this, the two ongoing love triangles and it kind of feels like golden X-Men times! 8 out of 12 from me :)
July 23, 2020
Jeebus Christ, this was bad. This may be the lowest point in the history of the X-Men. Chuck Austen makes Nightcrawler's father the actual devil. Except demons and angels were just ancient mutants. Terrible story. Ugly art. Awful character designs. The whole trifecta. Chuck Austen was eventually blackballed over this garbage. That's how bad it was.
July 13, 2014
We can stop looking guys, I’ve found it – the worst X-Men book ever!
The premise is: Azazel aka Satan is trying to find a way to get to Earth from the nether-realm he inhabits (Hell, I suppose? Doesn’t look it) so he goes to Earth to impregnate a number of women who’ll give birth to a number of demons who’ll then be able to open a portal to allow him access to Earth. Spot the massive plot hole in that sentence? How is Azazel getting to Earth to impregnate women if the whole reason he’s doing all of this is because he can’t get to Earth in the first place?
Answer: Chuck Austen is a horrible writer who doesn’t know what he’s doing.
But that’s not the most offensive part of this book, it’s merely a flabbergastingly stupid moment. So one of the women Azazel impregnates is Mystique who gives birth to… Nightcrawler!? So Nightcrawler’s parents are Azazel and Mystique because Kurt looks demonic and his skin is blue like Mystique’s… fart noise.
Going back to the early days when Nightcrawler was first introduced into the Marvel Universe, he was being chased by people who wanted to kill him for looking like a demon – the key word being “looking”, not “actually being”. He was a mutant and he looked different but he was human – that’s the whole point of the X-Men: that we all look different on the outside but inside we’re all the same.
That’s why these characters were inspired by the Civil Rights Movement in the 60s, to draw parallels to black peoples’ plight to get the same rights as white people. By making Nightcrawler AN ACTUAL DEMON, the literal spawn of Satan, then it’s almost like Austen is giving credence to the mobs’ fears of hounding Nightcrawler – they were right, he really isn’t one of us! It completely destroys the whole message of the X-Men and Nightcrawler’s character. Austen completely misunderstood the characters and the series when he wrote this drivel.
There’s some other garbage in here involving Alpha Flight and Juggernaut and how domestic violence is solved with superhero violence that’s in line with the stupidity of the rest of the book, but really the Nightcrawler parentage thing is by far the most jaw-droppingly awful aspect of The Draco. The interesting thing about this book is that the fan reaction was (understandably) so severe that not only was it retconned by every X-Men fan but Chuck Austen was blacklisted by Marvel as a result! Austen then went to work on Action Comics for DC but a grassroots boycott of Austen’s work led to many retailers refusing to stock Austen’s comics. DC tried to control the damage by asking Austen to write under a pseudonym but when he refused, he was fired and blacklisted by DC. He ended his comics career writing porno baseball comics (!!), which was weirdly where he started!
The Draco was so bad that it destroyed a man’s career! And now it’s rightfully out of print. I found a copy at a used book store and picked it up out of curiosity – I’d heard it was bad, but was it really that bad? It was actually worse!
Philip Tan’s art is horribly scratchy and his character designs are just terrible. I’ve never liked his artwork and The Draco just reminded me why. I was stunned to see Sean Phillips attached to this train wreck but I guess he must’ve really needed the cash. Still, what a black mark on your career to be associated with this disaster!
The Draco: a colossal fuck you to X-Men fans who responded as a group in kind. Now we need to retcon the Man of Steel movie….
The premise is: Azazel aka Satan is trying to find a way to get to Earth from the nether-realm he inhabits (Hell, I suppose? Doesn’t look it) so he goes to Earth to impregnate a number of women who’ll give birth to a number of demons who’ll then be able to open a portal to allow him access to Earth. Spot the massive plot hole in that sentence? How is Azazel getting to Earth to impregnate women if the whole reason he’s doing all of this is because he can’t get to Earth in the first place?
Answer: Chuck Austen is a horrible writer who doesn’t know what he’s doing.
But that’s not the most offensive part of this book, it’s merely a flabbergastingly stupid moment. So one of the women Azazel impregnates is Mystique who gives birth to… Nightcrawler!? So Nightcrawler’s parents are Azazel and Mystique because Kurt looks demonic and his skin is blue like Mystique’s… fart noise.
Going back to the early days when Nightcrawler was first introduced into the Marvel Universe, he was being chased by people who wanted to kill him for looking like a demon – the key word being “looking”, not “actually being”. He was a mutant and he looked different but he was human – that’s the whole point of the X-Men: that we all look different on the outside but inside we’re all the same.
That’s why these characters were inspired by the Civil Rights Movement in the 60s, to draw parallels to black peoples’ plight to get the same rights as white people. By making Nightcrawler AN ACTUAL DEMON, the literal spawn of Satan, then it’s almost like Austen is giving credence to the mobs’ fears of hounding Nightcrawler – they were right, he really isn’t one of us! It completely destroys the whole message of the X-Men and Nightcrawler’s character. Austen completely misunderstood the characters and the series when he wrote this drivel.
There’s some other garbage in here involving Alpha Flight and Juggernaut and how domestic violence is solved with superhero violence that’s in line with the stupidity of the rest of the book, but really the Nightcrawler parentage thing is by far the most jaw-droppingly awful aspect of The Draco. The interesting thing about this book is that the fan reaction was (understandably) so severe that not only was it retconned by every X-Men fan but Chuck Austen was blacklisted by Marvel as a result! Austen then went to work on Action Comics for DC but a grassroots boycott of Austen’s work led to many retailers refusing to stock Austen’s comics. DC tried to control the damage by asking Austen to write under a pseudonym but when he refused, he was fired and blacklisted by DC. He ended his comics career writing porno baseball comics (!!), which was weirdly where he started!
The Draco was so bad that it destroyed a man’s career! And now it’s rightfully out of print. I found a copy at a used book store and picked it up out of curiosity – I’d heard it was bad, but was it really that bad? It was actually worse!
Philip Tan’s art is horribly scratchy and his character designs are just terrible. I’ve never liked his artwork and The Draco just reminded me why. I was stunned to see Sean Phillips attached to this train wreck but I guess he must’ve really needed the cash. Still, what a black mark on your career to be associated with this disaster!
The Draco: a colossal fuck you to X-Men fans who responded as a group in kind. Now we need to retcon the Man of Steel movie….
July 5, 2025
Many people believe this is the worst X-Men story ever published. The art is inconsistent but never good. The main storyline surrounding Nightcrawler's origin is poorly conceived, confusing, and terribly executed. The back story about Sammy and the Juggernaut is slightly over the top, making it the least awful aspect of the story. The dialog is dreadful. The overall plotting is nonsense.
I've read about fifty X-Men books and X-spinoffs in the past two months, and the only one I can think of that *might* be this bad is Counter X: X-Force: Rage War. But that one suffers from not having any interesting characters. This one has a ton of interesting characters yet manages to be almost impressively terrible.
Don't read it. Even at gunpoint. It's not worth it.
I've read about fifty X-Men books and X-spinoffs in the past two months, and the only one I can think of that *might* be this bad is Counter X: X-Force: Rage War. But that one suffers from not having any interesting characters. This one has a ton of interesting characters yet manages to be almost impressively terrible.
Don't read it. Even at gunpoint. It's not worth it.
September 23, 2022
In ancient biblical times there was a kingdom consisted of two mutant families, the Cheyarafim, who had wings and healing blood, and the Neyaphim, who had red or blue skin, horns, and tails. The Neyaphim, following the will of their leader Azazel (also known as Shemihazah, Duma, Keriel, Mastem, Beliar, Gadreel, Beelzebub, and Satan), attempted to conquer and enslave humanity. The Cheyarafim defeated Azazel and banished him and his kind into another dimension, marked by fire and suffering.
Azazel discovered that he could return to Earth if he opened a portal at the same time that someone on the other side did, and he used this to seduce and impregnate human women, creating mutants in his image with the power to cross dimensions. One of those mutants, the product of Azazel and Mystique, is Kurt Wagner, aka Nightcrawler. When he teleports, he briefly passes into Azazel's dimension, which is why it produces the smell of brimstone. Azazel's plan is that he will use Nightcrawler and his other children to open a portal to earth large enough that all his people can pass through and once more enslave and rule over humanity.
Oh and Iceman is composed of pure ice now and can reform missing body parts from absorbing the moisture in the air or in other people's bodies.
I hate everything.
Azazel discovered that he could return to Earth if he opened a portal at the same time that someone on the other side did, and he used this to seduce and impregnate human women, creating mutants in his image with the power to cross dimensions. One of those mutants, the product of Azazel and Mystique, is Kurt Wagner, aka Nightcrawler. When he teleports, he briefly passes into Azazel's dimension, which is why it produces the smell of brimstone. Azazel's plan is that he will use Nightcrawler and his other children to open a portal to earth large enough that all his people can pass through and once more enslave and rule over humanity.
Oh and Iceman is composed of pure ice now and can reform missing body parts from absorbing the moisture in the air or in other people's bodies.
I hate everything.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2021
Can't push this beyond a 2.5. Tan's art is just bad. It's messy and makes it hard to work out what is happening in some panels. As for his anatomy skills, they're sorely lacking.
The poor art means the writing has to carry the story and unfortunately it's just not strong enough here.
* Nightcrawler discovers who his dad is.
* 'Satan' is actually a 'mutant from biblical times'
* All the good work in character growth for Cain is undone. I'm really not happy about how this storyline is going.
* Bobby can now regrow his whole body from just a head.
* Kurt has two brothers now. Where are they on Krakoa? Come to think of it, where are half these characters?
ETA: And for those of you claiming this is the worst X-men book ever, well, you've obviously never read the steaming pile of garbage that is Ellis' run on Astonishing X-men.
The poor art means the writing has to carry the story and unfortunately it's just not strong enough here.
* Nightcrawler discovers who his dad is.
* 'Satan' is actually a 'mutant from biblical times'
* All the good work in character growth for Cain is undone. I'm really not happy about how this storyline is going.
* Bobby can now regrow his whole body from just a head.
* Kurt has two brothers now. Where are they on Krakoa? Come to think of it, where are half these characters?
ETA: And for those of you claiming this is the worst X-men book ever, well, you've obviously never read the steaming pile of garbage that is Ellis' run on Astonishing X-men.
November 17, 2021
Where to begin with arc. I guess I'll start with why I decided to read this. One would think I (or anyone else) wouldn't read it after hearing how hated/controversial it was. For me, it comes down to a few things.
1) Because I want to read Nightcrawler content, and this is one that's kind of important despite it's reputation.
2) I'll sometimes read or watch stuff that's considered bad just to see how bad it is. For example, Dragon Ball Evolution. That was a bad adaptation, but I had to see it for myself.
3) With it being 18 years old this year, I wanted to see if the hate for it is justified or if it was a case of a story being hated or controversial upon release and today would be considered bad but not as much of a discussion of debate.
With that in mind, allow me to go over what little positives I have. It's really only one, and it may be an unpopular opinion.
I don't mind that Azazel is Kurt's father. I can understand some of the gripes people may have with it, like the mob being justified in wanting to kill 'the demon' (because he'd be a demon or the mutant equivalent) or how it feels odd to tack on how Kurt's father is essential the mutant version of a demon.
Maybe it's because I hopped into this story having already learned about it, and maybe I accept it a little bit easier since I'm hopping into the comics now as opposed to when I was a teenager (I am familiar with the characters and certain stories, but much like DC I didn't get into the comics until recently). However I feel like it sort of adds to that layer of Kurt not being as "evil" as he looks, as well as giving Kurt an additional layer of irony. Kurt was already kind of a walking irony being religious while looking like a demon. Now, it's kind of amplified, and I kind of enjoy how he fits so well into irony with this (irony can be challenging in execution). It also fits with the idea that he's the odd one out in the family as both parents are villains.
This also gives us an answer to who Kurt's father is. If your familiar with his parentage, you'll know the fate of his father has been a contested idea. Mystique was even an option at one point.
All and all, I think Azazel was a good addition to Nightcrawler's story.
That said, this story was a wreck. I can see why people thought characters felt out of character, how unnecessary some of the more "fanservice" like stuff was aimed at Kurt (I came across a post where someone argued that fanservice is fine, but what this comic did crossed that line), and the art. For me, the art was the least offensive, as it reminded me of a style similar to Dextor Soy (Rebirth Red Hood and the Outlaws), which I love, but this was not as good. The line crossed fanservice issue I can also see, especially in regards to certain advances made. And I will admit that Mystique felt so weird when she, Kurt and Azazel had their family reunion.
Was there a good concept here? Yes
Was it executed well? Heck no
I may go into this arc in a little more depth elsewhere, and if I do, I'll be sure to link it if anyone is interested.
1) Because I want to read Nightcrawler content, and this is one that's kind of important despite it's reputation.
2) I'll sometimes read or watch stuff that's considered bad just to see how bad it is. For example, Dragon Ball Evolution. That was a bad adaptation, but I had to see it for myself.
3) With it being 18 years old this year, I wanted to see if the hate for it is justified or if it was a case of a story being hated or controversial upon release and today would be considered bad but not as much of a discussion of debate.
With that in mind, allow me to go over what little positives I have. It's really only one, and it may be an unpopular opinion.
I don't mind that Azazel is Kurt's father. I can understand some of the gripes people may have with it, like the mob being justified in wanting to kill 'the demon' (because he'd be a demon or the mutant equivalent) or how it feels odd to tack on how Kurt's father is essential the mutant version of a demon.
Maybe it's because I hopped into this story having already learned about it, and maybe I accept it a little bit easier since I'm hopping into the comics now as opposed to when I was a teenager (I am familiar with the characters and certain stories, but much like DC I didn't get into the comics until recently). However I feel like it sort of adds to that layer of Kurt not being as "evil" as he looks, as well as giving Kurt an additional layer of irony. Kurt was already kind of a walking irony being religious while looking like a demon. Now, it's kind of amplified, and I kind of enjoy how he fits so well into irony with this (irony can be challenging in execution). It also fits with the idea that he's the odd one out in the family as both parents are villains.
This also gives us an answer to who Kurt's father is. If your familiar with his parentage, you'll know the fate of his father has been a contested idea. Mystique was even an option at one point.
All and all, I think Azazel was a good addition to Nightcrawler's story.
That said, this story was a wreck. I can see why people thought characters felt out of character, how unnecessary some of the more "fanservice" like stuff was aimed at Kurt (I came across a post where someone argued that fanservice is fine, but what this comic did crossed that line), and the art. For me, the art was the least offensive, as it reminded me of a style similar to Dextor Soy (Rebirth Red Hood and the Outlaws), which I love, but this was not as good. The line crossed fanservice issue I can also see, especially in regards to certain advances made. And I will admit that Mystique felt so weird when she, Kurt and Azazel had their family reunion.
Was there a good concept here? Yes
Was it executed well? Heck no
I may go into this arc in a little more depth elsewhere, and if I do, I'll be sure to link it if anyone is interested.
March 22, 2022
Attempting to retcon an established character is tricky in the best of times. I applaud Chuck Austin's audacious goal to shake things up while providing solid origin-story answers, but he creates a bit of a mess with The Draco.
There have always been hints as to the mother/son relationship between Mystique and Nightcrawler that were finally confirmed in X-Men Unlimited (1993) #4, but who is his father? Enter the demon Azazel. I am not even sure where to start with this story since it seems so unnecessary and out of place. While Azazel eventually appears in the movies (X-Men: First Class), I simply refuse to see him or this story as canonical.
A touching second tale threads through this run that saves the collection from complete obscurity. Juggernaut visits his young friend, Squidboy, but the reunion does not go well. Juggernaut violently reacts to the signs of physical abuse but things escalate quickly when Alpha Flight arrives to protect the family. Unfortunately, none of them are able to stop themselves from the irreparable collateral damage caused by their assumptions, rage, and ego. Juggernaut learns that raw power is not always enough to win the day, even if you are on the side of angels. It is a heartbreaking story of domestic abuse and the unintended consequences of good intentions.
There have always been hints as to the mother/son relationship between Mystique and Nightcrawler that were finally confirmed in X-Men Unlimited (1993) #4, but who is his father? Enter the demon Azazel. I am not even sure where to start with this story since it seems so unnecessary and out of place. While Azazel eventually appears in the movies (X-Men: First Class), I simply refuse to see him or this story as canonical.
A touching second tale threads through this run that saves the collection from complete obscurity. Juggernaut visits his young friend, Squidboy, but the reunion does not go well. Juggernaut violently reacts to the signs of physical abuse but things escalate quickly when Alpha Flight arrives to protect the family. Unfortunately, none of them are able to stop themselves from the irreparable collateral damage caused by their assumptions, rage, and ego. Juggernaut learns that raw power is not always enough to win the day, even if you are on the side of angels. It is a heartbreaking story of domestic abuse and the unintended consequences of good intentions.
October 14, 2021
The ...::ahem:: real origin of nightcrawler is in this one.
...really? REALLY? SATAN is nightcrawlers dad? Normally I would put something like that in a spoiler tag, but you should really know what you are getting yourself into before you read this book. This plot is so ill conceived that I was literally waiting for a twist to the story about how the bad guy was just making it all up. But it never came. Instead Chuck Austen doubles down by saying that what humanity perceived to be demons and angels were actually: ..wait for it: Mutants!!!.... sigh.
Coupled with this story is art by Philip Tan that.... is in his early career stages lets put it that way. I actually like Tan's later work but here, he hasn't quite matured to the awesome work that he will do later on.
Overall... I'm beginning to understand why this run has been so bashed in the past, when talking about the X-Men's history. Unless your a completionist... I would skip this one.
...really? REALLY? SATAN is nightcrawlers dad? Normally I would put something like that in a spoiler tag, but you should really know what you are getting yourself into before you read this book. This plot is so ill conceived that I was literally waiting for a twist to the story about how the bad guy was just making it all up. But it never came. Instead Chuck Austen doubles down by saying that what humanity perceived to be demons and angels were actually: ..wait for it: Mutants!!!.... sigh.
Coupled with this story is art by Philip Tan that.... is in his early career stages lets put it that way. I actually like Tan's later work but here, he hasn't quite matured to the awesome work that he will do later on.
Overall... I'm beginning to understand why this run has been so bashed in the past, when talking about the X-Men's history. Unless your a completionist... I would skip this one.
March 14, 2025
Chuck Austen's run on Uncanny X-Men is by and large considered to be one of the worst runs in series history. Full of cringey moments, bad takes, and even worse dialogue, this is one of the prime examples of just why this is bad. A storyline that they recently retconned away, for good reason.
Spoilers from 22 years ago incoming. It's revealed in the story's prologue that Nightcrawler's father is a demonic looking mutant by the name is Azazel who claims to also be the devil, though long time Marvel Comics fans will know that there already are multiple devils in the Marvel Universe, his claims are pretty weak comparatively.
They also state he's the father of other characters as well, Nils Steiger (aka Abyss, whom we haven't seen much of at this time outside of his first real appearance and the Age of Apocalypse version of him and Kiwi Black, a Māori teleporter who gets introduced and also forgotten in this same storyline .
Also there's a subplot here with Juggernaut trying to help one time student at the school, Sammy , jn Canada who runs afoul of Alpha Flight in new for 2003 mech suits which are the worst redesign ever, and to my knowledge are also never seen again after this storyline .
Spoilers from 22 years ago incoming. It's revealed in the story's prologue that Nightcrawler's father is a demonic looking mutant by the name is Azazel who claims to also be the devil, though long time Marvel Comics fans will know that there already are multiple devils in the Marvel Universe, his claims are pretty weak comparatively.
They also state he's the father of other characters as well, Nils Steiger (aka Abyss, whom we haven't seen much of at this time outside of his first real appearance and the Age of Apocalypse version of him and Kiwi Black, a Māori teleporter who gets introduced and also forgotten in this same storyline .
Also there's a subplot here with Juggernaut trying to help one time student at the school, Sammy , jn Canada who runs afoul of Alpha Flight in new for 2003 mech suits which are the worst redesign ever, and to my knowledge are also never seen again after this storyline .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2017
Continuing the great x-read of 2017, but alas the stretch of surprisingly good books comes to an end with this.
And what an end it is. I would say that this is easily the worst X-men comic that I have ever read. I can say that without hyperbole. It really is that awful. I won’t go into the whys – so many reviewers here have extensively broken that down. And what a list of awful it is… I am glad to read that this entire story has more or less been retconned out of existence.
Even the Sammy/Juggernaut subplot – which has been the one saving grace of Austen’s run for me – fell flat this time around.
If you are out there considering a chronological X-books read like I have undertaken, just do yourself a favor and skip Austen’s run. You won’t be missing a whole lot.
And what an end it is. I would say that this is easily the worst X-men comic that I have ever read. I can say that without hyperbole. It really is that awful. I won’t go into the whys – so many reviewers here have extensively broken that down. And what a list of awful it is… I am glad to read that this entire story has more or less been retconned out of existence.
Even the Sammy/Juggernaut subplot – which has been the one saving grace of Austen’s run for me – fell flat this time around.
If you are out there considering a chronological X-books read like I have undertaken, just do yourself a favor and skip Austen’s run. You won’t be missing a whole lot.
July 7, 2018
It was cool finding out about Nightcrawler's past also loving the Juggernaut side story. Loved the art in this one, and the visit to hell. In the end it seemed like Lorna sucked Satan out of hell and into the real world, but I'm sure that's not what happened because they were treating it like a victory, so I'm left confused.
November 2, 2019
And none of these characters was ever seen from or heard of again.
Apparently it's a war of mutants that looks like Angels and mutants that look like demons? And that's it?
Also, an acceptable Mystique backstory.
I don't remember thinking it was an atrocity; it just didn't bring anything to the table.
Apparently it's a war of mutants that looks like Angels and mutants that look like demons? And that's it?
Also, an acceptable Mystique backstory.
I don't remember thinking it was an atrocity; it just didn't bring anything to the table.
February 17, 2018
I can tell you right away what the weakest part of this volume was:
The title story, the main story and that is not a good sign.
The sub-plots with Sammy dealing with bullies and his abusive parents by basically copying the Juggernaut and Polaris dealing with survivor's guilt after 16 million mutants god slaughtered were much more interesting than this new attempt to rewrite Nightcrawler's history, because all of them were soooo good.
Sammy copying the Juggernaut's behavior makes sense because he only knows Juggernaut as his big friend whom no one dares to mess with. And Polaris lashing out at everybody because of the guilt and pain she feels after witnessing genocide also makes sense.
So why does the main story suck so much? No idea, really no idea.
The signs that this would suck started pretty soon, like when they spelled a woman's name "Katshce". I think they mean "Katsche" but as far as I know, that is a man's name... Sure, it would be great if the blond woman would be a guy, but I doubt it.
But apart from stuff like that we got the typical damn mix of English and German as before. Also they do not simply seem to rewrite Nightcrawler's background but Mystique's as well, because based on this it was Azazel who gave her the name Mystique. Or is it supposed to be coincidence that he referred to her as such? I tend to think it is the former, as here Mystique is acting like some love-sick puppy after meeting him. I am pretty sure that according to canon she should be much more in control of her emotions. Did the writer forget that?
Then again, I am also not aware that Mystique for her faults would ever use her powers to get a woman raped and turn a man into a rapist.
There are of course the common problems with American depictions of Germany, you see, even if this here is supposed to be deeply catholic Bavaria, the whole demoness and child of Satan thing, respectively the doctor contemplating to smother Kurt to send him "back to God" is pretty damn silly. They could not have made the story more sense?
And not only do we have torches again (if it weren't for the genetic tests thing you would not even know that this could be the 1980s), but Mystique is so whiny. Incredibly whiny. Plus, I am pretty sure that as per canon she already had Graydon Creed by this time and had abandoned him because he was not a mutant, so why would she abandon Kurt who obviously is a mutant? And that was just the prequel story.
Now the main story starts fine and the narrative flow was good also, but the drawing style.... the proportions and all are usually fine, except for some women's' heads, but it often looks dirty with all those pencil lines. And for a while the story was well done, but that drawing style is something you will have to get used to.
And sure at the end of the first chapter we got tons more stuff regarding Lorna and Annie, some stuff regarding Sammy, and some stuff regarding the Island of the Demons... but it feels as if nothing was really accomplished, especially on the island.
And if Azazel, could not anticipate that Kurt's X-Men buddies would follow him, then it has nothing to do with a complex plan and many variables, he is simply a giant idiot.
And speaking of idiotic things:
What moron thought of the title "The Draco?" That simply means "The dragon" and is clearly a reference to the devil, aka Azazel here who looks like the devil except for the horns. So according to this story Margali told her son she found him washed up on a river bed (which is a different story from all other stories I read about it) and this is said to be a lie and apparently she was with a group of "gypsies" who would not tolerate his appearance or parentage.... well at least that is realistic.
Also if Azazel is trapped in that dimension and needs to sire kids to get him out, how did he get out siring them in the first place? With outside help? Then why did he not stay out? Especially since Lorna can just open a small portal and Azazel was once summoned by Margali. Then again, for someone allegedly seeing so much this guy is sure as hell incompetent.
Later on the art style changes and apart from the fact that I don't think the new art style is better, I also wonder what exactly Kurt lied to Azazel about. Was it the whole "I feel like I belong here" thing? Because how was that important enough for Azazel to now be angry?
Also Kiwi Black can shield his powers and these idiots did not anticipate it? Wow, no wonder Azazel is apparently regarded as ridiculous. This is just plain dumb. And according to the exposition here Kurt lied to Azazel about being unable to teleport... no idea when that was supposed to be. And considered that neither Kiwi Black nor Nils Steiger were in the future issues with Nightcrawler that I read, I am sure this newfound brotherhood is of no consequence. And apparently Kurt was shortly sad that Azazel "died"... why? Sorry but shared genes or not, that is not how that works. He knew the guy was an asshole and a genocidal dick. So why should he be sorry?
Had there been more with Sammy and Lorna's stories, maybe this could have been an ok volume, but the way it is, it is totally not worth your time.
The title story, the main story and that is not a good sign.
The sub-plots with Sammy dealing with bullies and his abusive parents by basically copying the Juggernaut and Polaris dealing with survivor's guilt after 16 million mutants god slaughtered were much more interesting than this new attempt to rewrite Nightcrawler's history, because all of them were soooo good.
Sammy copying the Juggernaut's behavior makes sense because he only knows Juggernaut as his big friend whom no one dares to mess with. And Polaris lashing out at everybody because of the guilt and pain she feels after witnessing genocide also makes sense.
So why does the main story suck so much? No idea, really no idea.
The signs that this would suck started pretty soon, like when they spelled a woman's name "Katshce". I think they mean "Katsche" but as far as I know, that is a man's name... Sure, it would be great if the blond woman would be a guy, but I doubt it.
But apart from stuff like that we got the typical damn mix of English and German as before. Also they do not simply seem to rewrite Nightcrawler's background but Mystique's as well, because based on this it was Azazel who gave her the name Mystique. Or is it supposed to be coincidence that he referred to her as such? I tend to think it is the former, as here Mystique is acting like some love-sick puppy after meeting him. I am pretty sure that according to canon she should be much more in control of her emotions. Did the writer forget that?
Then again, I am also not aware that Mystique for her faults would ever use her powers to get a woman raped and turn a man into a rapist.
There are of course the common problems with American depictions of Germany, you see, even if this here is supposed to be deeply catholic Bavaria, the whole demoness and child of Satan thing, respectively the doctor contemplating to smother Kurt to send him "back to God" is pretty damn silly. They could not have made the story more sense?
And not only do we have torches again (if it weren't for the genetic tests thing you would not even know that this could be the 1980s), but Mystique is so whiny. Incredibly whiny. Plus, I am pretty sure that as per canon she already had Graydon Creed by this time and had abandoned him because he was not a mutant, so why would she abandon Kurt who obviously is a mutant? And that was just the prequel story.
Now the main story starts fine and the narrative flow was good also, but the drawing style.... the proportions and all are usually fine, except for some women's' heads, but it often looks dirty with all those pencil lines. And for a while the story was well done, but that drawing style is something you will have to get used to.
And sure at the end of the first chapter we got tons more stuff regarding Lorna and Annie, some stuff regarding Sammy, and some stuff regarding the Island of the Demons... but it feels as if nothing was really accomplished, especially on the island.
And if Azazel, could not anticipate that Kurt's X-Men buddies would follow him, then it has nothing to do with a complex plan and many variables, he is simply a giant idiot.
And speaking of idiotic things:
What moron thought of the title "The Draco?" That simply means "The dragon" and is clearly a reference to the devil, aka Azazel here who looks like the devil except for the horns. So according to this story Margali told her son she found him washed up on a river bed (which is a different story from all other stories I read about it) and this is said to be a lie and apparently she was with a group of "gypsies" who would not tolerate his appearance or parentage.... well at least that is realistic.
Also if Azazel is trapped in that dimension and needs to sire kids to get him out, how did he get out siring them in the first place? With outside help? Then why did he not stay out? Especially since Lorna can just open a small portal and Azazel was once summoned by Margali. Then again, for someone allegedly seeing so much this guy is sure as hell incompetent.
Later on the art style changes and apart from the fact that I don't think the new art style is better, I also wonder what exactly Kurt lied to Azazel about. Was it the whole "I feel like I belong here" thing? Because how was that important enough for Azazel to now be angry?
Also Kiwi Black can shield his powers and these idiots did not anticipate it? Wow, no wonder Azazel is apparently regarded as ridiculous. This is just plain dumb. And according to the exposition here Kurt lied to Azazel about being unable to teleport... no idea when that was supposed to be. And considered that neither Kiwi Black nor Nils Steiger were in the future issues with Nightcrawler that I read, I am sure this newfound brotherhood is of no consequence. And apparently Kurt was shortly sad that Azazel "died"... why? Sorry but shared genes or not, that is not how that works. He knew the guy was an asshole and a genocidal dick. So why should he be sorry?
Had there been more with Sammy and Lorna's stories, maybe this could have been an ok volume, but the way it is, it is totally not worth your time.
September 4, 2017
And here's where it goes off the rails. Some of it is ill conceived,some of it is good ideas that aren't executed well, and some is trust trite cliches.
January 24, 2019
Storyline from early 2000s introducing Azazel, Nightcrawler's father. Story is mostly okay, but the art is all over the place bad.
December 20, 2020
Why am I doing this to myself?
December 27, 2020
Love Nightcrawler!!!
February 1, 2016
I was really excited by the prospect of this - Finally a definite answer to Nightcrawlers parentage. Were mystique's hints true? The prologue is actually rather nice although not in depth enough - we get nightcrawler's conception in a church, and his birth. Artwork's rather nice. The story proper is a real disappointment.
Azazel (really Satan) is calling together the children he's been engineering to open a portal to release him from the realm he's been banished to. OK let me stop you right there.... Just how did Azazel leave the realm he's supposedly TRAPPED in to father this brood? if he can get out, why does he need to create a portal.
The x-men follow nightcrawler to rescue him, which they do in a pretty anticlimactic way and Nightcrawler escapes with two brothers one of whom is a teletubby - yes he can open portals in his stomach.
Art for the rest of the series is so-so, its not actually that bad, but the story makes little sense, and indeed contradicts quite a lot of what's gone before. It makes Nightcrawler truly demonic as opposed to simply looking demonic which kind of defeats the purpose of the whole its what's underneath that counts idea that underpins the x-men ethic.
There's also the conundrum of Azazel-Satan - who should technically be two different characters.
There are two other threads going on - Polaris being a bitch because she can't cope with the knowledge that she's Magneto's daughter and the Genosha tragedy and the Jugganaut/Sammy arc.
I can't believe I'm saying this but the highlight of this is nothing to do with nightcrawler at all - its the scene where Juggernaught and Northstar discuss homosexuality whilst they fly off to save Sammy from domestic abuse. Homophobic Juggernaught calls Northstar names, and yet seems really upset that our gay superhero doesn't fancy him even though he scrubs up nice. That's absolutely priceless.
Overall though this is one big disappointment. I didn't feel that the three stories wove together particularly well and the Nightcrawler one was full of inconsistencies.
You've got a trainee priest who looks like a demon, his father is satan and he was conceived in a church, we also have X-Man Angel in the mix - surely there's a better, story out there, something biblical and epic that would showcase these ideas better than the draco arc? If satan is a mutant then that poses some really interesting questions that this doesn't even go near to touching.
Could of been amazing, but is sadly... lacking.
Azazel (really Satan) is calling together the children he's been engineering to open a portal to release him from the realm he's been banished to. OK let me stop you right there.... Just how did Azazel leave the realm he's supposedly TRAPPED in to father this brood? if he can get out, why does he need to create a portal.
The x-men follow nightcrawler to rescue him, which they do in a pretty anticlimactic way and Nightcrawler escapes with two brothers one of whom is a teletubby - yes he can open portals in his stomach.
Art for the rest of the series is so-so, its not actually that bad, but the story makes little sense, and indeed contradicts quite a lot of what's gone before. It makes Nightcrawler truly demonic as opposed to simply looking demonic which kind of defeats the purpose of the whole its what's underneath that counts idea that underpins the x-men ethic.
There's also the conundrum of Azazel-Satan - who should technically be two different characters.
There are two other threads going on - Polaris being a bitch because she can't cope with the knowledge that she's Magneto's daughter and the Genosha tragedy and the Jugganaut/Sammy arc.
I can't believe I'm saying this but the highlight of this is nothing to do with nightcrawler at all - its the scene where Juggernaught and Northstar discuss homosexuality whilst they fly off to save Sammy from domestic abuse. Homophobic Juggernaught calls Northstar names, and yet seems really upset that our gay superhero doesn't fancy him even though he scrubs up nice. That's absolutely priceless.
Overall though this is one big disappointment. I didn't feel that the three stories wove together particularly well and the Nightcrawler one was full of inconsistencies.
You've got a trainee priest who looks like a demon, his father is satan and he was conceived in a church, we also have X-Man Angel in the mix - surely there's a better, story out there, something biblical and epic that would showcase these ideas better than the draco arc? If satan is a mutant then that poses some really interesting questions that this doesn't even go near to touching.
Could of been amazing, but is sadly... lacking.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2011
Can I give this negative stars? It is so monumentally bad and inept and stupid that they could have announced the cancellation of the entire X-line afterwards, and I would have thought it totally and completely justified, as long as it meant another storyline like the Draco was never produced.
September 25, 2015
Really terrible stuff here. Bad art, bad writing, and bad editing. Nothing makes much sense at all. The story ignores its own logic and characters appear and disappear without any explanation. This is the epitome of really bad dreadful comics.
March 5, 2011
Nice character bits with Juggernaut. Also Nightcrawler finds out who his parents are.
December 8, 2011
I'm giving this one an extra star because of the superb Mystique flashback issue and the ongoing Cain/Sammy plot.
The Draco story is terrible -- the worst of the Austen run.
The Draco story is terrible -- the worst of the Austen run.
March 14, 2015
EL origen de Rondador Nocturno.
June 29, 2016
Didn't care for be art style, but the story wasn't terrible. I like how it really focused on Kurt's beginning, but wish more would have been done with Mistique in the end.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews