Sunday, February 22, 2009

Uncanny X-Men #506

The Uncanny X-Men has always been about big concepts - but somehow, I think the latest storyline is almost too big.

The team has set up shop in San Francisco, a city that has (wisely or not) opened its arms to the mutants of the world and promised them safe haven.

To help with that, the X-Men have established a compound to house these mutants (or ex-mutants, since most of them lost their powers after the House of M mini-series).

And that's where things are getting crowded, as more refugees crowd into the X-Men home, along with most of the still-powered mutants. It's tough to keep track of the characters in a crowd scene, and it tends to dilute the focus on the team.

There are other sub-plots going on. Emma Frost seems to be fighting her own conscience (no doubt as a result of her involvement in Dark Reign), Colossus is working out his anger on some Russian criminals, and the Beast is leading a team on a search for scientists who can restore mutants - and they run into a most unexpected opponent.

The art is terrific, and I'm a big fan of Terry and Rachel Dodson. It's Matt Fraction's story that has me uncertain about the book. We'll see how this story wraps up next month before making a final decision.

I don't dislike this comic - it's better now than it's been in a while, but it still has a long way to go to restore its place alongside past glories.

Grade: B

No comments: