X4 #4 is the week's only X-book not associated with the Age of Apocalypse, although it does feature one of three Akira Yoshida stories this week.

It's a marginal improvement on previous issues, but that's about the best that can be said about it.  Giving the FF's powers to four of the X-Men is a really, really silly idea, and would only ever work if it was played for laughs.  X4 plays it absolutely dead straight, and just ends up looking utterly ridiculous.  Wolverine with the powers of Mr Fantastic?  What about the metal skeleton?  Are they seriously telling us that he's now got bendy metal? 

This has got to be one of the stupidest stories I've read in years.  And that might just about be forgivable, if only it showed the slightest sign of recognising how idiotic it is.

As for the art, there's a very noticeable deterioration going on.  No doubt Pat Lee's had some other things on his mind while he's been working on this book, what with the collapse of DreamWave.  His studio is credited on this issue as "DreamEngine", by the way.  Lee's only drawing the figures in this series, and boy, they get ropey as the issue goes on.  There are some scenes with Cyclops and the Thing which are remarkably dreadful.  Lee can do far better than this, and although he can perhaps be forgiven for having his attentions elsewhere, that doesn't make the work any better.

On the bright side, the colourist does a good Human Torch.  And... well, that's about it, really.  The fact that Marvel think this nonsense justifies an increased price-tag of $3.50 an issue - for a completely normal-length story and a shiny cover - is absurd.

Rating: D+

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