Connect with us
'Uncanny X-Men: War of the Realms' review
Marvel Comics

Comic Books

‘Uncanny X-Men: War of the Realms’ review

Important for the event, or shoehorned in?

War of the Realms was the culmination of years of painstaking storytelling by Jason Aaron, mostly in his monumental and inevitably classic Thor books. He was eventually talked into making it a gigantic, line-wide event, leading to some important contributions from surprisingly unrelated characters like Punisher and Daredevil.

But where were the world’s mutants in all this? Doing not much of anything in War of the Realms:  Uncanny X-Men.

Listen to the latest episode of our weekly comics podcast!
'Uncanny X-Men: War of the Realms' review

Image credit: Marvel Comics

 

The meat of this volume is the three-issue tie-in mini-series of the same name, written by then-Uncanny X-Men scribe Matthew Rosenberg. Some of the marketing copy for the the story called it an integral part of Rosenberg’s grander narrative, but it’s kind of hard to understand why. Multiple Man and Magik are here, but they don’t really show anything other than being utilities for the other characters. Sabretooth appears and causes mayhem, but that could fit into any story.

While Cyclops and company make up part of humanity’s last defense, Dani Moonstar and Wolfsbane take on much more Asgardian adventures. Truthfully, these probably should have been emphasized more than they were, as Moonstar’s Valkyrie is always a fan-favorite appearance and much more relevant to War of the Realms. Wolfsbane settles the situation with the godlike father of her child, which should be satisfying to die hard fans, though maybe more so if it had been given time to develop.

But then, the mysterious inclusion of Uncanny X-Men #17 here might turn them right back off. This issue features the controversial murder of Rahne Sinclair, and Cyclops presiding over yet another funeral. It’s written well, whether you agree with some of the language and implications or not, but it really has no apparent connection to the rest of the material.

There there are two 10-page stories from War of the Realms:  War Scrolls #2 that don’t have X-Men characters at all. But hey, they’re pretty good! Devin Grayson somehow finds a way to put a new twist on a Dr. Strange/Nightmare story, and Anthony Oliveira develops the characters of Wiccan and Hulking, as well as that of their antagonist, through unexpected means.

 

'Uncanny X-Men: War of the Realms' review

Image credit: Marvel Comics

Pere Pérez and Rachelle Rosenberg do a fine job on the art for War of the Realms:  Uncanny X-Men, with sharp enough lines to communicate the bleakness, and cold colors for the frost giants and bright hots for explosions. Carlos Gomez and Guru-eFX tell a great story on Uncanny X-Men #17, with cascading panel layouts and expressive faces. Paul Davidson and Andres Mossa make Nightmare a little more cartoony than frightening, and Nick Robles and Chris Peter set the perfect tone for Wiccan and Hulkling with joyful pencils and pastel colors.

As a whole, War of the Realms:  Uncanny X-Men comes off as a mishmash of stories that have nothing to do with each other, buttressed by one that probably doesn’t have a need to exist in the first place. The stuff from War Scrolls is good, but maybe … just go buy that issue? You’ve probably already read Uncanny X-Men #17, and the event tie-in suffers from trying to deal with both typical X-Men things and the otherworldly at the same time, when picking one or the other would have allowed for a more cohesive narrative. Strange decisions all around.

'Uncanny X-Men: War of the Realms' review
War of the Realms: Uncanny X-Men
Is it good?
It's not bad, but it falls short on its premise, and the editorial decision of putting all this material together in one place is bewildering. You might be better suited picking and choosing which stories you want digitally and leaving this collection on the shelf.
Fan favorite plot lines for Dani Moonstar and Wolfsbane brought back
Dr. Strange and Wiccan and Hulkling stories are nice little standalones
Well-suited art almost all the way around
Bizarre choices of inclusions
Attention of the main story seems split
6.5
Good

Join the AIPT Patreon

Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:

  • ❌ Remove all ads on the website
  • 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
  • 📗 Access to our monthly book club
  • 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
  • 💥 And more!
Sign up today
Comments

In Case You Missed It

WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024 WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024

WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024

Pro Wrestling

'Universal Monsters: Frankenstein' coming August 2024 'Universal Monsters: Frankenstein' coming August 2024

‘Universal Monsters: Frankenstein’ coming August 2024

Comic Books

AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024 AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024

AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024

Pro Wrestling

Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in 'Blood Hunt' Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in 'Blood Hunt'

Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in ‘Blood Hunt’

Comic Books

Connect
Newsletter Signup