There’s only going to be one review this week, I’m afraid. I still read a bunch of comics, but I don’t really want to do a write up for just any comic, especially if its just humming along nicely like, say, Scarlett. But I definitely wanted to get my thoughts down about Gail Simone’s Uncanny X-Men #1!

Comic Book of the Week goes to Uncanny X-Men #1 because it lives up to the hype and excitement.

Meanwhile, I’m spending the month busying myself with nonsense games as I await Star Wars: Outlaws at the end of the month. I hope that game is going to be fun. I spent money on the latest IDW hardcover Ninja Turtles collection, which means I now own 16 of these things without having read a single one. I have a problem. And the Kickstarter remains ongoing for the second issue of The Cloakroom! Check it out!

Comic Reviews: Uncanny X-Men #1.

Uncanny X-Men #1
Writer: Gail Simone
Artist: David Marquez
Colorist: Matthew Wilson
Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles

Aside from Dazzler, this is the From the Ashes comic I have been looking forward to the most, and Gail Simone delivers!

In the wake of Krakoa, some X-Men are scattered to the wind. Wolverine, Rogue and Gambit group up in Mexico to take on a giant snake god, then they get called to visit a sick mutant kid in the hospital. Rogue takes some emotional damage in both encounters, so they head to a place Remy knows in Louisiana to lay low and think. But there are spooky bad guys out there in the woods, and young mutant kids in need of help.

Comic Rating: 9/10 – Great.

This is not only an excellent first issue, but an excellent X-Men comic as well. Unlike X-Force last week, which I did not particularly care for, Uncanny X-Men actually takes these characters and uses them in unique and interesting ways. This isn’t just another team and a random roster doing superhero stuff. This comic is about these specific, longtime characters and where they’re currently at in their lives. Obviously there will be all manner of superhero stuff, and plenty of it is teased in this issue, but the bulk of the comic is just slice of life stuff as Rogue, Wolverine and Gambit hang out. And I love that about this issue!

As if there were any doubt, Gail Simone nails the characterizations and interactions of every single character. Rogue is the main focus, and the one to get narration captions, and Simone sets the character up perfectly. They’re barely hanging on in the wake of Krakoa, while also between teams and not even sure what the X-Men are anymore. They don’t want to join up with whatever Cyclops is doing and are otherwise directionless, and these are some great characters to be directionless X-Men.

As for the issue itself, this one is jam-packed with all sorts of interesting stories, both action-packed and character-driven. I loved them all. Our heroes fight a giant, winged serpent god and engage in some fun banter with the dude, then defeat him in a clever way that sets up future stories. They go and visit an X-Men fanboy in the hospital, with an awesome Nightcrawler appearance (he’s gonna become a regular, I believe). That was a fun, if tragic, scene of the X-Men just being people. And then we get a big, emotional moment around the campfire as they try to figure out their place in the world. All great stuff!

The artwork, likewise, is perfect. It’s detailed, it’s full of energy and character, everybody looks great. This is exactly what I love to see in superhero comic artwork.

The only nitpick I have is the random appearance of a bunch of mutants in the woods at the end, soon to become the new wards of our heroes. X-Men comics are flooded with teen mutants right now, so these are just a few more to add to the ever-growing list of soon-to-be-nobodies. Exceptional X-Men, which isn’t out yet, is supposed to be about Emma and Kitty training up a new squad of young mutants, so the new premises are very similar. And then this quartet is super duper random (their bios have been revealed online). How did all of these random young mutants both find each other and then find these three particular X-Men in this random spot in Louisiana?

Of course, I trust Simone completely with her plans for these characters. Maybe they’ll be breakout favorites and go on to become illustrious X-Men!

TL;DR: This is an excellent first issue that’s packed with story developments, while keeping the focus clearly on the characters and their new place in the world.

The comics I review in my Hench-Sized reviews are just the usual comics I grab from Comixology any given week, along with a few impulse buys I might try on a whim. So if there are any comics or series you’d like me to review each week, let me know in the comments.

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