X-Men: Longshot [Hardcover]

While not a comics masterpiece, this miniseries has a unique energy to it.

In Longshot, Ann Nocenti and Arthur Adams tried to create something brand new in the Marvel of the '80s. The story & characters come from two freshman creators excited to have their own series, honored to have the privilege to play in the Marvel sandbox, eager to contribute something truly worthwhile--and this is exactly what the story feels like.

For most creators, that kind of situation would result in a comic full of too many ideas crammed in with too many rookie mistakes, but not so with Nocenti & Adams. Longshot himself turns out to be a very original kind of superhero, as does the world he inhabits and the characters he encounters.

Adams, of course, went on to become one of the most influential comic artists of recent decades. While he was clearly still working out some kinks in this--his first major project--his art is still very skillful and has that same innate sense of fun (even when he's drawing truly horrific monsters) that continues to characterize his work to this day. There's just never any sense of him "phoning it in". His work always appears as if he is genuinely thrilled to draw it.

Nocenti had only scripted a few comics when she pitched Longshot, so this was her first big break, too. I had originally read this series back in '87 or '88, so I was pleased to find the writing more layered than I'd remembered. The story itself my not be groundbreaking, but Nocenti and Adams managed to do exactly what they set out to do: Introduce a brand new hero into the Marvel Universe that was truly original and exciting, sending readers' imaginations spinning.

Plus, he's got a kickass mullet. Gotta love that.

It's nice to see the 1985 Longshot limited series being given the deluxe hardcover treatment. This was one of my favorite Marvel limited series when I first started collecting comics, and I still have a soft spot for the character (even though with his leathers and mullet he looks like he escaped from a Europe or Def Leppard video). It doesn't hurt that this series was the "big league" debut of Art Adams.

Longshot is better known for his membership in the Uncanny X-Men (in the late `80s), but his mutant teammates are nowhere to be found in the limited series that introduced the character. We do get guest appearances by Spider-Man, She Hulk and Doctor Strange. The series essentially dumps Longshot, an amnesiac refugee with a charming naiveté and the power of incredible luck into the Marvel Universe with a host of strange baddies on his tail. Longshot has to figure out both who he is, who's chasing him and why, not to mention the way our world works.

Writer Ann Nocenti does a terrific job here, and tells a quirky, charming story that's definitely not the typical `80s Marvel tale. Her later work on Daredevil is better known (if still underrated), and you can see some of the seeds of that in this series. It's fun, action-packed, and there's an element of social awareness that's surprisingly relevant all these years later.

And of course there's the artwork. Art Adams is one of the best artists to emerge in the `80s, and he was an undeniable influence on an entire generation of illustrators (especially the Image gang). He had this great combination of dynamic storytelling, hyper-detailed penciling and wonderfully expressive faces that obviously drew from a manga influence. And this was before his more cartoony phase. Throw in the fact that he's inked here by none other than a young Whilce Portacio and the results are even more eye-catching.

Between the fun story, amazing artwork and all the previously unseen bonus material, the Longshot hardcover collection is well worth checking out if you're a fan of the character, the `80s Marvel era, or just high quality comics in general.

The Quality of this product is top notch. I really enjoy these Marvel HC reprints, its refreshing to see such love put into restoring the old material.

The content Art wise is dated, but I have always enjoyed that particular style. The story is very original but I can see the age on a lot of the dialog, repeating the same things in every issue.

To be realistic, this is for fans of Longshot or people already familiar with the books.