UNCANNY X-MEN #515

Review by: Joshrector

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Size: pages
Price: 2.99

Now this is a unified direction I can get behind. 

Since the X-men made the move to San
Francisco
there has been a lot of lip service paid to
the concept that the X-men are in new and uncharted territory.  But other
than a shift in locales the stories have remained fairly standard X-men stories
that just happened to take place on the West Coast.  But with the setting
of the mutants very own island nation… there are genuinely new X-men stories
to be told here.  In this setting, the X-men aren’t a combat team, they’re
a people.  And as they build their own society there are a lot of issues
to be tackled, problems to be addressed and possibilities to embrace.

This issue keeps its focus squarely on Scott Summers and the burden he has
taken on as mutantkind’s very own Moses.  Instead of battles strategies
and tactics, it’s his job to make sure people are fed, generators are running,
and living conditions are passable.  He’s a man completely out of his
depth, and we’re already starting to see the cracks forming.  And what’s
nice is that he’s aware of it.  He has a great scene with the mayor that
illustrates both his determination, and desperation.  Scott’s being forced
to keep a detached distance from his friends and loved ones, at the same time
the only person he can let himself get close to is stuck in an emotionless
state because she followed a plan he enacted.  Oh and on top of that
Magneto, the other mutant Moses, shows up looking none too pleased. 

There are a few interesting subplots running here as well.  The Beast
deals with the loss of one of his X-club members, Emma begins her own new
rehabilitation program using Danger, and Professor X seems eager to get back on
the forefront of mutant issues… and they all contain some nice possibilities. 
But the problem of this book’s large casts still rears its head. 
Characters other than Scott and Emma really only get cursory moments, and
they’re development is left lacking.  I can’t help but wonder if this book
would be helped by an Amazing Spider-Man style multi monthly schedule. 
With more issues and a larger narrative spotlight maybe fewer characters would
end up getting squeezed out.

As far as art Greg Land is well… Greg Land.  Good in pin-up style
moments, and not so good with any sort of subtleties or emotions. 

Story: 5 - Excellent
Art: 2 - Average

Comments

  1. Good review. I agree that the art was ok by Land standards, though I hate his Psylocke.

  2. You can’t hate just one of his female characters. They all look like the exact same porn star.

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