Uncanny X-Men #18

Written by Cullen Bunn

Penciled by Edgar Salazar
Cover by Ken Lashley
Published Feb 15, 2017

   While one group of X-Men wardens the most powerful Inhumans in Limbo, another occupies New Attilan curbing the rest of the Inhuman populace. Xorn watches over them, ashamed that he's now part of an indwelling force, and humbled by his own capacity for betrayal. While sitting in one of their temples, Sabastian Shaw walks up behind him. He thinks Xorn is making a mistake allowing the Inhumans to roam free. They lived in peace while their terrigen clouds killed mutants. Still Xorn can tell the prisoners are all afraid, and the sleepers that he promised would not be used as weapons resent their mutant overseers as well.
   Nearby a group of Inhumans gather wondering how they can help Queen Medusa. Treste and her sister Irelle meet Ren the transient who was just passing through. They make plans to escape. The two sisters haven't yet undegone terrigenesis but they know the city well enough to be an asset. just then they're spotted from the sky by the sleepers. The group begins to attack when Xorn walks up, asking them to discuss their issues. Attacking him as well, they fight against their Sleeper guards, who equally aren't happy to be in New Attilan. All of them take out their anger on one another.
   Sebastian Shaw joins the fray, mocking Xorn whom tries in vain to keep the peace. The fight continues when Archangel swoops down, throwing blades full of neurotoxins to pacify them. Xorn asks Shaw to calm down who punches him so hard, his helmet shatters. The energy blast erupts from him at a mighty pace, disintegrating the parties who were in front of it and sending the Black King over the horizon. In the end, 2 sleepers and 2 mutants are dead. The people begin to grow angry again before Archangel opens his wings, bathing them all in light and calming them all down. Xorn realizes he is no shepherd and acknowledges it's time for Inhuman and Mutantkind to heal.
   I know that every issue is one more step toward the finality of the cornerstone book of my childhood but I think it's time. Not that this was a bad book but there's literally only ONE X-Man in it. Almost like everyone left and now it's time to turn out the lights. I give it a 9/10 and look forward to how they're gonna wrap it all up...

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Civil War II #4

Written by Brian Michael Bendis

Penciled by David Marquez
Cover by Mario Djurdjevic
Published July 27, 2016

   Captain Marvel lands on the Triskelion, eager to talk to She-Hulk as she awakes from a coma. She remembers losing to Thanos - badly but what she doesn't know lands on Carol Danvers to break to her as gentle as she can. Bruce Banner is dead, killed by Hawkeye and the verdict just came out... Not guilty on all charges.
   High atop New York, Spider-Man listens as pundits share their opinions. According to polls, 87% of people agreed with the verdict. People however await one man's take on all of it and that man is Tony Stark. Presently he's sitting in front of an audience of his fellow Avengers, the Inhumans, and the Ultimates discussing the man of the hour - Ulysses. He tells them the future cannot be written. It's a construct - a concept. While his explanation is underway, we see scenes of our heroes arresting a banker with an empty briefcase. His explanation continues. Tony mapped and copied Ulysses' brain. His predictions are algorithms of possible futures. Captain America asks Tony if he's absolutely sure about all of this. Carol asks Henry McCoy his opinions and he says that Tony is more or less right. Carol presses on - A person says that a guy over there has a gun. What do you do? Tony says what if that prediction is only 80% correct? 60%? 40%? What if it was only 10% correct? Captain Marvel gets mad and shoots through the ceiling. Tony tells the room that he's going public with the information which gets some sly looks from Medusa and Blackbolt.
   Meanwhile at SHIELD, Carol Danvers interrogates the banker Alison Green. whom Maria Hill and Black Panther have been able to get nothing on. She accuses the woman of being a Hydra agent plotting to bring down financial institutions but the woman is clearly claiming her innocence. Suddenly the woman disappears - evidence of Nightcrawler's involvement. Captain Marvel demands Tony Stark's arrest, whom she finds on the rooftop. Him... and pretty much half of the superheros in the Marvel Universe. Tony tells her she's outmanned - she says hardly - as the Guardians of the Galaxy fly in behind her. Tensions are at their boiling point, right as it's time to be continued.
   I love it when crossover books are good. This one has it all too - tons of characters, conflict, and everybody thinks they're on the right side. Good artwork shores it up and I'm excited for it to play out. What more could you want? I give it a 10/10.

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Extraordinary X-Men #12

Written by Jeff Lemire

Penciled by Humberto Ramos
Cover by Humberto Ramos
Published Jul 27, 2016

   Magik flies across the timestream, with cities rising and decaying within the blink of an eye. She only knows the X-Men are lost and it's up to her to find them. All it takes is a distracted moment, and she's zapped from the sky. The daughters of Sapna, the young mutant Illyana saved, beg her to kill her before she gets a chance to create this nightmare world they live in.Meanwhile 1100 years in the future, Storm has to convince Nightcrawler to help carry a feeble Apocalypse to safety to prevent Omega World from collapsing. Nearby, Horseman Deadpool gasses Iceman with his breath while Cerebra makes her first terrible joke.
   While this is going on, Jean Gray continues to try and reach Logan through Horseman Venom. It's only when Iceman reminds her to instead connect with the alien's mind that she shatters it from the inside out, freeing him. Outside, Colossus throws Glob at them and Logan charges him with claws out.
   Back somewhere in time, Magik debates with the abominations about Sapna's good nature. They tell her that centuries ago, she became a force of great evil. Illyana tells them she has no time for this insanity and leaves them. In the future, Colossus punches a vulnerable Glob but is quickly struck down by his sister, who's finally located them. Storm and Nightcrawler bamf to their location with Apocalypse. She orders the other X-Men to stand down and Magik teleports them back to the mansion. Storm begs Forge to save him or else Colossus will die. Apocalypse grabs him and teleports him to the Akkaba dimension. There his descendants worship him. War is here and Piotr Rasputin is with them. Will they be able to save him? We'll have to wait till next issue to find out.

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Civil War II: X-Men #2

Written by Cullen Bunn

Penciled by Andrea Broccardo
Cover by David Yardin
Published Jul 6, 2016

   On the streets of Raleigh, North Carolina, the Brood attack the local population mercilessly - dropping flying sharks and attacking the crowd without abandon. Luckily, the X-Men show up thanks to a tip from the Inhuman Ulysses. Captain Marvel chides Storm for telling Magneto about Ulyesses, who reminds her that he'd have found out about it at some point. Carol Danvers explains that they have to choose their battles, as Ulysses has been kidnapped once by Tony Stark. The last thing she needs is Magneto bringing his brand of crazy to the party.
   Back in the Savage Land, Psylocke determines Nightcrawler is being truthful. Magneto is indeed right to be concerned about Ulysses. While his gifts are useful, what if makes the wrong predictions? What someone MIGHT do isn't absolute. Worse yet, Magneto is afraid the Inhumans could coax him into making false accusations that could immediately harm mutantkind. Psylocke tells him to tread lightly.
   His first step is to send Fantomex to New Allilan to gather information. He stealths around and encounters a spy from the other side of the X-Men: Gambit. The two of them are able to throw-down a violent, bloody fight but are able to do so silently. They blend into the shadows from the Inhuman guards. In fact, their fight is nearly undetected until Gambit grabs the barrel of Fantomex's pistol, charging it. He incapacitates him, calling Jean to send Magik for transport. He confirms to them Magneto is making his move. Back in the Savage Land, Psylocke plans to make a getaway in the Blackbird, presumably to join Storm's team, before encountering Sabretooth. She's discovered Fantomex was sent to New Atillan as either a spy or an assasin. They have a brief exchange before he tells her Magneto probably already knows her plans.
   Confirming those suspicions, Magneto informs his teammates of Betsy's actions. Although they're down a psychic, he reminds them that the world is full of them to call upon. With that, the issue ends to be continued and we're left waiting until the next one to see what happens.
   Sad that it takes a crossover event to get this many X-Men in one book, it's interesting to see old battles still referenced. Gambit vs Fantomex and even Psylocke's disgust by the once Weapon X assassin is enough to recognize that Bunn respects their origins. I love a comic high on dialogue and this one delivered. I give it a 9/10.

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Civil War II: X-Men #1

Written by Cullen Bunn

Penciled by Andrea Broccardo
Cover by David Yardin
Published Jun 15, 2016

   High atop a sealed skyscraper in Dubai, a group of wealthy mutants hide out to escape the terrigen cloud. As the discussion meanders between Inhuman vs Mutant, an alarm sounds that the building's seal has been broken. Magneto and the X-Men drift in, demanding equal protection for the other mutant citizens. Slowly the waitstaff's disguises fall and they turn out to be Sentinels. As they fire upon the crowd of mutants, the X-Men defend them until the last second when the sentinels fire towards the windows, exposing them all to the mists. The X-Men leap from the windows, levitating as many of the now refugees as they can as the wind begins to blow the cloud from their immediate vicinity. They realize Storm and her team have jumped in to join the fight.
   They attack the sentinels en masse as Magik teleports the bystanders to the limbo dimension. Meanwhile reunions of old friends ensue: Nightcrawler and Psylocke battle the sentinels together like old times and old arguments between Logan and Sabretooth are stoked for a new generation. They discuss how lucky Magneto's team was that Storm's team shows up when they did. Monet tells them luck had nothing to do with it. She picked it up on their surface thoughts that they had warnings from the future. They've been working with the Inhumans which Magneto declares as treasonous. The terrigenesis sterilizes mutants while granting life to Inhumans. At the core of the argument is a new Inhuman named Ulysses, which Psylocke discovers while probing their minds (uninvitedly).
   Magneto's team regroups in the Savage Land where he tells them that the Inhumans will use their weapon against the X-Men as soon as it suits them. Psylocke tells him that Ulysses is just a kid. Their debate is interrupted when Nightcrawler bamfs in. Magneto tells him that if he's there to change minds to save his breath. Nightcrawler says it's quite the contrary. He thinks Magneto is right and with that, the issue is left to be continued.
   It was smart to put the X-Men's involvement in the Civil War crossover in their own limited series and not bogging down the individual books with it. I've gotten my fill with the Avengers. This is much easier to get the mutant slant, even though they're probably a lot more of the story than the Avengers actually should be. Either way, great story. Cullen Bunn does a good job of touching all the bases and I can't wait to see what happens next. I give this one a 9/10.

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Old Man Logan #9

Written by Jeff Lemire

Penciled by Andrea Sorrentino
Cover by Andrea Sorrentino
Published Jul 27, 2016

   With this issue starting off in the present, Logan dons his old Patch persona and visits Tokyo looking for Lady Deathstrike. Local snitch Eito is supposed to have some information for him. Turns out to be a trap. Logan still has a bounty on his head and gunmen rush in, pumping the old Wolverine's body full of bullets. It's hard to keep a good mutant with an old healing factor down however, and he springs back up, killing them all except for Eito as a warning.
   Flashback to the Wastelands, Logan and Maureen are awakened by one of the Villain Uprising death machines. They run until they can't run anymore. Later they boat into the city and Logan senses the town is abandoned. Suddenly he realizes they're in danger. Running back to the boat, they encounter a street gang who tells them their lives now belong to the Silent Order.
   Back in the present, Logan arrives to the address of the Reavers and Deathstrike. He smells machine oil and blood, her unmistakable scent. Finding her chained to the wall and severely wounded, she begs him for help. He asks if it's some kind of trick before being run through by a dozen arrows. Walking out of the shadows, an older member of the street gang from before. He tells Logan how long they've waited. For he now belongs to the Silent Order again,, and with that we're left to be continued.
   Still the best book in the Marvel Universe to me. If there's any title I look forward more to getting, I can't tell you what it is. My only complaint is that this creative team can't make more comic books for them. I give it a 10/10 as usual.

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Uncanny Avengers #11

Written by Gerry Duggan

Penciled by Pepe Larraz
Cover by Ryan Stegman
Published Jul 27, 2016

   Hank Pym/Ultron continues to fight the Avengers and they can't tell if he's more man or machine. Deadpool's shot at the end of the previous issue turns out to be a warning, and he pays for it dearly, stabbed through the chest and infested with nanobots. Vision then arrives, delivering crushing blow after blow to Ultron and initiating an unknown directive - Project Icarus. Somewhere in space, Captain Marvel gets his message and she launches Icarus to Vision's position. Whatever it is, its heading Ultron's way.
   Wasp gets an urgent call from Cable, asking her to bring the EMP device to save Deadpool's life. She orders Vision to get Ultron as close to where they are as possible. He does his best, with Quicksilver and Rogue getting taken out in the process. All the while, Hank and Ultron's voices are talking back and forth, clearly confusing the Avengers as to whether they're killing the machine or killing Hank. Cable rips the machine out of Deadpool while Hank accuses the Avengers of leaving him to die in space. All the while, Vision attempts to hold Ultron in the landing zone until Icarus finally arrives - The Hulkbuster smashes into him from orbit, and with that, the issue is left to be continued.
   This has got to be the most fun Avengers squad there is. Plus with all the X-Men they incorporate, this really might be the best Marvel team-up title going right now. What a story. I mentioned in a previous review about how the X-Men keep retreading Apocalypse.. In complete contrast, Ultron always seems fresh to me. Good to see him still alive and I can't wait to see where this ends up. I give this issue a 10/10.

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