Issue: #57 - November 1999
Title: "A Night To Remember"
Creative Team: Jay Faerber (scribe), Terry Dodson, Chris Renaud (pencils), Rachel Dodson, Scott Elmer, John Czop (inks), RS/Comicraft's Salda (letters), Kevin Tinsley (colors).

Summary/Review:
The big hoopla over the special fifth anniversary issue finally comes to an end when we get to see, once and for all, the school dance and the sometimes surprising pairings-off of characters. The beginning of the story shows assorted scenes of the team, Jubilee and Paige shopping for a dress, Monet walking about being her usual self with a plethora of guys drooling after her who don't have the guts to ask the lovely Ms. Croix to the dance, Chamber and Everett are trying on their tuxedos and talking about their dates, Skin is conversing with Artie and Leech, and Emma is explaining what happened with Adrienne last issue. Meanwhile, it's pretty impossible for the reader to not notice the fading image of Emplate stalking the school grounds. Hmm. Wonder what happens?
Some time later, while the kids are in the training center, battling a holographic Krakoa, a special guest star shows up just as the team is getting tier collective booties wooped by the Living Island. Bobby Drake, aka Iceman has come for a visit to chaperone.
And finally, the big dance has arrived. Paige is naturally going with Tristan, Jubilee and Everett are going, each believing the "date" to be two different kinds of a date, and Jono shows up with some... really freaky looking girl. But the highlight of the evening, thus far, is Mr. Espinosa showing up with the lovely Monet St. Croix. Not only that, but he's in full cowboy gear for the special occasion. Ain't that special?
However, the party doesn't last that long, as the, er, long-awaited appearance of Emplate happens, and a fight naturally breaks out, once a diversion is set and the students are driven out of the dance hall by a fire alarm. Emplate brought some friends along as well, one of them is recognizable as Vincente, last seen in issue #14. The day seems to be saved, however, after the team splits up and saves Penance from yet another kidnapping, only to return back to Proudstar Hall to find their other teammates have been 'emplated.' They're soon turned back to normal, with some psychological tricks, and the fight continues. Through the scuffle, an explosion occurs that splits Penance into the twins once again. Emplate is also taken out of the fight, partially due to his unusual weakened condition.
So the day is saved once more, but there are many unanswered questions, like what to do with Penance's now lifeless shell of a body, and what to do with Emplate when he wakes up. If those questions weren't bad enough, after everyone converses in their own special ways (in the case of Paige and Tristan, there's a lil lip-lockin' goin' on), the "lifeless" Penance form gets up and high-tails it out of there. How's that for a cliffhanger?

Quick Thoughts: To be honest, I expected a little more... dance out of this issue, if that makes any sense. It was hyped up to be the issue that features the big dance, a special guest star, and a special returning villain, but it all went a little too expecting. I was hoping for more surprises, not more clich�s. However, I can't complain too much about this issue, because it was enjoyable. The character interaction and depth is getting better and better, and although it'll never be what Lobdell had, that doesn't make this a "poor substitute." Faerber has his own style for the kids, but it isn't forced like Hama's. This sort of thing shines through in this issue, namely with Jono's conversation with Everett, Skin's unexpected appearance, and that great training scene with Krakoa. So, while I didn't much enjoy the conflict that occured, and I still hate seeing Jubilee used for little things like setting the sprinklers off, this issue's saving grace was the writing of the kids themselves, since it was, in my opinion, top notch. Plus, Vincente came back. I like him.

Rating: