Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Art: Frazer Irving
Lettering: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover: Frazer Irving
Publisher: Dan Buckley for Marvel Comics
This week, Uncanny X-Men finally feels like its own book. Free of tie-ins from other X-series, and with a strong focus on Scott Summers’ X-Men, readers are finally rewarded with a fun story complimented by gorgeous artwork.
After a cold-open featuring an as of now unknown mutant, the story then picks up right where we left off last issue, with the X-Men finding themselves trapped in Limbo thanks to Dormammu. After summoning an army of demons in his attempted coup for Limbo, the X-Men find they are unprepared for any real world challenges. That is, until the Stepford Cuckoo’s psychically manipulate the team into thinking they are extremely brave. Now the X-Men, armed with bravado, must find a way out of Limbo and report Dormammu’s plan to Dr. Strange. Meanwhile, in San Diego, Maria Hill needs help with the mutant situation. Outmatched, and out of luck, Maria, out of desperation, enlists the help of Dazzler, hoping to find a better understanding of the mutant problem.
Brian Michael Bendis does not take short-cuts. He creates long, sprawling stories that often take years to unfold. This can be frustrating at times, and Uncanny X-Men is no stranger to this. With issue #6 being the first issue in a while that is actually unfolding with the reader, as opposed to flashbacks and tie-ins, Uncanny X-Men finally progresses with a story all its own. While it may not be as emotionally heart-wrenching as All New X-Men, Uncanny X-Men’s path to limbo is still engaging. With three of the X-Universes top tier mutants having their powers broken, and the X-Men team still un-trained, the threat of Dormammu is astronomical.
Yet, more than the story, Uncanny X-Men #6 is gloriously illustrated affair. If last issue was near perfection, than this one is perfection. With the story focused mostly in Limbo, Frazer Irving’s dream-like style elevates the tale to new levels. From the way Irving manipulates the Cuckoo’s hair, essentially merging the girls into one character, to Cyclops broken optic blast, each panel is painstaking work of art. The splash page at the end with Dazzler accepting a job with S.H.I.E.L.D. is perfectly coy and so fantastically in line with her character that one can’t help but hope this event spins off into a solo series for Dazzler.
Thanks to Uncanny X-Men #6, Scott Summers and his rag-tag group of misfits finally have a book that is worthy of the title. If the plodding pace from previous issues has turned you off, then you may want to reconsider. If anything, issue #6 will undoubtedly be the best looking book on the shelf this week.
-Sean