Review: Uncanny X-Men #7

By / Thursday, February 16, 2012 - 4:12PM
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Since joining Cosmic Book News, I have, on and off, been a reviewer of the Avengers line of Marvel Comics. But, unless you have been under a rock, you know that in April our Assembling Heroes will be battling those merry mutants from Utopia, the Uncanny X-Men.

So, for the first time since the beginning of my 10-year hiatus from comics in 1995 (caused by too many, too expensive X-books), I have jumped back into the gene pool and tried to pick up the threads of the newly relaunched Uncanny X-Men, Issue #7.

I am glad to say I like what I see!

Kieron Gillen is a fine storyteller, and I really dig the mix of powerful (wow, Mags AND Subby?) mutants on this no-nonsense team. Obviously, things have changed vis-à-vis Cyclops and his philosophies (thus the split with Team Wolverine and the reestablishment of the school by Logan).

What I really liked about this issue – and granted, here comes me from the 1990s right into the middle of a 21st century storyline – was not only did it have a cosmic air (I assume the “celestial energies” were indeed energies from THE Celestials?) but some damn fine writing and theories utilizing evolution and the rules or non-rules society(ies) should have about the phenomenon. Shades of the concept X-Men was founded on!

It was kinda fun to see the “Bad Apex” actually improve its metallic armament so that Magneto could not affect its weapons. And the melding of the “Good Apex”/”Unwife” with Danger (whom I had to Google since it was my first intro to the character) was simply wild. What a great concept, dating back to New Mutants Doug and Warlock.

Nice to see some of the “All-New, All-Different” mainstays (Storm, Colossus) are still in the main book. Also nice to have Emma Frost and Magik along. (Cannot wait to see them in action.)

Of course, a good story is nothing without good art, and the team of Greg Land and Jay Leisten did this adventure proud! The alien culture appeared Kirby-awesome, the necessary talking heads were never boring because of the shadowing and great facial expressions, and the action was off the chart – even though Unwife got more attention than Team Cyclops.

So here is to my return to the Uncanny X-Men. And all you faithful readers with no hiatus? I think you will enjoy this mag too!