This is an issue that would seem to be aimed at building up the fan base, and while it's a sight better than the convoluted mess that was being offered up when the first X-Men film made it's appearance, I do have to question if this is really the best introduction that one could have to the X-Men. I mean Chuck Austen employs all the subtlety of a sledgehammer in his examination of the idea that people use religion to justify downright wicked behavior, and honestly I rather dislike the heavy-handed methods that he employs to make his point, as one almost gets the sense that Chuck Austen is trying to say religion is bad. Now I'm sure he'll say he's merely trying to expose the idea that people will commit great evils in the name of religion, but he simply doesn't look to possess the writing prowess to pull it off. As it stands instead of an easily accessible adventure that would produce a new crop of fans, we have a clumsy bit of writing, that is simply isn't entertaining, nor is it as in Read Full Review

Um... yeah. Let's just pick apart the so-called Church of Humanity's plan.

1. They want to get Nightcrawler elected Pope. Here's the problem. While Kurt, as a baptized, practicing Catholic, is theoretically eligible, he has zero chance. As a practical matter, the Popes have been for centuries elected from the College of Cardinals. Also, the "Church of Humanity" looks to be plainly schismatic, and with an agenda and leadership that would draw a rebuke, an Apostolic Visitation (basically a consent decree, for lack of a better term) or even a suppression upon them in real life. So no red hat for poor Kurt :( I'm not even sure he was validly ordained. by the by, when did he have time to go through four-to-eight years of Seminary in the midst of X-Man-ing? And since this was written in 2003, well before Benedict XVI was the first Pope to resign in 5 centuries or more, the assumed way a vacancy on the Holy See would open up was with the death of the incumbent, which opens up other doos of horror.

2. They want to use Communion Hosts adulterated with nanites to simulate The Rapture, while also unmasking Kurt's true form to make people think that a demon was elected pope. Hoo boy. First off, there's no central communion host-making factory, they're made by convents and local bakers (and a few mid-sized outfits) around the world making it unlikely they'd be able to doctor enough of the hosts to cause the effect they're looking for. Second, adulterating the bread that becomes the Eucharist is a sacrilege and if they were really Catholics, they'd hopefully think twice about it (we take the Eucharist as Serious Business), and the people making them would hopefully stop them. Third, there's a very minor, technical point almost not worth mentioning -- CATHOLICS DON'T BELIEVE IN THE RAPTURE!!!!! At least not the Jenkins-Lahaye "Left Behind" variety, where all the good will be bodily assumed to Heaven, leaving the wicked on a crapsack world.

Let's just say that Mr. Auste more