Comic Books

> > 524
UNCANNY X-MEN #524

“SECOND COMING”, CHAPTER SIX A beloved X-Man died defending Hope, the returned mutant “messiah.” As they lay their comrade to rest, the remaining X-Men are left to question: Is she worth it?

WRITER: Matt Fraction
PENCILS: Terry Dodson
COVER BY: Adi Granov

Price: $2.99
iFanboy Community Pick of the Week Percentage: 2.0%

Reviews

UserAddedSpoilers
twistedkaijuu0705/05/10YesRead Review
glwarm7605/05/10YesRead Review
akamuu05/04/10NoRead Review
596
Pulls
Avg Rating: 3.7
 
Users who pulled this comic:
 

Comments

  1. Avatar photo rockingeek says:
    May 3, 2010 at 2:54 pm

    Hope this keeps up with the amazingly awesome last chapter!?!

  2. Avatar photo cutty says:
    May 3, 2010 at 3:16 pm

    For me every issue of the x-over has been a 4 or 5.  So far it’s the most amazingly consistent event I’ve read in years, especially considering it comes out weekly.

  3. Avatar photo RoiVampire says:
    May 3, 2010 at 3:40 pm

    @cutty agreed, i went back and got the chapters i missed. glad i did

  4. Avatar photo misterckent says:
    May 3, 2010 at 3:45 pm

    I’ve just gotten back into the Xbooks with this one.  It’s moving at a great pace and feels like the same comic even though it’s over various titles.  Great consistency and having fun reading an ongoing Xbook once a week.

  5. Avatar photo CaseyJustice says:
    May 3, 2010 at 3:51 pm

    This event reminds me a lot of Messiah CompleX… and that is in no way a bad thing. Great fun!

  6. Avatar photo XManRyan says:
    May 3, 2010 at 3:52 pm

    Eh not a fan of Terry Dodson’s art, but I am pleased the crossover is doing well on a weekly basis.

  7. Avatar photo RoiVampire says:
    May 3, 2010 at 5:38 pm

    Dodson! We got Dodson here!

  8. Avatar photo lantern4life says:
    May 3, 2010 at 5:52 pm

    For all who want X-men to be a weekly book this is it get it while it lasts.

  9. Avatar photo glwarm76 says:
    May 3, 2010 at 6:06 pm

    Picked up all the issues so far at my LCS’s sale on FCBD and loved every issue. Best cross-over since Sinestro Corps War. 

  10. Avatar photo cutty says:
    May 3, 2010 at 6:56 pm

    @glwarm76 – good call.  So far its probably my favorite X-crossover since Age of Apocalypse or X-Cutioner’s Song

  11. Avatar photo PraxJarvin says:
    May 3, 2010 at 7:48 pm

    I don’t know. I’m liking this, this has been the best the X-Books have been since the 2001 Relaunch tapered off in late 2003-early 04, but I’m still not liking that this is almost exactly Messiah Complex but with an older kid (Who I don’t think had more than two lines of dialogue in the each of the last two issues). As well, I feel like I need to ask… what’s the point of tracking Cable and Hope cross country when you’re just going to surround the island anyway (and indeed seem to have already had those people in place?)? Why commit the resources, etc. etc?

  12. Avatar photo cutty says:
    May 3, 2010 at 8:06 pm

    @Prax – I’d say it was a pretty good strategy considering Bastion basically had Hope dead.  It took Nightcrawler sacrificing himself to save her from him.

    I’m very curious to see what these towers are. 

  13. Avatar photo XManRyan says:
    May 3, 2010 at 8:39 pm

    @ Cutty- Maybe these "towers" could have some sort of a symbolic link to several biblical references such as Nimrod, great grandson of Noah who is also associated with "The Tower of Babel."

  14. Avatar photo cutty says:
    May 3, 2010 at 8:46 pm

    who said what in the what now?

  15. Avatar photo vadamowens says:
    May 3, 2010 at 8:49 pm

    @xmanryan I really think you’re reaching there.

  16. Avatar photo drakedangerz says:
    May 3, 2010 at 9:07 pm

    He just blew my mind. 

  17. Avatar photo ABirdseysView says:
    May 3, 2010 at 9:16 pm

    @Prax, if the island is surrounded, Cable and Hope can just say, "look, the island is surrounded, guess we have to go somewhere else."  just a thought..

  18. Avatar photo PraxJarvin says:
    May 3, 2010 at 9:52 pm

    @AbirdseysView Well, why not just wait till Cable and Hope get to the island and then kill everyone in one fell swoop? They could track him anyway, they’d know when he got there. It’s a small point, but I finished X-Force and had this feeling of "Wouldn’t a sentient computer programmed to exterminate have a more efficient plan than this?" (See also, Borg, Daleks, Skynet)

  19. Avatar photo XManRyan says:
    May 3, 2010 at 11:13 pm

    I find it bothersome that the X-Men would be stupid enough to let Cable on Utopia when they know hes being tracked via TO virus. Its hard to believe that even Cable himself would allow himself to do such thing. Bastion has the upper hand now, but I really don’t see him winning since Magneto can disassemble his metal arse.

  20. Avatar photo drakedangerz says:
    May 3, 2010 at 11:59 pm

    @XManRyan-The point isn’t that they know he is on Utopia, the point of tracking him was to stop him from ever reaching the island. It was always known that Utopia was their final destination.

  21. Avatar photo ABirdseysView says:
    May 4, 2010 at 1:25 am

    hmm, well Cyclops always has a plan, that is the best I’ve got

  22. Avatar photo twistedkaijuu07 says:
    May 5, 2010 at 11:27 am

    GOOD GOD, i was really into second coming until this issue. I’m still reading but dreading the next cycle of Uncanny….i so want Kyle and Yost writing this book

  23. Avatar photo e_limarenko says:
    May 5, 2010 at 3:31 pm

    (sigh) I was really enjoying this crossover. This issue was a momentum killer.  I was not a big fan of Dodson’s art either. Did anyone else find Scott’s body language a bit "off" when he was bent over talking to Hope?  I hope the payoff of this series is worth the investment.

  24. Avatar photo cutty says:
    May 5, 2010 at 7:19 pm

    Fraction is the fucking worst.  Either he has no idea what Nightcrawler meant to his teammates or he is completely unable to convey any kind of loss or sadness, outside of Logan snarling every other frame – Yo Matt, we get it.

    Nobody sounds like themselves when he’s writing.  He writes Bastion like he’s Cobra Commander

  25. Avatar photo PraxJarvin says:
    May 5, 2010 at 7:48 pm

    I didn’t hate this. It wasn’t great, no… but enjoyable. There were some odd characterizations. When did Magneto randomly become Gandalf? (Other, than y’know, the actor.) I actually felt like Scott was finally being written like the Scott I’m used to reading when he talked to Hope. Was this the best ever? No, certainly not. But honestly, it was nice to read an issue of this event where they weren’t being chased. Also… Bastion’s dialogue and "Super Samurai Archangel" look have been off this entire event, it’s not just Fraction. 3.5/5

  26. Avatar photo XManRyan says:
    May 5, 2010 at 8:35 pm

    Seriously Fraction needs to take a X-Men 101 class to help him write this series. Sorry Dodson, but I’m tired of the X books being drawn in a cartoonish way with bright colors so no cigar for you. Hope New Mutants #13 next week picks up the slack because Uncanny was a slump in the crossover’s rise.

  27. Avatar photo comicBOOKchris says:
    May 5, 2010 at 9:22 pm

    I liked this issue, I feel like this type of quiet issue was needed after the craziness that has been this crossover so far. Just like Captain America, a great way to show how Nightcrawler meant to the world is to take him out of the equation and see how the characters react. Wolverine’s scene at the end was especially well written. So this was a pretty good issue, I’m glad the pace was slowed down a bit here.

  28. Avatar photo skeets says:
    May 5, 2010 at 9:30 pm

    Dodson’s art is getting butchered by the inking or coloring or i dunno what.

  29. Avatar photo rift1128 says:
    May 5, 2010 at 10:03 pm

    I agree that some of the characterizations were off… but if i had one main complaint its Dodson. i never thought i would say he provided the weakest art in the series with Greg Land on one of the books but overall the characters dont fit the tone of the book when drawn by him… Wolverine getting mad towards the end looked almost comical…

  30. Avatar photo drakedangerz says:
    May 5, 2010 at 11:12 pm

    I enjoyed this quite a bit, though now it makes me hate the fact that they killed Nightcrawler last issue. They were all talking about how cool he was and now I miss him. 🙁

  31. Avatar photo CGPO says:
    May 5, 2010 at 11:23 pm

    This felt like a filler issue.  It makes me worried that really the whole cross-over could have been told in 2 months worth of issues instead of three.  Not that they shouldn’t pay tribute to Kurt, but that should have been the first issue of Uncanny after Second Coming as an Epilogue of sorts.  This issue really was the weakest one, as the rest have been excellent and really did kind of kill the momentum.  Here’s hoping New Mutants picks it up again next week.  And I didn’t care for Dodson’s work.  Both him and Land don’t really seem like X-Men artists to me.

  32. Avatar photo ABirdseysView says:
    May 6, 2010 at 12:41 am

    hm, I really don’t know what anyone was expecting for the issue of Uncanny immediately after Nightcrawler dies

  33. Avatar photo Slockhart says:
    May 6, 2010 at 3:00 am

    I think I’ve finally been reading X-Men books long enough to understand why Matt Fraction sucks.

  34. Avatar photo Slockhart says:
    May 6, 2010 at 3:02 am

    THe art was…. euggh…. I guess I never minded Dodson too much because his art meant not getting Greg land, but this just came off as a -REALLY- sloppy Amanda Conner knock-off.  And considering she’s far and away my favorite artist, it really bothered me.

  35. Avatar photo cutty says:
    May 6, 2010 at 8:05 am

    To be clear, I LOVE filler issues on Uncanny.  Some of my favorite all-time issues have been the slow, in-between ones where we got to know everybody a little better.

    The problem is that I don’t think Fraction really gives a shit about any of these characters.  He’d rather write them as he wants to talk as opposed to how they should talk.  I’m sorry, but the reaction to Kurt’s death – maybe the single most beloved teammate – was laughable.  Kyle/Yost pulled more heartstrings with 2 panels of Hope and 2 panels of Scott, Logan, and Emma than Fraction could in an entire issue; instead we got the typical "YOU DID THIS" from Hank, the cliche "It’s not your fault" from Scott, and of course growling from Wolverine.  It’s not just this issue, it’s his disaster of a run on a comic that really matters to a lot of us.

  36. Avatar photo ActualButt says:
    May 6, 2010 at 11:55 am

    I think the stand out moment of this issue was Magneto talking to Hope in the sickbay. It was a nice illustration of how he is able to convince so many people to follow him around. Dude’s a charmer.

  37. Avatar photo drakedangerz says:
    May 6, 2010 at 12:06 pm

    I’m baffled by the amount of hate this issue is getting.

  38. Avatar photo Selfstyler says:
    May 6, 2010 at 1:18 pm

    No hate from me, drakedangerz.  Loved this.  Magneto very subtly getting Hope on side, and then a very well written funeral sequence?  This is why I love the X-Men.  I had no problem with the characterization.  Everybody reacted in a plausible way – and grief does weird things to everyone.

    ‘Filler’ is one of those terms that seems to be thrown about as synonymous with ‘character-centric’.  I’m thrilled this issue came when it did – if they’d continued an endless action sequence after Kurt bought the farm, I’d have been royally miffed.  By the time the finale rolls around in 8 or so weeks, the funeral would have lost much of its impact.

    Keep this level of quality, and I’ll sing Second Coming’s praises till the day I die.

  39. Avatar photo BornIn1142 says:
    May 6, 2010 at 1:48 pm

    I also fail to see the problem with the issue. It broke off the fast pace up to the this point and I DO question the placement of the funeral service in the story, I thought it was just fine otherwise. I suppose this issue marked the end of the first act. And Wolverine snarled – so what? What should his reaction have been here? The criticism of the art can be discarded practically out of hand.

    What I’d like to know is where the hell Rogue is? Is she still lying inconscious in Las Vegas? Why is nobody bothering to help her?

  40. Avatar photo BornIn1142 says:
    May 6, 2010 at 1:53 pm

    Oh. Never mind. Rogue did appear at the funeral.

  41. Avatar photo cutty says:
    May 6, 2010 at 3:43 pm

    I don’t have a problem that it was a funeral issue, that’s what it should have been.  I have a problem that Fraction fumbled almost every single emotional beat and teammate reaction.  I have a problem that there was not a single panel of Kitty breaking down, arguably the one who cared about Kurt the most (what a missed opportunity).  Or that Colossus simply said "oh, maybe he’ll come back".  Seriously?  With all the development between those two over the years, that’s the best you’ve got?  How about Storm and Rogue?  The scene of Xavier losing another student was squandered – go read when Illyana passed – that is how you handle a funeral and that is how you convey all different kind of emotions that stem from individuals reacting to a death of a friend in their own way

    I honestly didn’t get the sense that anybody realized Kurt died, they even went so far to leave his corpse outside under a tarp when they got tired of standing over him.  Even Bobby’s cliche, bible verse eulogy was about Utopia instead of being about Kurt.  Fraction has no voice for any of these characters and I think HE’S the one who could give a shit about Nightcrawler.  There was an opportunity here for a great story and it was left in incapable hands.  I just wish Mike Carey had a shot at it.

  42. Avatar photo XManRyan says:
    May 7, 2010 at 12:31 am

    The only thing I liked about the issue was that Fraction and Dodson showed the X-Men breaking apart from each other questioning if Hope is really worth it. I did not hate this issue. Plot wise, this issue was a good funeral story with tension, but I felt that the characters should have been written better (believable) and the art should have been dark and portrayed more emotion.

    @ Cutty- Yeah man I agree that Mike Carey should have done this piece. He would have written this issue very well. If people want art like this in an issue, Marvel should have got Chris Bachalo to do the art. Also cartoon-like art, but much better than Dodson glossy art. Glad they didn’t get Humberto Ramos hahahahaa.

  43. Avatar photo twistedkaijuu07 says:
    May 7, 2010 at 2:38 pm

    I agree with Cutty Fraction honestly has some serious characterization problems that need to be adressed as well as some minor continuity issues. Why was Magma all worked up about Kurt being dead to my recollection they haven’t had any interaction and did Colossus just rush to Kitty in the sick bay and completely ignore Kurt’s dead body. Overall i like the issue, i liked the slowed passing to allow the X-men to mourn and the Magneto Hope moment was interesting but the way a majority of the characters acted sort of just rubbed me the wrong way. Also i hate beast and calling out scott as responsible in the middle of Nightcrawler’s funeral was just bad taste when honestly it was pretty much Wolverine’s fault that Kurt died

  44. Avatar photo BornIn1142 says:
    May 7, 2010 at 2:45 pm

    @ twistedkaijuu07

    Like I mentioned in the comments of your review – Magma was not "all worked up". You’re seriously misinterpreting that line. She was expressing the team’s faith in Hope, not their grief over Nightcrawler.

  45. Avatar photo cutty says:
    May 7, 2010 at 8:31 pm

    @xmanryan – don’t spoil it please

    on a related note, I’m surprised we haven’t seen any reaction to Ariel’s death yet.  Yeah she sucks, but it’s a great opportunity for Scott to feel responsible or for Xavier to feel the weight of losing another student.  She is a teenager afterall, I hope they hit the right beats (Not singling Fraction out on this one)

  46. Avatar photo AlanRob says:
    May 7, 2010 at 10:30 pm

    I really enjoyed this.Another solid chapter in a great crossover.

    It was a nice end of the first act/start f the second act.  I agree with everone above, who said we needed to slow down.  And for what its worth, I attibute the lack of a lot of strong reactions to Nightcrawler’s death to the fact that there is basically a war on.  There will be time for proper grieving when its over.

  47. Avatar photo PraxJarvin says:
    May 8, 2010 at 12:27 am

    @Cutty You realize this is an event where a woman who has been on the team for over 30 years loses her leg, and she hasn’t had a line of dialogue in the 3 issues since getting impaled? I don’t expect them to make any reference to Ariel except in a list of the dead, because… it doesn’t really matter, does it?

  48. Avatar photo cutty says:
    May 8, 2010 at 1:25 pm

    @prax – not exactly apples and apples.  I would think Cyclops would show a little regret over sending a kid to her death.  Of course it doesn’t matter, Ariel is awful and killing her is probably just house cleaning.  But it’s a missed opportunity for a great scene

    Besides, Hodge did Shan a favor; now she’ll get a cool robot leg

Leave a Comment