Uncanny X-Men, Vol. 2: Broken

Uncanny X-Men (2013) (Collected Editions)

by Brian Michael Bendis, Frazer Irving (Artist), Chris Bachalo (Artist)

The all-new, all-revolutionary Uncanny X-Men have barely had time to find their footing as a team before they must face the evil Dormammu! Can Magik match the demon’s lord’s sorcery? Is she even on the X-Men’s side anymore? Discover the secrets Magik has been hiding since AvX!

Then: School is in session! The Uncanny X-Men have seen what can happen with no control over their powers. It cannot happen again. One mutant learns that once you leave the X-Men, the real world can be a punishing place. Another learns just what it means to be an X-Man. But what, exactly, are they being trained for?

Plus: Cyclops and Magneto finally have it out! And which other former ally has signed up with S.H.I.E.L.D. to keep tabs on the X-Men?

Collecting: Uncanny X-Men 6-11

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, X Men, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book

136 pages, Hardcover

First published November 26, 2013

About the author

A comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim (including five Eisner Awards) and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics. For over eight years Bendis’s books have consistently sat in the top five best sellers on the nationwide comic and graphic novel sales charts.

Though he started as a writer and artist of independent noir fiction series, he shot to stardom as a writer of Marvel Comics' superhero books, particularly Ultimate Spider-Man.

Bendis first entered the comic world with the "Jinx" line of crime comics in 1995. This line has spawned the graphic novels Goldfish, Fire, Jinx, Torso (with Marc Andreyko), and Total Sell Out. Bendis is writing the film version of Jinx for Universal Pictures with Oscar-winner Charlize Theron attached to star and produce.

Bendis’s other projects include the Harvey, Eisner, and Eagle Award-nominated Powers (with Michael Avon Oeming) originally from Image Comics, now published by Marvel's new creator-owned imprint Icon Comics, and the Hollywood tell-all Fortune and Glory from Oni Press, both of which received an "A" from Entertainment Weekly.

Bendis is one of the premiere architects of Marvel's "Ultimate" line: comics specifically created for the new generation of comic readers. He has written every issue of Ultimate Spider-Man since its best-selling launch, and has also written for Ultimate Fantastic Four and Ultimate X-Men, as well as every issue of Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Ultimate Origin and Ultimate Six.

Brian is currently helming a renaissance for Marvel’s AVENGERS franchise by writing both New Avengers and Mighty Avengers along with the successful ‘event’ projects House Of M, Secret War, and this summer’s Secret Invasion.

He has also previously done work on Daredevil, Alias, and The Pulse.

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bendis giving the Uncanny X-Men the Bendis treatment... real dialogue, great multi-thread stories, cool SHIELD, HYDRA and The Hand cameos, mystery and more. The ex-Phoenix fivers have depleted mutant powers, they are all considered terrorists, Wolverine and all the other X-Men have no time for them, so the last thing they need is The Dread Dormmamu coming after Illyana!! 8 out of 12, Four Stars easily earned.

2014 and 2018 read

[Alejandro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Transition book


I got this in its single comic book issues, but I chosen this TPB edition to be able of writing a better overall review. I’ll do a “bonus” review of “Uncanny X-Men” #12 & 13 since those issues were tie-in with the event “Battle of the Atom” and aren’t included in the regular TPB volumes of this run.


This TPB collects “Uncanny X-Men” #06-11.


Creative Team:

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Illustrators: Chris Bachalo & Frazer Irving


FROM HELL TO HEAVEN TO HELL BACK

There is a Mutant Revolution. Scott Summers aka Cyclops is its face.

In the first volume of this run of Uncanny X-Men, Cyclops’ team were teleported into a hellish dimension known as “Limbo” (which Magik’s powers are tied to it) and there, they found nothing less than Dormammu (one of the arch-enemies of Dr. Strange).

The Uncanny X-Men is an odd combination of broken veterans and fearful rookies, since Cyclops, Emma Frost and Magneto lost control of their mutant powers during the “Avengers Vs X-Men” event due their contact with the Phoenix force. Magick doesn’t seem to be weakened but in fact her powers have been amplified, however, she is under Dormammu’s influence. And about their students, most of them have been “X-Men” for only few weeks (some of them even just days) leaving only the Stepford Cuckoos (cloned “daughters” of Emma Frost) as the only with fair field experience.

After that hellish experience, they will have a bit of “Heaven on Earth” when they will face a protest march but instead the usual “Hating Mutant” thing, this humans have recognized that US Government and deputized super-powered teams have acted in an unjust way to the X-Men and the mutant population. Cyclops and his team make an appearance to thank the long overdue support.

However, a new kind of Sentinel will unleash hell again in the middle of the manifestation.

The Uncanny X-Men just can’t catch a break!


SINGER MUTANT SKATER SPY

Maria Hill, Director of SHIELD, has a problem and that problem has a name…

…The X-Men.

It seems like every dang day, some team of The X-Men is getting into troubles or causing a mess, and she is the one that needs to do the cleaning in the aftermath.

So, Maria Hill is recruiting a new specialist in mutant affairs…

…Meet: Dazzler, Agent of SHIELD.

Alison Blaire has enjoyed an unique existence in Marvel Universe, beginning as a promo project requested by Casablanca Records, rising as disco singer, dancer, actress, even skater, becoming a mutant, being an X-Man (along with several other team affiliations), and now she will have the hands full in her new status of duly deputized agent of SHIELD serving as field expert in mutant affairs.

However, a hidden menace has plans for her!!!


BONUS REVIEW

Uncanny X-Men #12 & 13 “Battle of the Atom” (chapters 4 & 8)

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Illustrator: Chris Bachalo

Cover: Arthur Adams (#12 issue)

While these two issues are part of the run of Uncanny X-Men, they are assigned to be part of the 10-issue multi-part event “Battle of the Atom” (involving other X-Titles).

The “Battle of the Atom” is an event showing a conflicto between different teams of X-Men from the past, present and future.

The original founding X-Men appeared in the present and they decided to remain in the present. You don’t have to be a time travel expert (are they really some?) to figure out that that isn’t a wise idea, since if something happened to them, their current version and future version won’t exist.

So, a future X-Men team appears in the present to take the original five X-Men back to their place in the past.

While there is more than the apparent in this whole messy deal, it’s unbelievable that most of the characters involved lose time debating if the original team should go back in time or not…

…HELLO!!! They are from the past!!! They can’t stay in the present!!! Duh!!!

But it seems that logic and common sense aren’t traits required to be part of any X-Men team, in any era.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kids will swallow almost anything. My sister once ate a few of my Grandfather’s 1800’s commemorative coins. I don’t recall what they commemorated. That one worked out in the end. Eventually. My son once ingested Iron Man’s head armor and, even though he passed it, needless to say, Tony Stark was flying around without a head piece. Watch out for those shots to the head, Iron Man. In this story, Magik ends up swallowing Limbo. The whole thing. I have no idea what Dr. Strange is going to prescribe to help Magik grease her bowels to force it out. Prunes? A reality softener?

Brian Michael Bendis continues his excellent run on this book. You have a nice blend of action, humor, character development and surprises. The only caveat I have is with the art. The team had five blondes (one of the Cuckoo sisters mercifully dyed her hair black) and the art on some of these issues can get pretty murky, so which blonde is featured and is that Angel flying in the background. Maybe. Where's the shape shifter dude?

*shrugs*

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure what's going on here.
I thought it was alright, but due to forces beyond my control, I was a bit confused.

As the title suggests, the X-Men are broken. Older mutants like Emma Frost, Magneto, and Cyclops don't seem to have a handle on their powers anymore.

Thanks to my library, I thought this was volume 1.
Obviously, now that I've read it, I can see that it's not.
Which means I'm missing lots of IMPORTANT information!
Fine. Whatever. This won't be the first time I've read things out of order.

Anyway, due to something that happened, the X-men are trying to pick up the pieces.
And until I can get my hands on the 1st volume, none of this will make much sense to me.

Here's the highlights:

Magik eats Limbo, then has tea with Dr. Strange.
Yep. Really.
Dazzler goes to work for S.H.I.E.L.D., and kidnaps a kid.
After his mother asks for an autograph.
Robots attack the mutants.
'Cause it's not an X-men comic without evil robots.
A new mutant kicks ass with his ability to shoot gold balls out of his skin.
No. Not real gold, silly!
And Cyclops gets a bit broody.
Surprise!

Looking forward to reading what happened to get everyone to this point.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every bit as good as the previous volume, which is saying quite a bit. Cyclops remains one of the more compelling characters in the current crop of Marvel books. I still can't quite believe that we got to this point. I'm even getting invested in Magik's continuing struggle with her abilities. The new crop of mutants are great characters with interesting abilities. And surprisingly enough, Dazzler: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. seems to have opened up some interesting story avenues. The collection ends with a great hook to keep me interested in the next collection: who is sending these sentinels after Cyclops and company, how are they finding them so easily, and what are their goals? Still one of my favorite Marvel Now! titles.

[Ｆｒａｎｋｈ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Due to the lackluster debut of this series' first volume, my expectations were already set low before I even started reading this sophomore release. I'm therefore more than pleased to be proven wrong because The Uncanny X-Men's Volume 2: Broken was charming in so many ways that I have come to expect from a Bendis comic book (which I sorely miss after the dwindling quality of his other work, >All-New X-Men). For a while I was slightly discouraged to pick up this title because I had a few friends who advised me against it, but since I have made a commitment to embark on a X-Men comics diet journey, I knew I have to include a more recent flagship title. The glaring flaws from the previous volume were thankfully not repeated in this one. In fact, most of the problems I had were addressed for Broken which was ironic, considering its titular purpose.

After the cosmic terror that was the Phoenix Force laid waste during Avengers vs. X-Men storyline, the aftermath proved to be just as hard for the ones it possessed: these would be Scott Summers, Ilyana Rasputin and Emma Frost (while it also almost drained Magneto of his magnetism) Now each of these formidable mutants face their most difficult trial just yet. Scott Summers can no longer control his own powers which is essentially his nightmare come true; Emma Frost lost the ability to read easily through minds and the restraint not to project her own thoughts to people; Magneto's magnetism has weakened that he can only control metal to a certain extent and length of time before it renders him exhausted; and Ilyana Rasputin's already screwy sorceress powers began to overwhelm her that she had damned herself along with her colleagues and their recruits to the hellish fire of Limbo where a stupidly named demon tries to massacre them all.

Comprised of issues #6-10, Broken is substantial enough to hold and sustain interest while there is enough material concerning both the familiar and new characters that I was so enthralled to explore. The first two issues concerning Limbo finally found its focus when it turned its attention to the young recruits who have no choice but to work together to survive the place. Way to establish a surprise coming-of-age series of moments with these kids, Bendis. Their invigorating spirit and dynamic as a group were painfully paralleled with that of Ilyana Rasputin's internal conflict. This is a girl who had never been normal since childhood. After the Phoenix Force used her mind and body, it damaged her a lot worse than the others, unleashing dark elements from her magic that she has fought so hard to try to gain control over in this story.I was really rooting for her because I've always found Ilyana as a consistently tragic character and for once I want her to be victorious.

On another plus side, another consistent quality about Broken is how it developed its young cast. The X-Men is always about the ;young blood's transition to functional relevance as superheroes before finally stepping into a stage of semi-greatness. Xavier always gets them young, hopeful and full of potentials. In here we see Scott, Emma, Ilyana and Erik as teachers who, in spite of their unresolved inherent brokenness, are more than willing to impart their experience and knowledge to the children because they know more than anybody that there is still something to fight for. And there is trust between them and these kids, most especially after Limbo, and the more S.H.I.E.L.D insist on attacking them, the more they cling onto one another and fight better as a team.

Notable moments for this volume include: (1) that conversation between Scott and Erik. I was so angry that Magneto seemed not to give a damn about Charles Xavier's murder. I wanted so bad for him to hold Scott responsible, but after reading this interaction, I think what Erik chose to do instead was actually a more dignified response to what I wanted. Scott had committed something beyond forgiveness, even if he was under the influence of the Phoenix force. He had murdered his surrogate father, and the father of every mutant who believed in a dream of peaceful coexistence with mutants. People are never going to stop talking about Scott killing Xavier. They shouldn't. And Scott needs to deal with that. He needs to carry that with him wherever he goes, especially now that he is adamant in fighting for a revolution he believes will empower more mutants who were just beginning to manifest their abilities. Scott's new agenda is to reassure they will have a school not just to learn in but also to thrive in, if in fact they choose to be warriors and fighters for the cause.


[CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE]

(2) Speaking of which, the young mutant Fabio Medina was focused in as well, and he was just adorable! He has the unique and often hilarious ability to shoot out gold balls from his body. After the hellish experience in Limbo, he tried to go back to his home and when he was there, he realized he was proud of who he is even when his parents couldn't accept his condition. Eventually, he does come back to the team, more decisive to fight and grown alongside them. (3) The surprise feature of Dazzler as a recruit for S.H.I.E.L.D was nice but fucking Mystique had to go ruin it by pretending to be her. Honestly, get a new set of hobbies aside from villainy, Raven. The same douchebag moves are getting old. (4) Scott's speech towards the pro-mutant human supporters was both awkward and stirring. I have no idea why he's being painted as some kind of merciless crusader, if not outright lawless villain. I think this is still the same Scott from the old times--only much more willing to deal with reality and is able to respond better. I like this Scott. He may have killed Xavier, and he may still be prone to bouts of insecure ranting, but so far I think Scott is more or less a hero who actually doesn't hesitate anymore to make mistakes and risk condemnation from his peers. I like it. Scott finally has teeth. And people around him are actually more eager to fight with him and for him, such as the young recruits and Emma and Ilyana. I'm not sure about Erik yet. Hopefully, he makes up his mind soon.



Overall, The Uncanny X-Men, Volume 2: Broken was greatly paced, spectacularly illustrated, and engrossing. I didn't expect to have fun reading this title at all, and I was glad I did because for me, the X-Men just isn't the same when a core character like Scott Summers isn't taking the reigns and in this story we see him having the opportunity to do so, and he did not disappoint. The rest of his recruits too are impressive, ready foot soldiers who trust him enough to lead him, and I can only hope he guides them to the right path.



RECOMMENDED: 8/10

DO READ MY REVIEWS AT:

[Terence · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a raw deal being a mutant. Sure some mutants look the same and still get new powers, but there is always someone who wants to kill them just for being mutants. A lot of things are out of control for the X-Men and they are doing what they can to help new mutants anyway.

Broken revolves around the fact that Cyclops, Emma Frost, Magik, and Magneto's powers are all damaged. I don't understand why Magneto's powers are damaged, I undoubtedly missed reading whatever X title showed the Phoenix Force rough him up. The other three all lost their powers after wielding a piece of the Phoenix when genius billionaire playboy Tony Stark splintered the Phoenix leading them to be possessed by it. A lot of stuff is going wrong because the leaders of the New Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters powers are weakened and behaving erratically.

The racism against mutants is thick so far in this series. Cops tackle and shoot first without asking questions. They even said a new mutant was armed, which he wasn't, and that undoubtedly would lead to more issues. A lot of things are familiar, but after the weird recent X-Men titles I've read that's a good thing.

Broken was slightly weaker than the first volume, but it's still a strong entry in the new series.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scott Summers, Cyclops, continues to lead his mutant revolution, though he tries a softer touch when unexpectedly, a bunch of humans rally to support mutant civil rights. The X-Men all appear to lend their support and express their appreciation, so naturally the Sentinels attack.

This remains a rather darker series, with the X-Men being made up of half former villains, like Emma Frost and Magneto, and former heroes like Cyclops who are now more "gray" heroes.

The opening episode, though, starts out in Limbo, with Illyana aka Magik throwing down against Dormammu, and then having to go see Dr. Strange for help.

Meanwhile, SHIELD is trying to track our heroes down, and who better to catch a mutant than another mutant. Thus enters one of my favorite classic X-Men, Dazzler. Hey, where's she been all these years?

There are still a lot of new kids, too, as Scott Summers continues to recruit for "his" X-Men, sometimes even stealing students from the Jean Grey school. Something tells me there is going to be a winnowing soon. A very good series, although the art style is a little uneven.

[James DeSantis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fuck, I wanna love this more...I really do...but I don't. It's weird too, because I'm actually really enjoying new X-men a lot.

So this still focuses on Cyclops mostly but again, my main issue with last volume, is them being stuck with our favorite demon in hell. It's boring, it's confusing with the art, and honestly just not that fun or enjoyable to read.

On the flipside the human moments do work..at times. The best parts are when the mutants are interacting with each other in non-fights and such. Much more enjoyable and interesting to read. If it focused on that more I'd enjoy it more.

ANyway, I was told by many to skip Battle of Atom, so I might, and just go to the next storyline.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know everyone's complaining about Bendis these days, not coughing up excitement or plot or anything but trite dialogue. I'm here saying right now: I don't care if it makes me look like a fool - even though I hear all those complaints and see where they're coming from, I am really enjoying this book. The art from Irving and Townsend is awesome - makes the Limbo dimension just crackle with menace and dread. And the writing is fluid, makes sense given the circumstances, and still sounds like people would normally talk when faced with these situations - often-overly-nervous people perhaps, but people that sound like how I'd talk all the same.

Guess that makes me a living Bendis character? OK that's a little weird, and not really true either - I don't have a quippy relationship with my partner (well, not *all* the time), I'm not wracked with bad luck on a Spidey or DD scale, and I'm not meeting up with classic villains and making them my bitch (much). OK maybe there's a *passing* resemblance...

I'm having a blast with Dr. Strange, Mystique and Dazzler making appearances and keeping the power balance off-balance. Each time the new character showed up I smiled a little on the inside (so they don't notice how big a fan I am of them), so I guess I'm also just getting to be a Marvel geek for many of the secondary characters lying around. (Well, not Batroc or Thunderball)

Cat and mouse games with SHIELD? How is that not more fun than a bunch of fisticuffs? Historic rallies, and Madripoor intrigues, and new advanced threats on mutants? Yeah, I'll take a double helping of those.

And me, I happen to like a good story expounding on Magik's continued struggle against the dark forces inside her. She's one of the more interesting not-quite-bad-but-not-really-good-either characters in the extended X-family, and our hope that she finally escapes the torment will keep us strung along for years.

I like where the tension comes from in this series - not just from external unknown entities, but from some suspected traitor/rat in the very team itself, and that on top of straining relations among the people who we've seen oddly getting along for so long until recently. However the ramp up to Battle of the Atom is OK with me too, so long as Bendis keeps stressing the overly-stressed relationships in the next chapter.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

This week's theme for the Shallow Comic Readers is, well, pot luck!



A couple of things stand out in this collection of Uncanny X-Men:

1. art by Irving Fraser. Worth the price of the book alone. This guy is a master. It's like he's a tamer Bill Szkienkiwicz (whatevs, you know you can't spell it either). Fraser absolutely nails his portion of the book. If you can't get enough of him, check out his contributions to James Robinson's Shade series from DC a couple years ago, or even better, his work on the short-lived Xombi revival pre-Flashpoint.

2. After hearing for years and years and years the constant giggling and joking by my Marvel friends about the lame-o members of the Legion of Super-Heroes (namely Bouncing Boy and Matter-Eater Lad), here was have a guy who projects gold balls from his body. Yep, that's this mutant power. Say what? But just as with those silly Legionnaires, Goldball does a pretty good job of using his power to topple a bad, evil robot thingy. It reminded me of Bouncing Boy in a lot of ways, who would often use his knowledge of billiards to bounce his way towards his foes using precise angles and whatnot. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Goldball is an affectionate nod towards ol' Bouncing Boy by Bendis. So, anyway, *pffft* on you Legion haters.

Well this volume is a bit better than the previous one. Still not a lot going on, although the X-Men did go to hell and fight some Dr Strange demon-foe. The action of the novel centers around the Summers team meeting up with humans who support them, and the mysterious Sentinels, et al., who are attacking them wherever they go. Cyclops suspects a mole, and then there is the subplot of Mystique going on in the background and agent Dazzler working with S.H.I.E.L.D.

Bendis sets up a lot here, and I'm anxious to see what is coming up, but first we have to get through the big X crossover Battle of the Atom. Good thing these X-titles are a breeze to read, even with the incessant jaw-boning.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was quite fun to read!

I enjoyed the whole thing and its mostly setting up how people feel about the X-Men now and I love the dynamic here and also new recruits from last volume and the interactions between them is awesome but it starts with the Magik storyline and her becoming Darkchylde again and the X-Men fighting Dormammu and I love the way it ends and then the X-Men training and Scott and Magneto having some interesting convos and then whatever is going on with Dazzler and Mystique and the X-Men fighting some sentinel but of a different kind, some new enemies perhaps?

Its an amazing volume and I love the way Bendis explores the personalities in the team like that of Goldballs and Hijack and yeah they are new but their powers are fascinating and the "newness" they bring into the X-Men too and also Scott being badass here is awesome! The art for the most part is meh but when Irving comes in, its still better! I am liking how there are plots Bendis is setting up here that will be explored in future volumes!

[ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

thoroughly engrossing, gorgeous art.

[Jonathan Terrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

When it comes to reading comic books/graphic novels, I never seem to read them in bits and pieces. That is to say that I go on a 'comic bender' and read a bunch at once. It particularly helps to be able to do this when I'm busy with placement or work and have little time to be able to sit down and race through the other fictional pieces that I would rather be reading...

The only problem is that I like to read comics that have quality to them at the same time. Fortunately this comic had a touch of that quality. Not enough to be a 'five-star bonanza' but just enough for me to enjoy the experience. Reading should be as engaging and stimulating as possible, right?

The story itself follows on from the previous volume with Cyclops, Magneto and a small handful of New X-Men characters. And while this is again a 'fun' read, it better fits and works with the best themes of the X-Men books. The X-Men/mutants of the Marvel Universe and their mistreatment have always fit the concepts of xenophobia/racial discrimination as we have seen it throughout the world. They are a perfect metaphor for how humanity will always fear that which is different or misunderstood and it is that that makes the X-Men and mutants so very interesting.

Again, not so much a deep, critical book, as something that I needed to read for a breath of fresh air. Much like how I needed to watch Godzilla on Thursday for a break. Sometimes you need a visual spectacle more than you need something deep and philosophical. At least I do. Because my mind tends to fill in the deep and philosophical elements anyway...

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this volume more than the first. Bendis is building an interesting team, and this book does feel different from All-New X-men, but still has the same theme of the mutants working towards a better future (which has pretty much been the theme of X-men for the past 50 years, but hey-ho).

Bendis turns Magik into a bit of a badass. But this title still has the problem of their being too many blondes in black outfits. One of the Stepford Cuckoos dies her hair black, which is probably Bendis reacting to the criticism of all the blondes in black.

It ends on a high, with the final issue featuring an internal monologue from Cyclops throughout whilst the team have to deal with a sentinel. Bendis puts across Scott's anger and frustration well, without it just being page after page of him screaming and swearing.

I've not mentioned the art in my review, because I still haven't made my mind up if I like Frazer Irving or not. With the inking and colouring, it's quite dark, which is a problem when the characters are wearing black costumes. His story telling for action scenes is pretty good though.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This series is surprising me. It's really more an updated "New Mutants" than anything else. It's not my usual type of X-Men book, but so far it's been compelling. Chris Bachalo's art is both slightly cartoony and sexy at the same time. The characters are interesting, and even though to me the story seems to be moving slowly, it really doesn't drag, at least not much.

Overall not a bad volume for fans of the X-Men.

[Wreade1872 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think i'm physically incapable of giving an incomplete story arc 5-stars, which means of course almost all comics ;) .
However this is close... liked it a lot, including the various art styles. Pretty much just want more of all of it, more Blaire, more character for Cyclops, Emma, Erik etc.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

All-New X-Men, Uncanny's sister title, may be a more accessible read, with a classic sensibility, a clearer plotline and less continuity weight. But as of this volume, I'm pretty sure Uncanny X-Men is closer to being art. I'm starting to feel about this book the way I felt about Astonishing X-Men ten years ago -- there's something truly special, yet totally insane and unique happening in this book. Plus it is GORGEOUS. It's all the aesthetic glory of Astonishing with just enough of the total WTF of New X-Men. And it's damn dark. Bro, I am pumped.

[47Time · Rating 3 out of 5]

Magik is forced by the demon Dormammu to transport all Cyclops's X-Men into the limbo dimension. The battle is difficult given the new recruits' inexperience and the teachers' difficulty in controling their powers. Magik is forced to assimilate limbo to save the X-Men, then decides to get help from Doctror Strange. The group continues their mission to gather mutants to their cause while realising that students and teachers alike need training.

SHIELD is desperate about gathering information on Cyclops's mutant revolution and hire Dazzler as a mutant liaison. Her first task is to convince Fabio, a new mutant who left the X-Men, to reveal where the X-Men are. Mystique secretly takes her place.

A group of students have staged a pro-mutant rally and are protesting against the president and other institutions that they believe despise mutants. Cyclops and his team visit the protest to thank the people there. They get ambushed by a new generation sentinel, the blockbuster sentinel. It's a hard battle, but the X-Men's training pays off.

[Siona Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, but not as good as the first volume for me.

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

This picked up quite a bit following the lackluster debut volume. The first little excursion (Magik vs. Dormammu in Limbo) isn't great, particularly due to Frazier Irving's weird, unfollowable art that makes it nearly impossible to distinguish between characters during fights, or to even tell what the hell is going on when there's any level of chaos at all.

But, luckily, we move past this sidequest fairly quickly and get back into the whole Malcolm X (Cyclops) vs. MLK (um... Wolverine? Alex Summers? A bunch of people, I guess) mutant philosophizing, which I find much more interesting. Bendis is crafting a pretty interesting morality play within the X-Men, and so far he's really pulling it off. I'm hoping Uncanny X-Men continues down that path (and continues to improve its artwork), because if it does, we'll have a real cool companion to All-New X-Men on our hands. It's rare you get to see the two opposing sides of a conflict presented so fairly in fiction. I just hope this one picks up the character work as well as All-New has.

[Lisandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

releitura: 3,6 estrelas

[Mantis (¯ ³¯)♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 ⭐️

🇵🇱
Ciąg dalszy uczenia nowych uczniów oraz nowi wrogowie i ucieczka Mystique.. czas na bitwę atomu..

🇺🇸
Continue learning new students and new enemies and escape Mystique.. time for the atom battle..

[Blythe Penland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this graphic novel has given me more of an arrangement of emotions to feel about the Uncanny X-Men. I guess you could say that I see things more from their point of view now. I understand more, and I can't say with say with full certainty that they're on the wrong side anymore. I almost find myself rooting for them, which I never expected. Hijack seems like a good asset. Haven't seen a whole lot of his personality, so I've yet to form an opinion of him on that. I believe that Irma has the right to change her hair if she wants. I've mentioned this before, but all the blonde can often get quite confusing. Also, being identical genetically doesn't mean you can't wear different clothing or have different hairstyles. It's honestly overwhelmingly creepy. I was pretty surprised when Dormammu managed to force the Uncanny X-Men into limbo. I know that he's pretty powerful in the MCU and everything, but Illyana makes him out to be one of many pesky little demons from limbo. Who knew he could force Illyana into her Darkchilde persona and transport all her friends to a dimension colloquially known as hell? It truly is sad to see Scott in such a state of brokenness. I know that the Phoenix has left all four professors of the New Charles Xavier School in husks of their former selves, but I think it's weirder for Scott. He is the leader, the head of the school. He is the face of not only the school, but the mutant revolution. To see him so low - it doesn't even make sense. It leaves us all unnerved. We also get to witness how Illyana has lost control, which doesn't affect us as much as Scott's loss, but it does bring up a whole bunch of inquiries. I think that Illyana might be my favorite out of all the Uncannies (I just made that up, btw), but her mutant ability connects her to magic and limbo. I don't know a lot more than that, so it's hard to figure out how she was able to take in limbo. More than that, she has some sway over space and time, and the way that she was trained by Dr. Stephen Strange was because she went to him in the past, before he became an Avenger. (At this time, the Avengers have been deemed untrustworthy.) The Sentinel situation is slowly getting worse. Even S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't know where these things are coming from, which is concerning to say the least. Who is behind these killer-robot infestations? I'm not sure how I feel about Dazzler. First of all, I have limited to zero knowledge about her. Secondly, she's working for S.H.I.E.L.D, and, under their direction, kidnapped and interrogated Fabio Medina (who is a minor, legally) for the whereabouts of Scott Summers. Lastly, who even knows where Dazzler is now since Mystique, disguised as Phil Coulson, incapacitated her and is now prancing around in Madripoor, a Hydra territory, as Dazzler. I had a feeling that Fabio would be back because people don't tend to walk out on the X-Men. Even if they are uncanny. I've noticed that Bendis has shed some cleverly placed light on police brutality toward mutants, or known in this world as the Black Lives Matter movement. But let's talk about the fictional mutant police brutality for now. Mutants are not liked by law enforcement. They are treated as enemies of the state or even prisoners of war. I guess I should stop being shocked by humanity's boundless ability to hate and act upon that hatred in violent ways, but it still baffles me. I have to say, I'm having trouble finding where Erik's loyalties lie. I can't tell who's side he's on or if he's just playing both sides. However, it seems that he's about to give up the mutants' location to Director Maria Hill. Scott's right to be distrustful of him, but I highly doubt that Magneto has anything to do with the Sentinels. That's not who Erik is. Fabio's family had an odd reaction to discovering that he was a mutant. People have got some weird hang-ups about people that are obviously destined to become superheroes. I guess people just can't equate a mutant gene to someone as likable as Tony Stark or Steve Rodgers. Magik teleporting Director Hill to Hawaii was a bit funny. She probably does need a vacation, in all honesty. It was a nice to see a pro-mutant rally for a change. Too bad a Sentinel had to rain on the homo sapiens supporting mutated homo sapiens parade. On a final note, I do not like the art change. The one from volume one was much better. I recommend this book to those against the Uncanny X-Men. It's possible your perspective may alter, just as mine did.

[Jesús De la Jara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esta parte de la saga es muy oscura y tensa. Los primeros números nos hablan del descontrol de Magik quien parece al inicio volcarse contra los X-Men pero al parecer es superada por el demonio Dormammu quien la obliga a transportarse con todos sus amigos al Limbo. Allí parece ser que la tragedia se va a consumar con un equipo tan joven como son los recién reclutados y los maestros con sus poderes rotos.
Luego está la aparición de Hijack, un nuevo mutante que también será captado por la Revolución de Cíclope. Empieza el papel de Dazzler como nueva agente de Shield.
Todo esto en medio de una manifestación como nunca se había visto de apoyo aparente a los mutantes que terminará muy mal.
Los números 10 y 11 son de los que más me gustaron de esta saga por los fabulosos dibujos de Irving y esa expresión tan ruda de la desesperación de Cíclope por no poder controlar sus poderes. Una real joya.

[Des Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little underwhelmed by this scatter-brained volume. It very much reads as an "in-between" arc, wrapping up the Magik business, wandering around with some S.H.I.E.L.D. shenanigans, then teasing us with a new villain, not really saying much or telling a complete narrative just about anywhere. Such is the problem with collecting single issues I guess. The content is good, the pacing is smart, there were some clever moments that teased a smile out of me, and between Irving and Bachalo, there's no doubt we're working with heavy-hitting (if divisive) artists. Broken is a bit of a downer, and honestly, can be boring as it sets up for whatever's next. I wouldn't recommend a skip, but set expectations accordingly. All-New this aint.

[Milo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as individual issues. A fun, awesome ongoing series that has actually made me enjoy reading about characters that I hate (Magneto and Cyclops - and sometimes Emma Frost depending on the storyline). Alongside Superior Spider-Man and events such as Infinity, Uncanny X-Men is one of the few double-shipping books that I follow.

[Aildiin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bachalo/Bendis is still a winning combination.
Sadly half of this book features art by Irving and I really did not like that part ( that and the part with Dormammu brings nothing to the overall X-Men meta story..).
Luckily things get better after the Dormammu interim ( I read the monthly issues so I am ahead of the game ;))

[ScottIsANerd (GrilledCheeseSamurai) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this volume better than the first, really enjoyed the Limbo stuff. Frazier Irving's art for this volume was pretty freaking unique. It sure gave the comic a flavor that I am certainly not getting from any of the other X-Titles.

Good read. I just wish they could get their shit together. Damn Phoenix.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story progressing well but I do have a few issues with the art work. Some of the characters look different page to page and that's quite annoying, especially when the artist is the same volume to volume. I also take issue with the fact that all the blonde haired mutants look the same and other than their powers/costume they are the same face. DO BETTER PLEASE. On to the next!