The Uncanny X-Men is meant to be one of the stand out titles currently in the X Universe. In it’s pages we get to see the fallout of AVX and the team Cyclops has put together to start a mutant revolution. Of course that would be much easier if any of his team actually still had full control of their powers. In the very first issue we see Magneto nearly fully depowered and having reached out to S.H.I.E.L.D in order to help them both find and stop Cyclops.

Losing his powers and seeing Scott’s “cause” isn’t being to agreeable with the man who was once the most powerful mutant on the planet.

Last issue’s main focus was on Magneto letting S.H.I.E.L.D. know what was going on. This one’s focus really felt to be on Emma Frost, The White Queen. The cover clearly is meant to have Emma on your mind and the comic itself opens with Emma, in her usually scantily clad self, having an internal monologue on what she’s lost. She no longer has Scott, her powers aren’t where they should be, she feels broken. We find out exactly how broken they are as suddenly Scott is behind her because she’s been projecting this entire conversation into his mind.

Honestly, once it went from a monologue to a dialogue it felt very natural for two strong characters who have lost so much to be able to speak with each other. The end of their relationship is addressed by Magik showing up and asking if they are back together because if they aren’t they have work to do. Each panel leading up to this last one is beautifully illustrated. You can almost feel the characters wanting to reach out for each other yet knowing that in the world they currently live in they can’t.

I really enjoy the way they’ve developed Emma over the years. I’m curious how they’ll end up having her be from this point out.

Magik’s comment on having work to do ends up being showing off the new mutants they’ve been gathering their new home. Well, their new home if they want to become one of the X-Men and join the new Charles Xavier School for gifted youngsters.

Most of the mutants are pretty psyched about this though one of them seems pretty homesick. As denying the children the illusion of freedom would cause them to have a problem on their hands they agree to take the child to visit her parents. All of them aside from Magneto that is who stays behind.

It appears to be a happy reunion for a whole five seconds before The Avengers show up to take Cyclops down. Magneto clearly wasted no time in contacting S.H.I.E.L.D. on where his friends were going to be.

We’re left off here on a cliffhanger moment which is quite fitting. While the next issue is clearly going to be action packed the focus on this one was the characters. I’ve had almost no interest in wanting to know what was going to happen around Cyclops since he and Wolverine had it out pre-AVX and this is the first time I’m wondering what really is about to happen?

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Penciler: Chris Bachalo
Cover Artist: Chris Bachalo