Back in the "business as usual" camp, X-Treme X-Men continues the "Schism" arc.

My qualms about Claremont's version of Emma Frost are largely set at ease here.  She's being gratuitously bitchy to the X-Treme cast because she doesn't like them much, but in private she seems to be making a sincere attempt to help the mutant fugitive she's taken in.  And since we establish here that Xavier isn't too impressed with her behaviour, we're back to the more balanced position where the book seems to disagree with the direction of New X-Men but is working with it at face value.

Much of the issue is taken up with a rather unlikely new plotline, involving a mutant rights campaigner who turns into a giant rampaging dragon whenever she's touched by blood.  While this gives Salvador Larroca the opportunity to draw a nice big dragon, it does seem an odd detour from the plot.  Not to mention, a rather convenient power.

It looks like we're heading for a mind control storyline, by the way, which suggests a cop-out ending to avoid anyone having to decide what to do with the kid.  Then again, that may be inevitable to avoid putting the two series in irreconcilable conflict.

Perfectly alright, as this series goes.

Rating: B

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