Bagged, but not bored: Comic Review Uncanny X-men #1 (4 out of 5)

Marvel has finally managed to make Cyclops a bad ass!

(Spoilers for Uncanny X-men #1, AVX, Messiah Complex and House of M follow)

     The X-men have been through utter hell in the last couple of months/years House of M decimated the Mutant  population, Messiah Complex was just that a very complex search and development of mutant savior Hope Summers, and it all culminated in last year's blockbuster event Avengers VS. X-men.   All of this left the mutant world reeling after the Death of Charles Xavier at the hands of a Dark Phoenix powered Cyclops, but with also with a little "hope" after the discovery of new mutants across the globe as the result of Hope Summers and the Scarlet Witch supposedly extinguishing the Phoenix force for good.  Following AVX Magneto breaks Cyclops out of prison, thrusting Scott Summers into being the face of a new Mutant Rebellion, and launching a new volume of Uncanny X-men written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Chis Bachalo as part of the new Marvel Now publishing initiative.  So just how good is Uncanny X-men "Now"? find out after the break...





It doesn't get anymore Epic than a classic X-men Vs. Sentinel Battle! 

     This issue begins with Maria Hill questioning what is believed to be an unknown Mutant as Nick Fury looks on. The mutant seems to know the location of all the new mutants across the globe as result of the death of the Phoenix force, the mystery mutant also claims that the new mutant's power levels are unusually high.  The mutant goes on to warn Maria Hill against killing Scott Summers claiming it would only make him a martyr for the new mutant revolution that is coming.  During this conversation it is also revealed that Cyclops Has lost control of his powers.  Mean while the story flashed back to a day earlier where Cyclops and his new team of X-men that include Magneto, Emma Frost, Magik, and two new mutants: an unknown healer, and an extremely powerful female Mutant knows as Tempus who can control space and time despite only being a Mutant for a total of four days set out on a rescue mission of new mutant they discovered San Diego.  This new mutant apparently has the ability to shoot dangerous ball like objects out of his body.  Shortly after the new team of Uncanny X-men arrive the government run Sentinels are launched to impede Cyclops rescue mission.  The result is an Epic Sentinel X-men battle where we see a weakened Emma Frost and Magneto struggle, but find ways to improvise, (the two have been in a weak state ever since they encountered the Phoenix force in AVX) while Magik and Cyclops aided by Tempus's time control abilities rip the Sentinels a new one.  Back at an underground Shield bunker the mystery mutant claims Cyclops to also be in a weakened state after AVX, a claim Hill refutes based on Cyclops utter domination of the Sentinel team only a day earlier.  The mutant continues to claim Scott Summers may have his powers, but he can't control them thus being a ticking time bomb.  Then Brian Michael Bendis give us one of the better reveal's ever in a 1st issue, when on the final page we learn the mystery mutant is none other than Magneto who vows revenge on Cyclops for the death of Charles Xavier!

Notice Chis Bachalo's very subtle, but effective Emma Frost design 


     Chris Bachalo provided very solid art that fit Bendis's Uncanny X-men very well.  It is not quite as stunning as Jerome Opena's art in Avengers or quite as focused as Steve Epting's work on New Avengers, but he adds his personal touches that go with this book very well.  For example the way Bachalo draws Emma Frost and Magneto in black and white to portray their post AVX weakened state.  The most telling of how well Bachalo hit's his marks is how well he draws Joe Quesada's Uncanny redesign of Cyclops, but anything is better than blue and yellow spandex right?

With Brian Michael Bendis on the Job X-men fans can rest assured Mutants will remain Homo Superior!

     Brian Michael Bendis's Uncanny X-men #1 sets the stage for a new mutant revolution that X-men fans will actually care about, and raises several cliff hanging questions right from the outset.  The book also manages to make Cyclops a likable character,which is never an easy task!  There is no doubt Bendis has Epic scale plans for the Mutant world, you have to look no farther than Secret Invasion to realize that Bendis knows how to lay a very solid foundation and framework for most of his stories.  After almost three months of no new X-men books it's good to know that the homo superior species is in good hands, both in Uncanny X-men and its sister book All New X-men!

























































































































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