Anghus Houvouras reviews the sixth issue of Marvel NOW!’s Uncanny X-Men…
“The Uncanny X-Men face evil sorcerer DORMAMMU! Don’t miss this new take on the evil sorcerer demon courtesy of Bendis and Irving. Discover the secrets Magik has been hiding since the Phoenix Force left her in AVENGERS VS. X-MEN.”
The X-Men books have been downright refreshing since Marvel handed the reigns to Brian Michael Bendis. The Marvel NOW relaunch has made these characters interesting again. The aftermath of the Avengers vs. X-Men series from 2012 is still being felt throughout the X-books. Cyclops and his team of rogue mutants are struggling to survive. Their new recruits are beginning to doubt their teachers ability to protect them. Relationships are strained, and a very complicated situation is turning increasingly hostile.
Uncanny X-Men #6 starts out with a bang. Our heroes are trapped in Limbo. The mutant Magik has been losing control of her abilities and the dimension of Limbo is falling apart. This has brought Doctor Strange’s old enemy Dorramu to lay siege and try to claim this disintegrating dimension as his own. The experienced mutants are having trouble controlling their powers. The new recruits lack the skills to fight an army of mindless demons. Things are not looking good for the Uncanny X-Men.
The sixth issue continues a stellar run from Bendis and associates. This pit stop in the hellish dimension of Limbo has felt so different from the traditional fare you find in Marvel’s mutant books. Cyclops is in an indefensible position as he tries to carry on the dream of Charles Xavier. Without his powers working at an optimal level, he’s dependent on his new recruits. His weaknesses and frailties have been exposed as the new mutants begin to break ranks.
Frazer Irving’s artwork is stunning. The mood and atmosphere he brings to the book sets it apart from the vast majority of titles on the shelf. He paints a brutal and frightening vision of Limbo and his more surrealistic style suits the story. Bendis has found his sweet spot with this corner of the Marvel Universe.
It also does a fantastic job of giving us some insight into Magik, with some great character building moments. Like her peers, she has lost the ability to control her powers. While it might be frustrating for Emma Frost, or difficult for Magneto, for a mutant who controls the power of an entire dark dimension, it is downright crippling.
There’s also a fantastic bookend featuring everyone’s favorite former Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Strange who serves as Magik’s De facto counselor in what could be the start of an interesting relationship.
My main concern with the X-books has been overkill. There are so many of them hitting the shelves and my attention span can only devote so much time to the mutant side of the Marvel Universe. Uncanny X-Men is by far my favorite of the X-Books, followed closely by Bendis’ other flagship X-Title: All New X-Men. There’s something about these broken mutants, these walking wounds so desperate to reclaim any part of what they once were. These are the fractured, shattered mutant characters. And by far the most interesting.
Anghus Houvouras is a North Carolina based writer and filmmaker. His latest work, the novel My Career Suicide Note, is available from Amazon.
Originally published June 27, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
