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Uncanny X-Men #4

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Uncanny X-Men #4With the Avengers temporarily out of picture halfway around the world, Cyclops and his team head to the Jean Grey School for Girls where he, Magneto, Emma Frost, and Magik make a pitch to the students. Although they might not get as many new recruits as Cyclops had hoped, the mission is far from a total loss as they do return home with Angel, and the Stepford Sisters (who decide to return with Emma even after engaging in a little psychic warfare with their “mother”).

While the grown-ups are out recruiting, Fabio Medina, Triage, Benjamin Deeds, and Tempus get to know each other a little better, check out their new digs, learn all about the Danger Room when they accidentally activate the program, and speculate whether or not they have made the right choice joining Cyclops’ team. These scenes are quite fun.

Meanwhile, Magik begins experiencing troubles of her own as she is pulled through hell and back setting up what I can only assume will be the focus of the next issue (or two).

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Nova #2

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Nova #2The first issue might have been a little too much set-up, but Nova #2 is a hell of a lot of fun. Sam Alexander wakes up in the hospital to find the fictional characters from his father’s bedtime stories, Rocket Racoon and Gamora, standing at his bedside. Like any rational teenage hit with a crazy ass situation, Sam freaks the hell out (especially after the “talking raccoon” tries to shoot him).

Later that night, after initially deciding to get rid of it, Sam puts on the Nova Corps helmet keyed to his father’s DNA, becomes the new Nova, and watches the final message from his father. The rest of the comic features Sam processing all that has happened over the past few days and experimenting with his new powers before crash landing on the moon at the feet of a Watcher.

Once again Ed McGuinness delivers some great art (although I like my Rocket Raccoon a little more cute and less feral) with so much of the heavy lifting done last issue Jeph Loeb writes a much tighter story with some great humor.

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Uncanny X-Men #3

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Uncanny X-Men #3Tipped off by Magneto, the Avengers arrive to arrest Cyclops for the murder of Charles Xavier when the new X-Men show up at the family home of Tempus, one of Cyclops’ new recruits. Although we don’t get the battle we expect, writer Brian Michael Bendis continually ramps up the tension as Cyclops and Emma Frost do a pretty damn good job of defending their recent actions, turning the blame back on Tony Stark and the Avengers, and making a pretty persuasive argument why Scott Summers’ team is necessary in the current Marvel Universe.

Thanks to the time-altering powers of Tempus, the X-Men are able to leave without bloodshed and allow Cyclops and his team to make it home and confront Magneto over his betrayal. Here again, Bendis goes for a far more layered option as Magneto defends his actions and how they helped the X-Men claim an impressive victory of the Avengers.

When all is said and done Cyclops takes Magik‘s advice to take advantage of the Avengers frozen in time to make a little recruitment visit to the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning. Next month should be very interesting. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Uncanny X-Men #2

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Uncanny X-Men #2Before teasing us the huge conflict on the horizon for Scott Summers and his new band of X-Men, the latest issue of Uncanny X-Men takes a step back and deals on the relationships inside the new Charles Xavier’s School for Mutants, particularly that of Cyclops and Emma Frost.

Issue #2 catches us up on the state of Cyclops and Emma’s strained relationship after the fallout of AvX that left both unable to fully control their powers. Although still able to project her thoughts, often without meaning to, Emma’s ability to read other’s minds has not returned. Although no longer romantically involved, it’s obvious the two still care for each other and if Cyclops’ new version of the X-Men is going to work he’s going to have to rely heavily on his former flame.

We also get learn a little more about a couple of Cyclops’ new recruits: Fabio Medina and Tempus (whose wish to see her family send the group back to Australia and, thanks to Magneto‘s betrayal, right into the path of the Avengers). Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1

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Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1Although the Guardians of the Galaxy make only a cameo appearance at the end of the issue, this .1 reintroduction of Peter Quill is a must-read for any fan of the character. Writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Steve McNiven use the issue to explore the origin of the hero before the series relaunches later this month.

Although I find it humorous that Bendis basically gives Star-Lord the the origin of Christopher Daniel Barnes from the Starman TV-show, it certainly works well as Peter Quill’s mother meets an alien from another world and falls in love, only discovering her pregnancy after he’s returned to the stars.

The majority of the comic is spent on Meredith’s time with the man from the stars and the tragedy involving the adolescent Peter Quill first encounter with that Badoon which would push him to the stars years later. Simply running out of pages, this means we don’t really get any information on how Peter became Star-Lord here. The story we do get is well-told and terrifically illustrated by Steve McNiven.

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