Uncanny X-Men #25 – Review

By: Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Chris Bachalo (pencils & colors), Tim Townsend; Mark Irwin; Jaime Mendoza; Victor Olazaba; & Al Vey (inks)

The Story: Nothing’s easy in the world of superhero wills…

The Review: After two issues we’re finally experiencing a portion of the titular last will of Charles Xavier. I say a portion because, while Chuck had to disclose his mysterious marriage to Mystique before beginning, this section deals entirely with a mutant by the alliterative name of Matthew Malloy.

The book essentially breaks down into two main threads; Xavier’s recounting of Matthew’s story and the X-Men’s responses to it. The first is clearly the primary purpose of the issue, providing readers with the context to understand Xavier’s final request. Though Professor X may no longer be with us again, Bendis clearly enjoys writing his voice, especially as a recording, where he’s free to monologue as much as he wants. Though a debt is undoubtedly owed to Patrick Stewart’s performance as, or perhaps merely his resemblance to, Professor Xavier, Bendis delivers a familiar and somewhat lyrical take on Charles’ voice, incorporating his pseudo-British airs and the gentle spirit that defines the character.

Unfortunately there are a number of, if not flaws, then seeming inconsistencies in the script. Scott’s bombastic reaction is one of the most obvious. While he phrases it in such a manner as to support his argument, Scott’s outrage seems oddly ignorant of his own history. After all, without revealing too much, I’m not sure that a man who married Jean Grey and still uses ruby visors to contain his powers has much ground to criticize the Professor’s strategy*. Likewise Bendis reading modern thoughts on the X-Men brand back into the First Class era seems oddly clunky, especially for a writer who’s managed the same numerous times before. But perhaps most notable is the simple fact that this is hardly the most shocking secret Xavier has kept from his pupils!

The “Deadly Genesis” illusion, the Xavier Protocols, and the Danger Room’s sentience all seem like far more serious breaches of trust but, despite this, the characters, and Bendis through them, insist that this is a grave betrayal of the Professor’s ideology rather than a fairly reasonable instance of an action he was known to make time and again without outrage. Some fans will be happy to hear that this issue doesn’t jump on the Professor X was secretly a dick bandwagon, but it would have been nice if Bendis had lived up to his own hype a little better.

X-Men Legacy #300 – Review

by Simon Spurrier, Mike Carey, Christos Gage (Writers), Tan Eng Huat, Steve Kurth, Rafa Sandoval, Craig Yeung, Allen Martinez, Jordi Tarragona (Artists), Jose Villarrubia, Rachelle Rosenberg, Ulises Arreola (Colorists)

The Story: It can be hard to make an impression when your very powers prevent you to do so.

The Review: I have to confess this issue confused me when I looked at the cover and the very concept of what it was supposed to be. Here was a book that starred three different characters, each having their own impact, their own cast and their own message, as done by the three writers that defined their very goals and concepts. The problem, though, was the fact that each of the characters that had been the protagonists of this book are now, let us say, in a problematic position of non-existence. With none of these characters actually there to advance the story or celebrate the title, how exactly could this issue manage to get to the point?

Enter Forgetmenot, a mutant with the power of getting no attention and being erased from the memory of those he previously met. Focusing the story on this unknown X-Man, all three writers are able to pinpoint a certain era where they wrote their character, inserting this particular one into the narrative. Essentially telling some important moments through the eyes of a character that no one can remember, does the issue actually manage to celebrate the very legacy that is included in the title?

The answer is not only a resounding yes, but one filled with a certain joy at seeing an experiment succeeding in a way that feels satisfactory. What makes this work very well, though, is the actual character of Forgetmenot. His powers and how he copes with them makes for a powerful message about individuality, but also about advancing through the adversary that is loneliness. His actions, his reactions and his feelings are very human at their core, with a presentation of his struggles that makes him very identifiable for readers. Who hasn’t dealt with being alone, be it with an opinion, an effort or a phase? Well, this character has been so through his entire life, making some of his actions all the more touching, yet also easy to sympathize with.

X-Men Legacy #1

By: Simon Spurrier (writer), Tan Eng Huat (penciler), Craig Yeung (inker), Jose Villarrubia (colorist)

The Story: David Haller, the son of Charles Xavier (and sometimes called Legion), is trying to get his insanity under control with the help of a foulmouthed monk (the best kind). And oh…he doesn’t know that his dad is dead. Awkwardness engaged!

The Review: I never really cared for the character Legion. He’s always come off as a very convenient plot device and not something that can be considered a real person. And what kind of power is having every power? Isn’t this just a more convenient version of Dial H? So we have this mohawk jagoff with a lame superpower and a convenient back story of being the son of the most powerful mind in the universe (aw for irony because the son is out of his mind) who is only used to futher a plot. And Marvel wants to base an entire series off of this guy? Good luck.

As it turns out, I kind of forgot to remove X-Men Legacy from my subscription list, and you don’t want to be that guy at the comic shop who’s like “Oh, I know you ordered this for me, but…I kind of forgot to cross it off, so…no…” So I picked up the relaunch. Figured I’d read the first issue and see how it went. And hell, I’ve been enjoying Simon Spurrier’s Extinction, so maybe this wouldn’t be absolutely horrible. Then I decided to read Thor: God of Thunder and really, that should have been the last thing I read: How can anything not seem mediocre after that beautiful bastard Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic gave us? But I guess I was just really wanting to not give Legion a chance in hell, because I read it right after. So, I read it.

X-Men #15 – Review

By: Christopher Yost (writer), Paco Medina and Dalibor Talajic (pencillers), Dalibor Talajic, Juan Vlasco (inkers), Marte Gracia (colorist)

The Story: First To Last, Conclusion: The past and present encounters with the Evolutionaries converge on Cyclops and his choices, past and present. At stake… the survival of humanity.

What’s Good: I continue to be delighted with the artwork, and the stylistic differences between past and present. The less heroic, and even anti-heroic, tone and physiques in the past really give a sense of how far the X-Men, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, and by extension, the Marvel Universe, have come. Magneto is wider, less sleek, and less in command of himself and the world, due in large part to Talajic’s unique pencil and in work. Cyclops is similarly a shadow of the impressive leader he will be in the future. In the present, modern heroism is shown in its full glory with tight action, exciting layouts and swift action.

X-Men Legacy #250 – Review

By: Mike Carey (writer), Khoi Pham, Tom Palmer & Marte Gracia (pencils/inks/colors – Legion Story), Steve Kurth, Jay Leisten & Brian Reber (pencils/inks/colors – Rachel Summers story), Cory Petit (letters), Sebastian Girner (assistant editor) & Daniel Ketchum (editor)

The Story: A two-parter for this special anniversary issue.  In the first part, we visit some of Legion’s out of control personalities.  In the second, we learn a little more about Revenant/Rachel Summers and where she and the Starjammers are.

What’s Good: I really like the general style of story telling that Mike Carey is going for here.  Too often modern comics have these discrete 6-issue arcs that collect nicely into trade paperbacks with each 6-issue arc having very little to do with the last one.  Here, Carey is picking up some ideas that spun out of his Age of X storyline and actually playing with them.  You wouldn’t be totally lost if you were a part-time X-Men reader and picked this issue up cold without reading Age of X, but you might be a little confused.  And that’s how it should be dammit!  Nothing makes me feel like a bigger chump than realizing the money I plunked down for the BIG STORY in 2010 isn’t having any impact on the stories I’m reading today.

The Legion story is well told and features a diverse grouping of X-Men: Legion, Professor X, Magneto, Rogue, Gambit and Frenzy.  Even though I do roll my eyes a little bit every time I see Legion or Gambit on the page, I think we should give credit to Carey and the X-editors for creating a team that doesn’t include Wolverine, Cyclops or Emma.  Just having this different team setting off on a different mission to contain some break-away Legion personalities is fun because I’m not wondering how these characters can be in multiple places at one time.

But, the star of the issue is the Starjammers storyline.  If you’ve been reading X-Men for longer than a couple years, you know that Ed Brubaker took the  team off into space for the Rise and Fall of the Shi’ar Empire story.  That story lasted one year and when it was done, some of my favorite characters (Rachel Summers, Havok and Polaris) were left in space.  Well….they’ve been gone for ~4 years now with nary a peep so it is nice to see that story line being picked back up.  Again….this type of story telling makes fans feel like we weren’t chumps for buying those issues in 2007.  And I’m ready for another good X-Men-In-Space romp.

X-Men #12 – Review

By: Christopher Yost (writer), Paco Medina, Dalibor Talajic (pencillers), Juan Vlasco, Dalibor Talajic (inkers), Marte Gracia (colors)

The Story: First to Last, Part 2: In three different times (2.7 million years ago, in the early issues of the original X-Men, and now) we learn about the evolutionaries. They are looking for the leader of mutantkind to speak for all mutants, to prevent homo superior from going extinct.

What’s Good: I thought that the art in the now (and 2.7 mya) by Medina and Vlasco was pretty strong. Although some of the early primates seemed a bit plastic, the wolves were not, and the Eternals were visually impressive. The modern scenes were even stronger. The evolutionaries facing Cyclops in the debris of Utopia seemed to live in the kind of chaotic, gritty atmosphere that makes the best use of the styles of Medina and Vlasco. The heroes are dynamic, the villains menacing and the smoky background looks to be crumbling around the story. The quick switches from character reaction to character reaction were effective and the choice of camera angles and zoom-ins were powerful. Check out the close-up on the evolutionary leader’s eyes right before the splash page attack on Cyclops.

Writing-wise, I’m loving this arc. Yost is surfacing an ancient mystery with huge stakes (the survival of the two extant species of homo). The slow reveal, the bubbling anger and impatience on the side of the heroes, plus Cyclops’ mysterious orders drive the tension right up. And the toggling between the past and present is very effective in unfolding the coolness of this story and revealing the true menace of the evolutionaries. Also, seeing Magneto in any setting is a treat, but seeing him in his full villainous glory brings a nostalgic pang to my heart.

X-Men Giant-Size #1 – Review

By: Christopher Yost (writer), Paco Medina and Dalabor Talajic (pencillers), Juan Vlasco and Dalabor Talajic (inkers), Marte Gracia and Wil Quintana (colorists), Daniel Ketchum (associate editor), Axel Alonso and Nick Lowe (editors)

The Story: First to Last, Part I: In this new arc, the Neos, another mutant offshoot of humanity (different from homo superior) is attacking the increasingly misnamed Utopia. The neo’s have lost the ability to reproduce, as homo superior had done for a while, and now that mutants are being born again, they want the secret to what’s up. This battle royale drudges up some buried memories in Scott, really old ones, from the original X-Men’s first year: He suddenly remembers a run-in with the evolutionaries that he was supposed to have forgotten.

The Review: My first reaction to reading X-Men Giant-Size #1 was: “That was pretty cool.” Superb art led the way, starting with a planet-scape, then dipping under the cloud-deck, and into a cave and some newborns. The detail, draftsmanship and colors were beautifully natural and the following action dramatic and clear. In the present-day, the clouds in the background of the giant neo were spectacular and the fight scene pretty awesome, although from time to time, the “cameras” zoomed in too close, and it was tough to follow the blow-by-blow. The shift in art teams between past and present was a useful tool to highlight the change in setting and there were some nice old-school touches to the scenes in the past. My favorites were the Kirby-esque action poses, Magneto’s not-form-fitting costume, Magneto’s general portliness (you get a no-prize if you remembered that he started off as a middle-aged man before being turned into a child by Mutant Alpha in Defenders #16 and then aged back to his prime adult strength by Eric the Red just before Uncanny X-Men #104), and even Wanda’s sixties sort of physique (instead of the ultra-svelte pneumatic women that populate comics since the 80s). All-in-all, some very fine artwork.

Writing-wise, Yost has brought a piece of high-concept sci-fi to the X-universe. The introduction of the mystery of the evolutionaries, the hurtling fight scene right out of the gates, and the neat resolution of the plot challenge of the neo’s all launched this arc strongly. I felt propelled along the story and wanting more of this *big idea*. The dialogue worked, and the characters were mostly honest. Where they weren’t honest (Bobby’s exaggerated quipping in two time periods, Wolverine’s idiotic back-stabbing on the neo and Emma’s inexplicable failure to wake up their best strategist while they’re being attacked), I could see why Yost had chosen to fudge a bit, for dramatic effect, but since I’ve read some pretty flawless books by this writer, I felt he’d cut a couple of corners he didn’t need to.

Uncanny X-Men #519 – Review

by Matt Fraction (writer), Terry Dodson (pencils), Rachel Dodson (inks), Justin Ponsor (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Emma enters Scott’s mind while Magneto works to keep the island from sinking.

What’s Good: Much like last issue, the Dodsons breathe so much life into Uncanny.  The characters all look significantly more individual and lovable under their capable hands and the book has a vitality, an intimacy, and an intelligence that it doesn’t have under Land.  As I said in my last review of Fraction’s book, the Dodsons have a style that is simply “fun” at its core level.  #519 is actually a much stronger effort than their already solid work last month.  There’s a lot more detail and their depiction of the Void-contaminated version of Scott’s mind is a great amount of fun.  Meanwhile, their “nice guy” Magneto looks Disney-huggable.  I also absolutely loved Emma Frost’s military-styled outfit when in Scott’s mind, as well as the Mark Buckingham-styled paneling and borders during these portions.

This is also some of the best work I’ve seen out of Fraction on Uncanny that’ll have you wondering why the series couldn’t always be like this.  This is the kind of human soap opera that Uncanny should be and this comic actually feels like it was penned by the same guy who writes Invincible Iron Man.

All the characters have individual voices, all of the dialogue is characterful and tight, and all the interpersonal dynamics are fun and nuanced.  Emma and Scott’s adventure is well done; Emma is human, loving, and empathetic while retaining hints of her trademark high-nosed arrogance.  Scott is heroic and stalwart, as we’d expect him to be, while Fraction nonetheless has the Void complicate this portrayal by giving voice to his flaws and insecurities.  Meanwhile, I’m loving “nice guy Magneto,” and his conversation with Namor is spot-on and really enjoyable; it’s clear that these two characters have a unique chemistry that Fraction is beginning to explore.  Both are brazen characters willing to do what others won’t, but neither are the most socially capable.

Uncanny X-Men #516 – Review

by Matt Fraction (writer), Greg Land (pencils), Jay Leisten (inks), Justin Ponsors (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Magneto tries to make his position clear and Nation X faces its first attack/invasion.

What’s Good: Magneto is the obvious star of the show here.  Fraction does a solid job of writing the character.  His voice is enjoyable, at once likable and yet impossible not to find suspicious, always carrying that air of sophistication, intelligence, and power.

What’s even better is how his very presence alone only deepens the already present cracks between X-Men.  If anything, Fraction uses Magneto not just as a character, but also as a kind of social phenomenon among Nation-X’s residents.  This leads to a particularly interesting legitimization of Scott, as he puts Professor X in line.  It makes the issue feel intelligent, something that Uncanny sorely needs.

Magneto is also a good fit ideologically within Nation X in his non-combative stance.  It allows a number of interesting discussions.  His conversation with Cyclops over the possibility of continuing the mutant race is a definite highlight, with Scott’s stance of hope standing nicely in contrast to Magneto’s noble pessimism.  It’s a nice debate with both characters occupying rather touching positions.

Art-wise, Greg Land, overall, actually does a pretty good job.  Magneto looks good, with one double-page spread detailing Magneto’s recent history with the High Evolutionary being very impressive.  I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention that this is probably my favourite Uncanny cover in a long time.  Nightcrawler is also very well done, whether static or in motion.  Thankfully, much of this issue is dialogue, meaning Land can stick to the basics.

What’s Not So Good: That said, Land, even on a good month, commits an atrocity.  This month, I was stunned to see Land seemingly re-use images from last month.  There is one particular panel featuring the mysterious new crew of baddies, with Bouncing Bettie and Verre in the background.  I’m pretty damned sure that Land just took prominent images of the two characters from last month’s issue and pasted them in, hoping that just because they’re now in the background, we won’t notice.  Then later, he uses the same image of Bouncing Bettie again in another panel.  Now, perhaps this is just a case of Land re-using a photo-reference, but it sure doesn’t look it.

Speaking of cutting corners, Fraction clearly wanted to quickly create a rift between Xavier and Summers over Magneto, but chose not to do it in any logical manner.  Magneto removes his helmet and invites the X-Men to read his mind.  Why then would Xavier assume Magneto’s guilt without using his telepathy, let alone launch a psychic attack?  It’s a shame, as the Xavier/Cyclops dynamic is a good one here, but Xavier’s actions didn’t make sense.

Beyond this, I felt that scenes with Scalphunter went on a little too long.  I also don’t feel that Fraction has yet settled on bad-guy leader Lobe’s voice, which veers wildly between formal and colloquial in a manner that’s just strange.

Conclusion: It’s actually a pretty good issue of Uncanny, and mainly because Magneto rules!

Grade: B –

-Alex Evans

Comics for 4-Year-Olds

X-Men #1

By Stan Lee (writer), Jack Kirby (artist), Paul Reinman (inker)

A few comments before the review: I started sharing my love of superheroes with my 4-year-old son a few months ago. At a recent comic con in Toronto, I bought him the X-Men Omnibus Volume 1 (collecting issues #1-31 of Uncanny). He loves it and we are reading one issue each night. We’re doing reviews for all those other dads out there that want to share the magic with their children.

The Story: The book opens on Professor X and the four first X-Men heading into another training session. Then Jean Grey arrives and the boys go gaga (except for Iceman) and the team is complete. In the meantime, Magneto is misdirecting and stealing rockets and finally attacks the missile base of Cape Citadel. Then comes the X-Men’s Baptist of fire.

What’s good for my 4-year-old: This is a great action story that leads into hours of conversation and a few laughs. I get questions like “Why does Marble Girl lift Beast in the air?” My answer: “Because he didn’t ask before he kissed her.” We talked about what magnets do, and army men, and why ice melts. He laughs when Beast blows on his hands after Bobby frosted them up. Joshua gets up out of bed and runs around the room to show me how fast Angel can fly.

What’s good for me: I obviously don’t read Lee’s text to a 4-year-old (even in 1963, he was writing to pretty advanced teenagers), so I really have to work at bringing the story and concepts to a level that Joshua will enjoy. We laugh over the slapstick moments, like Cyclops shooting through Iceman’s ice-wall in the danger room. Joshua delights in the Beast walking on his fingers or spinning on a wire. He also loves to see Angel fly really fast. That’s a real eye-opener for me. I never would have expected the Beast to be the most popular, but to a 4-year-old, Hank McCoy is the funniest one. What was also great was looking back at issue #1 with 46 years of history between now and then. The X-Men have come a long way from the seven mutants in that first issue. It was also great to read this issue and compare it with the hindsight perspective that Scott had in UXM #138, just after Phoenix died.

What’s hard to explain: The whole concept of unconsciousness (a common thing in the superhero world) is difficult, but I get through by explaining it as sleep. The larger question of ethics (“Why is Magneto not nice?”) is tougher, but I keep telling him that when Magneto was a boy, he didn’t listen to his papa. That explanation will actually hold water for another 149 issues…

Conclusion: I went back in time to get something I could share with my son. Uncanny X-Men #1 in the X-Men Omnibus turned out to be a great choice. I can get into it for nostalgic reasons. Joshua gets into it for high adventure. The conflicts are simple, no one gets hurt, and the comic code reigns supreme, all of which is perfect when reading to a 4-year-old.

Grade: B+

X-Men #2

By Stan Lee (writer), Jack Kirby (artist), Paul Reinman (inker)

The Story: “No One Can Stop The Vanisher” This issue opens with a bang as the X-Men race across their splash page to an emergency summons by Professor X. Beast hops on a train to get to Westchester. Angel carries Marvel Girl and after saving some workmen, Cyclops and Iceman ride in the back of an ice cream truck. At the mansion, the professor shows them a projection of the Vanisher. We see the very first session of the X-Men in the danger room, before they go off to stop the Vanisher from stealing top-secret defense plans from the Pentagon. The Vanisher really is unstoppable and finally makes an advance on the White House after defeating the X-Men. I won’t spoil the ending, but it’s great (half deus ex machine, half classic X-Men character development).

What’s good for my 4-year-old: Iceman stole the show as far as my audience was concerned. Joshua laughed at Iceman freezing a workman’s glove and at Bobby and Scott riding in the back of the ice cream truck. He loved the rapid-fire snowballs Bobby shot around and laughed out loud again when Bobby slid an icy horse underneath Scott and Jean when he found their conversation a little too mushy. This issue, I tried to point out a lot of faces and see if Joshua could tell me what the expressions were. He loved Hank’s look of surprise when the Vanisher swiped back a stolen briefcase and he loved the series of Vanisher expressions at the climax of the book.

What’s good for me: I got to see once again what makes my son laugh out loud and conceptualizing a modern fairy tale for a 4-year-old once again brought me closer to where he is.

What’s hard to explain: Explaining what Professor X and Marvel Girl can do is always a challenge. The source of the Vanisher’s power was slightly easier (he was born different).

Conclusion: Thanks Stan and Jack for a great read for me and my boy. I highly recommend the X-Men Omnibus Volume 1 for just this purpose and now that I’ve seen how Joshua reacts to it, I might look for the Lee/Ditko Spiderman Omnibus. Pricey, but worth it.

Grade: B+

Amazing Fantasy #15

By Stan Lee (writer), Steve Ditko (artist)

The Story: Peter Parker, the sad, friendless boy at school goes to the science center to hear a talk on radioactivity. A spider, creeping down its thread, gets irradiated in the experiment and falls onto Peter’s hand, and bites him. Peter feels strange and leaves the center, ridiculed even by the scientists, not looking where he is going. A car honks and he leaps high out of the way and sticks to the wall. Peter finds he has the abilities of a giant spider and decides to cash in on them by winning $100 in a wrestling match and appearing on TV, as Spiderman. However, when a policeman calls for help with an escaping thief, Peter does nothing. This fateful, selfish decision comes home to haunt him with tragic consequences.

What’s good for my 4-year-old: For pure slapstick adventure, it doesn’t get much better than this. Joshua loves to see Peter jump, stick to walls and crush the metal pipe on the rooftop by accident. Joshua loves seeing Uncle Ben waking up Peter and his mouth waters over the stack of wheatcakes Peter gets for breakfast. The wrestling match is a laugh-out-loud hoot, especially when I do a special voice for Crusher Hogan, the unlucky wrestler.

What’s good for me: The first appearance of Spiderman is a great modern fairy tale, but is also a great morality tale that I can use as the meat and potatoes on talking to my son on how people should be treated and valued. The way Flash Thompson and crew treat Peter is just plain wrong as are their reasons (he’s not very fast, he’s not very strong). Peter asking out Sally is an opportunity to talk about girls and boys. Finally, this was the first time I read it to him including the death of Uncle Ben and why, which is an opportunity to talk about responsibility towards everyone, not just the people who love you.

What’s hard to explain: Joshua asks repeated, probing questions about why getting bitten by a radioactive spider would give someone powers. He also asks why a boy would ask a girl out. The second is easier to answer than the first.

Conclusion: It’s hard to believe that Stan and Steve delivered this iconic story just as filler in a book that was being cancelled. It is a classically crafted story that works well for 4-year olds and for me. I can’t grade it any less than an A+.

Grade: A+

-DS Arsenault and Joshua

Uncanny X-Men #514 (Utopia) – Review

By Matt Fraction (Writer), Terry Dodson (Pencils), Rachel Dodson (Inks), and Justin Ponsor (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Utopia has been pretty weak so far. While it hasn’t been awful, it certainly feels like it’s getting in the way of better things. Dark Avengers was on a roll prior to Utopia, and Uncanny X-Men finally seemed like it was getting back on the right track.

The Story: The Dark X-Men deal with Simon Trask’s new bio-mechanical Sentinels while Cyclops begins to put his offensive plan into action.

What’s Good & What’s Not So Good: This may sound a bit strange, but the biggest problem with Uncanny X-Men #514 is the big Utopia banner that’s plastered on the cover. It’s an unfortunate piece of baggage for a comic that’s, at a basic level, pretty fun (albeit somewhat average). The action scenes are cool, the artwork is solid, and the writing is pretty sharp. While that’s all well and good, I expect more out of an issue of a crossover. A lot more. Especially when it’s an issue of a crossover that’s been as heavily hyped as Utopia.

See, the thing is, the latest chapter of Utopia makes something painfully obvious: that there was really no need for the crossover in the first place. Why? Because Utopia is an “X” story through and through. When the mutants are taking front and center, everything just works much better. It is great? No. But, with that said, it’s still pretty decent. As for the Dark Avengers? They are really just taking up space, getting in the way, and, unfortunately, helping to sell books.

Had Uncanny #514 been part of a regular “X” arc (because that’s how it reads), I would have less of a problem with it. Sure, I might have complained about how all of Terry Dodson’s females have the same face, brought up the storytelling issues (which I’ll get to), or mentioned that some of Cyclops’ dramatic lines are a bit lame, but as a whole, I would have been satisfied with what it delivers knowing that Utopia is the “X” story being told. Unfortunately though, the latest issue of Uncanny is not just a regular issue. It’s stuck being part of an ill-timed crossover between the Dark Avengers and the X-Men. Therefore, it has to be judged as part of something that’s, according to Marvel, something of high quality and importance. So judge I shall… By asking a few questions about Uncanny X-Men #514…

-Why is there no mention of Beast and Xavier (I thought they were important), yet pages (3) dedicated to a pointless scuffle between Bullseye and Wolverine’s kid?!

-Those people in the hospital completely turned to robots after their eyes lit up?! I can handle comic book logic but it seems a bit silly to me…

-Why is Iceman so intimidated by the Dark X-Men!? And by that same token, why does Cyclops see them as such a challenge?!

-According to the back page, there’s only two chapters of Utopia left. Why do I get the sense that things are being rushed along?!

-Why does Wolverine emerge from the water like he’s some sea creature?!

-Did anything of importance happen in regards to Utopia? At all?

Conclusion: Uncanny X-Men #514 is a pretty decent “X” comic if you can ignore the whole Utopia nonsense. I certainly wish I could…

Grade: C-

-Kyle Posluszny

Uncanny X-Men #513 (Utopia Chapter 2) – Review

By Matt Fraction (Writer), Terry Dodson (Pencils), Rachel Dodson (Inks), and Justin Ponsor (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The Uncanny X-Men and Dark Avengers crossover, Utopia, got off to an unremarkable start. It laid the foundation for some interesting things though, so I look forward to seeing where Matt Fraction takes the story now that most of the pieces are in place.

The Story: If the Utopia oneshot was all about setting the stage, then Uncanny X-Men #513 is all about introducing the rest of the arc’s players. As riots continue in California, Norman Osborn institutes a curfew and introduces a new team of X-Men. Lead by Emma Frost and Charles Xavier (is it really Xavier?), Cloak, Dagger, Beast (from another timeline), Namor, Daken, Weapon Omega, and Mimic makes up the team, ordered to restore peace between humans and mutants. Meanwhile, Cyclops regroups with other mutants to plan another move. As for the hospitalized Simon Trask? Let’s just say that he’s got something else up his sleeve…

Simply put, Uncanny X-Men #513 feels a whole hell of a lot like the Utopia oneshot; which is a good thing in some ways and a bad thing in other ways.

What’s Good: The solid looking second chapter of Utopia continues building momentum for what looks to be a promising crossover. While it’s too early to make any real judgments, the Dark X-Men team shows a lot of early potential. It’s made up of a few interesting, oft-ignored characters (Cloak, Dagger, Mimic, etc.) that could turn out to be the breakout stars of the crossover if Matt Fraction handles them right (he’s definitely on the right track).

Speaking of Matt Fraction, he does a nice job of juggling an extremely large cast of characters while still moving the story forward at an acceptable pace. What’s especially notable is the way that Fraction quickly and efficiently introduces the mutants that the average reader might not be instantly familiar with. Cloak, Dagger, Mimic, Weapon Omega, and Dark Beast all benefit from Fraction’s occasionally/usually annoying/clever – pick your pair note boxes.

What’s Not So Good: The biggest problem I have with Uncanny X-Men #513 is that it feels filled with stuff that probably should have been put into the Utopia oneshot. Remember all that filler I talked about in my review of the book? Well most of that filler should have been taken out in favor of using the space to do almost everything that’s done in the latest issue of Uncanny.

More time is spent introducing characters and establishing the current social climate than moving the story forward in a satisfying way. In other words, in Uncanny X-Men #513, plot threads are still being created while most remain unused. While the pacing is still acceptable, it’s also somewhat frustrating. To add on, that’s not all that’s maddening.

The visuals, while solid, are a bit of a headache at times. I’m usually a fan of Terry Dodson’s attractive art style, but it’s a poor fit for Utopia because the crossover is absolutely packed with characters. Too many faces look exactly the same, some panels are way too oversimplified, and a few scenes look a bit silly. Also, why does Venom/Dark Spider-Man look like a snake?!

Conclusion: The second chapter of Utopia feels a lot like the oneshot that introduced the crossover. So much so, that it gets the same grade, but for different reasons.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia #1

By Matt Fraction (Writer), Marc Silvestri (Pencils), Michael Broussard, Eric Basaldua, Tyler Kirkham, & Sheldon Mitchell (Pencil Assists), Joe Weems w/ Marco Galli, Eric Basaldua, Rick Basaldua, Jason Gorder, Jay Leisten, Sal Regla, Jon Sibal, and Ryan Winn (Inks), and Frank D’Armata (Colors)

The Story: A riot breaks out as the March for Humanity (led by Simon Trask and his Humanity Now! coalition) reaches San Francisco’s mutant population. The confrontation sparks a wave of violence between mutants and humans that spreads throughout the streets of San Francisco and other nearby cities. With chaos reigning, Norman Osborn sends his Avengers in to restore some order by any means necessary. There is also another plan at work, something far more sinister…

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: The best thing about the first chapter of Utopia is its strong ending. It’s genuinely surprising and it brings to mind a number of interesting possibilities. What’s disappointing though, is how long it feels like it takes to get the ending that makes the Utopia one-shot worth reading.

While Matt Fraction does a very nice job of ramping up the tension in San Francisco and establishing a sense of scale to the mutant/ human conflict, too much of Utopia #1 feels like fluff. What Fraction establishes in over thirty pages could have easily been taken care of with less than twenty-five. Now, with that said, just because it’s padding, doesn’t mean it’s bad.

Fraction does a lot of great things with the various characters he is allowed to play with. Fluff or not, there’s no denying how well written Utopia is. The scene between Cyclops and Toad is absolutely fantastic, as is the short Hawkeye/ Bullseye appearance. The page showing how others are reacting to the San Francisco mess is also very effective in a “short, but sweet” way.

What bothers me about Fraction’s story is that it makes Cyclops look rather foolish early on. The March for Humanity had apparently been marching hundreds of miles for quite sometime before reaching San Francisco. I find it hard to believe that a character like Cyclops (or any other “X” leader) would not be on top of things regarding how to deal with Trask’s march. Yeah, I know, that complaint is a bit of a nitpick in the larger scheme of things, but after all the character rehab Cyclops has gone through…

By now you’ve probably noticed that I have yet to mention Utopia’s artwork. There’s a reason for that. You know that phrase “Too many cooks in the kitchen?” Yeah… The artwork in Utopia #1 brings that phrase to mind quite often.

Now I’ll leave the “Top Cow” style stuff for you to decide on (expect subtle scenes to look anything but subtle…poses aplenty). What I will discuss, however, is the fact that the first issue of Utopia has visuals that are, when taken as a whole, quite disappointing. For every great looking scene, there is one that serves as a terrible reminder that the art team is made up of fourteen different people. Simply put, Utopia #1 is wildly inconsistent– visually. At least the whole thing has a cohesive look to it though. It really could have been so much worse considering how many people had a hand in creating the artwork.

Conclusion: The Utopia crossover shows a lot of promise, but it takes a while to understand why. If you can deal with the occasionally rough visuals and the sense that things have been stretched out a bit, you’ll find a lot to like about the Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia one-shot.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Ultimate Origins #3 – Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Butch Guice (Artist), and Justin Ponsor (Colorist)

Hey, hey, now that’s more like it!

After last issue’s beat-for-beat retread of Captain America’s origin, we’re back in virgin territory. This time it’s the first meeting of Erik Lehnsherr and Charles Xavier (Magneto and Professor X, for you newbies), and the spirit of the story is the same but the details are substantially different, the way it should be in the Ultimate universe.

The book begins with Carol Danvers and the Fantastic Four arguing over what to do about the suddenly-activated alien artifact at Project Pegasus. Then the artifacts (which still look like extraterrestrial traffic lights, if you ask me) start showing up all over Earth, usually in the vicinity of super-heroes. It’s all a little too 2001: A Space Odyssey for me, but I’m giving Bendis the benefit of the doubt.

Next we jump to Canada, where Lehnsherr frees Wolverine from Weapon X, which just happens to be run by his parents. A ten-year jump, and Lehnsherr walks in on Xavier’s classroom (where Xavier is, appropriately, reading Dr. Faustus to his students). They have an entire psychic conversation while Xavier continues to read. Everything is pitch perfect. It’s easy to see what would attract these two to each other, how the man of intellect and the man of action would need each other.

At the end of the book, Lehnsherr brings Xavier to the Savage Land where they will form their isolated mutant community, and so we finally—finally!—have the first half of the back-story to Ultimate X-Men #1. The second half will, of course, end with Lehnsherr driving a steel spike through Xavier’s spine. I wonder what will bring that about? Might it have something to do with the woman Magda that Lehnsherr brings along, and Xavier’s notorious lack of self control around beautiful women? It might be something loftier, more noble, but I doubt it.

Oh, and for those people who doubt Bendis has the smarts to plan a plot-line like Ultimate Origins or Secret Invasion five years in advance (yes, I’m talking about you, Ambush Bug at AICN), remember the opening lines of Ultimate Origins #1, “Listen, it’s all connected. That’s it. That’s the secret.”? Those words were first uttered in Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #2. Published when? Over five years ago.

Heck, I know it’s not Shakespeare (or, in this case, Marlowe), but in comics this is about as good as it gets (Grade: A+).

– Andrew C. Murphy

X-Men: Legacy #213 – Capsule Review

Mike Carey, (Writer) Scot Eaton, (Penciler) Andrew Hennessey, (Inker) and Frank D’Armata (Colorist)

All the pieces of the puzzle come together in this issue of X-Men: Legacy as the connection between Professor Xavier, Sebastian Shaw, Carter Ryking, and Juggernaut is finally revealed. The issue moves quickly as Gambit and Shaw form an unlikely alliance as they search for Xavier – who has fallen into Hydra’s clutches while suffering from strange hallucinations that may or may not be caused by Mr. Sinister.

For those that have stuck with his occasionally confusing story, Mike Carey’s story comes full circle and the bread crumbs he has dropped throughout the last few issues lead to a great payoff . As usual for this series, this issue features two different art styles, one for the present situation (strong, but marred by some silly facial expressions) and one for scenes taking place in Xavier’s mind (fantastically surreal and incredibly impressive). This is another strong issue and I expect great things to come out of the big reveal on the last page. (Grade: B)

–Kyle Posluszny

X-Men: Legacy #211 – Review

Mike Carey (Writer), Scot Eaton (Present Day Penciler), Jon Dell, Andrew Hennessy, Dave Meikis (Present Day Inkers), Frank D’Armata (Present Day Colorist), Brandon Peterson (Flashback Art), and John Rauch (Flashback Colors)

As some of you readers may know by now, I have been really enjoying the X-Men: Legacy storyline and, in a lot of ways, consider it to be one of the strongest books to spin out of the Divided We Stand lineup. The story of Professor Xavier’s shattered mind has been an excellent combination of strong writing, storytelling, and artwork. This retooled series continues to impress (while confusing a bit) as it kicks off it’s second arc.

This issue follows a structure similar to the previous issues with jumps between the present, the Mindscape, and the past. Xavier tries to piece together bits and pieces of his past, sometimes using other methods in the process. Also, we find Xavier is being hunted by some group, which creates an intriguing dynamic for future issues to work with. Sebastian Shaw gets some time in the spotlight as we learn a bit more about the mysterious machine that started a reaction in the previous issue. One thing that’s been consistent with this series is how well Mike Carey has paced it. The story never lingers – it’s always on the move and I find that to be very satisfying.

As has been the case since Xavier took front and center in this X-Men book, Carey does a great job moving things along while still keeping the reader in the dark about the various forces working against or around Xavier. While I do wish we were given a little more information regarding some characters that show up, as well as some what’s being referenced in flashback and Mindscape sequences (Wikipedia came in handy), I find myself drawn into this story regardless of the information gaps. The whole book has an almost noir-like feel to it and Carey makes the reader want to piece together the puzzle as bad as Xavier does.

The story is greatly complimented by the artwork, which absolutely nails the tone of Xavier’s desperate search for information. The various Mindscape sequences are sufficiently surreal, thanks to a mix of the bizarre and the mysterious moods conveyed by the coloring and art teams. The shadowy, moody artwork of the present day sequences create a feeling that serves to remind the reader that this is a tale far removed from the usual superhero fair. Both teams deserve praise for the work here, as this is a visually impressive book.

This is a worthy book all around and I definitely look forward to what Carey has up his sleeve for future installments. While I wish some things were explained a little better, I never once felt completely lost, which says a lot about the way the story is presented. I have a feeling someone with a deep knowledge of Xavier’s history will find even more to like with this story than I did. Check this series out if you are looking for a different type of X-Men story. (Grade: B)

– Kyle Posluszny

X-Men: Legacy #209 – Review

By Mike Carey (writer), Scot Eaton (pencils), John Dell (inks), Frank D’Armata (colors)

Oh yes, I am digging this story arc! This book is the best thing to come out of Messiah Complex and for the first time in almost 5 years (Grant Morrison’s run), I’m actually hooked on an X-Men story line. I’ve read lots of Mike Carey’s past works, but nothing’s ever come across as memorable to me until now. This isn’t a mindless brawl fest we usually get from our mutant books – it’s a stripped down character driven piece that explores the relationship between Magneto and Xavier. And I know we’ve seen this told before, but with the aftermath of House of M, Magneto losing his powers, and now Messiah Complex, the world is a different place. The questions and answers Carey poses to the characters are fascinating and engaging.

One mutant poignantly states that the original dreams these men had are over. Times have changed and so now must the dreams. This brilliantly sums up what’s happened and foreshadows what’s to come in the mutant world. With Exodus and his gang having lost any respect for Magneto and now threatened by a reawakened Professor X, I can’t wait to see what happens next. Will this eventually become the Erik and Xavier road trip show? I won’t lie. I’d love to see it happen!

John Romita Jr. isn’t around to do the dream sequences this time, so everything falls into Scot Eaton’s capable hands. He not only does a spectacular job throughout, but seeing him do the dream sequences and the old school renditions of our favorite mutants is a lot of fun. Again, here’s another person who’s previous work never left an impression on me. Well, you can now consider me a fan of Mr. Eaton. Excellent work!

I realize a lot of people feel cheated about Professor X’s supposed death in Messiah Complex (I know I was), but the way Mike Carey’s built this story around him is nothing short of excellent. And in the end, that’s what really counts. (Grade: A)

– J. Montes