The Uncanny X-Men #6 Review- A Promising Future for X-Men Comics
From Marvel Comics
Written by Gail Simone
Art by Javier Garron
The Uncanny X-Men has been one of my favorite new series at Marvel, as it almost single-handedly has made me invested in the future of the X-Men in Marvel Comics, and with the release of issue #6, I feel like it is high time that this series gets the praise that it deserves.
For those of you out of the know- the Krakoa era of X-Men comics came to a shocking end recently and displaced the mutant population around the world. This fracturing also coincided with the splintering of mutant centric Marvel Comics release titles, creating various ongoing series such as the mainline X-Men title by Jed MacKay and Ryan Stegman, a New York focused series called NYX by Colin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, our wandering Uncanny X-Men heroes in the south, and many more.
What makes Uncanny X-Men stand out from the pack in my opinion? Well, while the large majority of new X-men and Mutant series focus on classic, established characters, The Uncanny X-Men has taken time to introduce four brand new mutant characters, pulling from the tradition of its classic X-Men comics predecessors, with our more familiar heroes, Rogue, Gambit, Wolverine, Nightcrawler and Jubilee, taking on the mantle of mentorship and setting an example for a new generation of mutants, albeit much smaller than it might have been in the Krakoa era. Additionally, it doesn’t hurt that the particular pool of legacy characters included in this title are some of the most popular X-Men characters in the series, which was a draw for me as well.
The notion of introducing brand new characters from the outset of this title is a bold one. Especially when one of the leading complaints of X-Men and mutant-centric works at large is the unwieldy cast of diverse and confusing characters. However, Simone has intelligently implemented these new characters, balanced with big spectacle, emotional appearances from the legacy characters we know and love. In fact, these new characters are implemented so well, that by the release of issue #6, they are as integral to the emotional and thematic core of this story as the headlining characters, and I found myself excitedly delving into this issue which saw the four newbies at the forefront.
What I love most about The Uncanny X-Men is that it is a series that feels particularly true to its roots. Each issue thus far has been equally climactic and bizarre as its been heartfelt and sociologically topical. What’s more, Simone has found avenues to fundamentally further the relationships and personal stakes of her entire cast of legacy characters in exciting new ways. For instance, simply changing up traditional hierarchy, by promoting Rogue to the de-facto leader of the team, with Gambit in a mentor role, and Wolverine wrapped up in a personal struggle. Furthermore, each issue of this series has been genuinely surprising, with hardly any of the trademark superhero comic tendencies or expectations from a series this far into its history. If anything this feels like a fresh slice of life story- with a harrowing gothic horror plot thrown in the mix, in which any and all characters could perish at any given moment.
It is overwhelmingly clear from the series thus far, that this is a writer who truly loves these fabled characters and has a clear vision of what X-Men comics should relay thematically to a new generation of readers. If you have been discouraged by the recent history of X-Men comics and are looking for a return to form, then I suggest you pick up this comic. Additionally, if you are like me, and haven’t really ever been drawn into the modern world of the X-Men then I can personally attest that this series is palatable, unique, and truly beautifully written.
But let’s talk more specifically about The Uncanny X-Men #6, which means,
WARNING! SPOILERS! AHEAD!
Issue #6 functions as a starting over point, or at least a return to status quo after the horrific and action packed events of Issue #5 which saw Rogue face to face with the deranged, lich-like creature Sarah Gaunt (the willing mutant hunter for the Graymalkin Prison facility currently hunting mutant-kind and former lover of a young Charles Xavier) and the rest of our heroes battling Sarah’s horde of possessed underlings.
The beginning of this issue gives us a welcome glimpse into the backstory of one of our new mutants, Calico, with her conniving and controlling mother that prevented her from having friends as a child. This is followed by Rogue’s self aware narration as she admits that, “the new kids are still a mystery.” As I stated before, I think that the slow integration of these new characters has been a service to the story overall, rather than bogging down the pacing with a torrent of backstory, which has instead fostered a more natural, genuine feeling of wanting to know more about these characters at this point which Simone is delivering on.
As Rogue continues her narration, we settle on the context of our scene as we see the cast of former X-Men reasoning with Calico atop her signature, power enhanced horse, Ember, trying to calm her down. Clearly, Calico is not pleased with the prospect of going to school like typical children, babbling something about “they’re all goblins” until she uses her horse to send Wolverine absolutely flying. Rogue scolds Calico like a parent as Jubilee helps Logan, who reveals that the hit from Calico nearly killed him, which if you know anything about Wolverine- is no easy feat. Rogue picks up on this conversation and Wolverine’s internal thoughts utilizing the lingering mental acuity from a deceased mutant, Harvey X, that helped her against Sarah Gaunt, and recalls a prophecy from the witch that one of the new kids would be “The Endling,” fated to watch every other mutant die.
All of which is just some of the coolest comic book content I have read this year and it’s presented so effortlessly. The stakes of the fragile present versus the ever encroaching future, the deepening, complex interpersonal relationships, the vacillating power dynamics, are primary elements that make superhero comics so entertaining and this series explores them all in earnest fashion.
From here, Gambit takes Calico aside to do what he does best and have a heart to heart, allowing her to realize that everything her mother told her about mutantkind being the unholy combination of “goblins and witches” was a prejudiced lie. For the first time ever, Becca (aka Calico) is able to accept herself as a mutant and accept her place in this little found family.
Next, we jump to the bus station as our four mutants and the daughter of their accommodating host family all wait hopefully for their first day of school. However, once aboard the bus, they are immediately the victims of typical teenage ridicule and teasing which was expected, but no less heartbreaking.
The story divides further as Jubilee and Nightcrawler shop for groceries in town, where Nightcrawler ends up saving a child from the path of an oncoming truck while Jubilee is assaulted by Graymalkin agents. Additionally, we see Wolverine confessing to Gambit and Rogue that he has been distracted by the death of his army friends, which leads to an intervention from Rogue regarding Wolverine’s ignored PTSD.
Back at the school, Ransom and Deathdream (who is a standout character for me in the series with his hilariously detached and sardonic characterization) get even with the school bullies who are clearly prejudiced against mutants, as Becca is led into an ambush in the school gymnasium by Graymalkin agents who brutally tase her into submission.
I don’t know about other fans of this series, but that ending page had me literally shouting in my living room, “OHMYGOD NOOOOO!” Which I haven’t been compelled to do by a comic in quite some time. This cliffhanger ending is compounded even more with the revelation that The Uncanny X-Men is going to be crossing over with the main X-Men title in issue #8, which feels like a pivotal narrative point in the new saga of mutant-kind that will send ripples across multiple titles.
It has been incredibly engaging and simply fun, reading multiple “X” related books to broaden the perspective of this new era, whether it be the perspective of the villainous Graymalkin Facility in Sentinels by Alex Paknadel, or the cultural perspective of mutants in society and the malingering loyalty to the utopia of Krakoa in NYX, or the mounting global threats presented in Jed MacKay’s X-Men. The knowledge of which makes this small crossover event even more exciting, seeing some of our primary legacy characters interacting again after all that has already happened in the interim after Krakoa.
Please support this diverse, poignant, and exhilarating new chapter for mutants and your local comic book stores by picking up The Uncanny X-Men #6 on shelves now!
Sidenote: I was eager to give new readers a release date for the Trade Paperback of this series, given that we have reached the typical benchmark number of issues for a collected release, only to discover that the trade isn’t coming out till April 8th! I believe this is in order to include the free comic book day X-Men title releasing at the beginning of the year, but still feels like an oversight on Marvel’s part to help engage new readers.
-Nicholas Aaron Hodge
