Issue #5 of Gail Simone and David Marquez’s Uncanny X-Men picks up right where issue #4 left off and concludes the “red wave” storyline of the book. Like the last issue, this one is also heavily focused on Rogue and her point of view as the focal point of the issue, especially as she faces off against the new threat Sarah represents.
Rogue is clearly a character Simone is drawn to and the focus on her yields good results. The character work with Rogue is a hook for me with this title right next to the new X-kids. I can’t recall the last time a writer focused this hard on her and really delved into her mind, especially when that book also included Wolverine. But one thing about Simone’s X-Men is that she understands what makes Wolverine work best in team books: less of him. What makes Wolverine great in the book is how Jubilee interacts with him, giving her the point of view role for a moment so she can reflect on their relationship or Logan fighting for Rogue because he cares about her and has years of history with her. It’s these dynamics that feel so natural in Uncanny.
Marquez’s art still knocks it out of the park with the creepy framing and horror-esque route for Sarah. She’s a really interesting idea and the twist with Harvey was arguably the most interesting part of the arc as a whole. There is a bit where Rogue takes diction lessons and it feels a bit rushed and squeezed in there for issue #5, but the idea itself is intriguing. I’m interested to see how this plot point is addressed and reflected on later, especially with Rogue back in the fray by the conclusion of this arc.
Jubilee having the other point of view moment was also a highlight. In the same way that Rogue having a spotlight is extremely fresh, Jubilee having some time to shine is noteworthy. It would have been so easy to give Gambit the other point of view role, but by giving that to Jubilee instead, Simone is able to keep things fresh and make it feel more like a team book than a Gambit and Rogue title. I also look forward to reading more Jubilee spotlights after this arc, which this issue got me excited for.
One thing that still feels awkward is the intense focus on calling Rogue “Anna Marie” in this book. For as long as I’ve read X-Men her primary name has been Rogue, with Anna Marie being used by a select few characters like Kurt and Remy and on rare occasions at that. If someone was calling her Anna Marie, it was a significant (usually tender) moment. The excess use of it in this run is the most jarring thing about it, but I guess if “they keep calling her Anna Marie” is the worst thing I have to say about five issues of a comic so far, Simone and Marquez can sleep easy knowing their book is far from bad.
