X-Treme X-Men is still serialising the "Arena" story, originally intended to see print as a Storm graphic novel.

By this stage, I'm pretty much convinced that what we're getting here is a story intended to be freestanding, with a few extra pages bolted on to try and tie the story into the ongoing continuity.  This time, there's a few extra pages in Yukio's flat where Storm belatedly remembers that she's supposed to be in Japan on a mission from Colonel Vazhin.  And then, of course, she forgets about it again, because the story wasn't written that way.

Anyhow, this is stock Claremont.  Storm and Yukio do their routine, there's a bunch of mutants fighting in arenas, and Storm plays hero by assuming the leadership of some hapless gladiators.  (So if her past record is anything to go by, the story will involve her being acclaimed as their heroic leader, and promptly buggering off back to America before forgetting about them entirely for five years.)

Guido Carosella turns up to spend a page trying to explain the rules, and at least he's the sort of character that fits Kordey's style.  Ultimately, though, I'm left with an overwhelming sense of "Been there, done that."  There's nothing particularly terrible about this, but we've seen it all before.

By the way, that cover is really awful.  I realise there are only so many poses Larroca can do with Storm, and he must have been through most of them by now, but the poor woman must be wrenching her waist loose.

Rating: C+

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