CREDIT: Marvel Comics
Rating: 4.5/5 – IvX Provides a Bright Spot in This Uncanny X-Men Run.
by ComicSpectrum reviewer Adam Brunell
Issue #16 provides the first Uncanny X-Men title that takes place within the Inhumans versus X-Men event. Even though this is the Uncanny X-Men title, we do not have the regular team present in this issue. Writer Cullen Bunn has been holding the reins on the Uncanny X-Men for a while now, and though Bunn has great talent and skill, being able to mix things up a little bit with IvX has really made this series a bit more interesting than it had previously been for me.
This issue brings in Young Jean Grey from the All-New X-Men series, the Stepford Cuckoos, Fantomex, and Karnak. I’m so used to seeing Magneto and his band of reckless black ops team in this series, it not only was a breath of fresh air to see some different characters, but the story was really well done. Though once I saw Fantomex was in this series I already knew how it would end. Fantomex seems to be a very predictable character, no matter who is writing him. He’s a pirate and always out for himself. If the ending of this issue went the opposite direction than it did, then I probably would have been more surprised. The concept of what Bunn does with this issue is very well played out. It’s Jean Grey and the Cuckoos versus Karnak, but it’s not really a fight. There are 4 high powered telepaths trying to keep an Inhuman with the ability to see the flaws in anything busy in a mental prison. Artist Edgar Salazar’s art is handled well, especially the mental prison that Karnak is in and the location that Fantomex is in as well. Though I was a bit confused in the beginning of Fantomex’s appearance, with no real information on where Fantomex is and what he is doing.
I was planning to drop the Uncanny X-Men series; I have lost interest in the story and the characters. But this issue’s toss up of the normal characters in the comic is keeping me on board. Once the IvX series is over and done, if the story continues to be like it has been since before issue 16, then I might jump off and just stop the series all together. If Bunn keeps delivering this type of story, then I won’t jump off the series, I’ll gladly stay on. For now, I’m staying to see where things go, and I’m really interested to see how Karnak gets out of the situation he is in, and what he does to Jean and Cuckoos.
Reviewed by: Adam Brunell
(adamb@comicspectrum.com)
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