For some reason I find myself a little less impressed with District X #5 than with previous issues.  It's still good stuff, but something feels a little off here.

The drugs subplot is pretty much resolved - apparently the big wipe-out at the start of the issue uses up all the supply, and since the Toad Boy isn't around to make any more drugs, that's the end of that.  It's a surprising ending to the storyline, since for plot purposes it would seem to work as well for Bishop and Izzy to arrive at the party in time and avoid the mass slaughter.

Instead they're reduced to arriving late once again, leaving Bishop to get irritated by how thoroughly ineffective they're being.  And he's right - thus far, he and Izzy haven't achieved a great deal.  They also come off worse in a brief face-off against Mr M.  Writer David Hine is making his heroes look ineffective, which is no doubt a deliberate decision; it's still an odd approach.  You'd have thought this was a good opportunity to through then a bone, but apparently not.

Meanwihle, the gang war continues to rage out of control, and Mr M is wondering what to do now that the police are after him.  He could, of course, just wipe them all out, but he's not really inclined to do that, nor does he fancy a life on the run.  Everything is building to some sort of climax, but there are a couple of elements which seem a bit nailed on.

For one thing, there's an awkward after-dinner conversation at Izzy's house where everyone sits around and discusses the relative merits of the Cuban revolution.  Interesting though this is, it seems a bit contrived, to try and shoehorn in some political material which doesn't seem immediately relevant and doesn't appear to be emerging organically from the scene.  Then there's a shooting at the end which seems to have come straight from the TV movie plot book (don't leave your loaded gun lying around near kids!) and feels like an unnecessary attempt to add further tension by adding a plot out of nowhere.

Nonetheless, there's plenty of interesting material here with the Mutant Town residents, and Hine does a good job with Bishop's social awkwardness - he's still not really used to mainstream society, having spent most of his time in the present hanging around with the X-Men. 

Good, but starting to seem a little undisciplined as it races towards next issue's climax.

Rating: B+

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