Hank McCoy has been kidnapped. Not only that, but he’s being held prisoner at what once was Charles Xavier’s School. Based on the cover of this issue, I’m sure Cyclops will both handle this normally and not run into any unexpected problems. Yeah, sure. But let’s also address the elephant in the room: We’re eight issues into a series and there’s a crossover amongst titles. Why? Well, it’s quite simple: there are two X-Men teams operating, one led by Rogue (as seen in Gail Simone’s Uncanny X-Men) and one by Cyclops. It seems, given the aggressive nature Cyclops is planning on taking, there’s going to be some disagreement between the two teams. Previously, the two were hinted at being a modern version of Xavier (Rogue) and Magneto (Cyclops). Given this information, how does this play out? More importantly, is the first part of the two titles’ crossover good enough to continue along with?
Marvel Comics
The story winds up taking some interesting turns. While it flies by, we learn a lot about what’s been going on at Graymalkin Prison. Not only that, but Hank McCoy gets a bit of a spotlight and writer Jed MacKay reminds readers that before the eugenics, Hank was an X-Man. While most of the stories I’ve read with Hank have shown him as dubious at best, it’s nice to see who he used to be and who he is again. In addition, as the story passes its halfway mark, we begin to see how the X-Men are planning on executing their raid on the prison. While it’s still unclear why Scott and Rogue’s teams are going to be at odds, one thing’s for sure: the raid itself is sure to have consequences. That said, the intensity of the story was mostly found through Scott’s eyes and the actions of the warden. Throughout these moments, MacKay does a good job delivering a story with high stakes and suspense. With each act, it’s hard not to think “Well, that’s going to haunt them later” or “The Warden’s sure to regret this” when the treatment of the mutants is shown.
Marvel
This issue carries a packed team of Ryan Stegman on pencils, JP Mayer, Livesay, and Stegman on inks, and Marte Garcia providing colors. While the story is rather vibrant, the art as a whole is beginning to feel overcrowded. While Stegman’s pencils have been able to provide sharp detail, as seen in his work on Venom, there’s a thickness that makes the story a bit flat at times. It’s hard to tell whether this is a result of the inking or colors, but it’s the blending of the two that creates moments that appear a bit too sharp. Moments that are clearly meant to evoke emotion fall a bit short because of this. That said, the issue is still quite pleasant to read and is supported by its great coloring and scenes where Stegman’s paneling displays a genius layout of movement across the page.
Marvel
I was hesitant about X-Men already having a crossover so soon after being relaunched. But, needless to say, I was wrong. The story has an interesting hook as it pushes the X-Men towards a more ambitious standing than simply being a team of heroes stopping villains. Rather, they are being further cemented as liberators of oppressed mutants who strike back just as hard as their oppressors. This creates a captivating first issue in the month-long crossover with Uncanny X-Men that is sure to leave readers eager for Uncanny X-Men #7.
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