With the X-Istence threatened, Major X has no choice but to leap through time to save it. With a little help from Cable and Wolverine, can even the Major overcome the terrible threat of an infamous killer with the initials DP?

The most exciting thing about Major X #3 is the art by Whilce Portacio who teams up with writer Rob Liefeld, colorist Romulo Fajardo, Jr., and letterer Joe Sabino. If it was 25 years ago and I again was my teenage comic collecting self, I’d be all over this series for it’s “awesome” concepts and action. Like the first two issues, the third is all action and splash and little else. The storytelling itself is plodding, dragging, and makes so very little sense the more you read. It’s focus is more on building mysteries and being cute with time it feels distracted from telling the main story of saving its mutant paradise.

The issue has Cable and Major X suffering a bit of defeat but gaining bodyslide tech for Major X to use in his mission. There’s also fights between M’koy with lots of dancing around questions about who M’koy is and if he’s not really the actual Beast. There’s winks and nods about time travel and all those concepts that were prevalent and overused during the 90s. Liefeld focuses on his success of creating mysteries to be answered years down the line. But, what there isn’t is much of a compelling story with characters I care about. Major X and M’koy are on a mission to save the founder of their world but that’s just thrown out there and where that all goes is rather predictable with a crazy cast of characters that I’m sure will become wildly popular.

Portacio’s art too seems a bit worn and aged. His art is still amazing but it just doesn’t have the excitement it once had. The characters are inconsistent at times and the use of panels, and lack of them, at times is the most interesting thing about the art. White space is used for characters with blasts seemingly coming off the page to hit them. Visually at times it’s great but bouncing between that and more traditional panels creates an inconsistent flow of the comic.

Major X for three issues is about concepts and ideas over story and narrative. It’s not bad in any way and if you enjoy this type of story, more power to you. But, in this day and age I expect something a bit more from my storytelling. This one is all big guns and action and little else.

Story: Rob Liefeld Art: Whilce Portacio
Color: Romulo Fajardo, Jr. Letterer: Joe Sabino
Story: 6.75 Art: 7.5 Overall: 6.85 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review