Astonishing X-Men #8

A MAN CALLED X pt II

Written by Charles Soule
Penciled by Paulo Siqueirra
Cover by Mike Doedato Jr
Published Feb 21, 2018

   On the streets of London, a starving Proteus floats above causing mass chaos. On a nearby rooftop, X explains the Shadow King was using shards of the mutant's soul to create a psychic feedback loop. But one things's for sure - these X-Men still don't know if they can trust the man called X.

Would it kill you to shave that head, X?

   Meanwhile, Bishop reports Proteus is on the loose. He shoots it as X telekinetically warns him from doing so. It's fueling him. Still Bishop argues that if he's eating cannon fodder, he isn't eating people. He's interrupted by the constant blast of his weapon, followed by an explosion that almost levels nearby buildings.

Look what you did now, dummy.

   Back on the root, Archangel, Gambit and Old Man Logan rejoin the team. As they talk, Logan explains that he already knows how to stop Proteus. With metal. He and Archangel have more than enough to fight it. X asks to try negotiation first. He and Psylocke join hands and force their way into Proteus' mind.

This is how telekinetics date.

   They walk up to a castle and see Kevin MacTaggert atop it. He knows why they've come. He asks if they think a person can change after prison. He never got the chance before Colossus beat him to death on Muir Island. Afterwards even more punishment awaited him. He was imprisoned for 10,000 years in the Astral Plane. He shows Betsy her old self. If she can change, why could he never get the chance?

X has been watching the Boondock Saints.

   The debate continues until X pulls duel soul pistols. Betsy asks what happened to non-violence? He pulls the trigger but Proteus sends them back into the real world as a freaky, conjoined monstrosity as the X-Men stand by helplessly. What'll happen next? We'll have to wait as this issue is left to be continued.

Aw SNAP!

   As Charles Soule continues to show, this is clearly the best and brightest out of all the X-books going. Even now in the wake of the new Red team's debut, they can't come close to catching what this series has managed to do. Proteus is one of the most powerful mutants from all of the X-Men's past. Putting a new spin on it as well as Soule can, this book still excels in leaps and bounds. I give this one a 10/10.

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