X-Men/Alpha Flight 2 page 22 by Paul Smith

This one is big for me.

For one, Paul Smith may have worked on 13 X-Men books during his "prime" years, but he made a huge impact on the serie, the readers and the artists watching his work. He may not be the most productive artist, but his work stays with you. And his original art is consequently hard to come by.

Secondly, this page is part of the Asguardian Wars saga which is one of my favorite X-Men stories. To me, in terms of pure epic, this is on the same level as the Dark Phoenix saga, a great story wih top artists. Having reread the Asguardian Wars recently with the eye of an adult, I can say the overal quality confirm my fond remembrance of it.

Now about the page itself, this is to me, quite the key page. The page where the 2 camps are formed to defend their respective ideals about what's acceptable to make the world a living paradise. Is it tolerable to sacrifice a true minority of (magical) beings in order to insure it? Family members against family members, or friends against friends are opposed in the top panel featuring basically everyone.
Then all hell breaks loose as Cyclops opens fire. Paul Smiths animation background is well showcased in the body language of each character and in the sense of movement he conveys in the last 2 panels which start the fighting. Nightcrawler ready to fight and the reaction of the obliterated foes’ bodies to the optic blast.

Brilliant storytelling and simply put, great page of a superb story, very dear to me.

This is part 8 of my 2015 b-day party