Uncanny X-Men (2024-) #1

Uncanny X-Men (2024) (Single Issues)

by Gail Simone, David Marquez (cover_art)

PROFESSOR X...IS GONE! A core group of essential X-Men rise FROM THE ASHES to face a world without a home - and without Professor X! All bonds among the mutant community seem to be slipping away, and ROGUE reluctantly finds herself as the hero designated to bring them back together...but a fearless, malignant power is out there hunting mutants, and it has a terrible secret that may destroy what remains of the X-Men!

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

38 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 7, 2024

About the author

Gail Simone is a comic book writer well-known for her work on Birds of Prey (DC), Wonder Woman (DC), and Deadpool (Marvel), among others, and has also written humorous and critical commentary on comics and the comics industry such as the original "Women in Refrigerators" website and a regular column called "You'll All Be Sorry".

Reviews

[Sjgomzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A return to greatness! The X-Men are in good hands here with Gail Simone!

Strong beginning to the flagship title! Gail Simone and artist David Marquez knock it out of the park, delivering the best X-Men book I've read in a long time. The characterizations are on point and her version of Rogue may end up being my favorite! Can't wait for issue 2!

[Will Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well *this* was a fun surprise! I’ve struggled to get into X-Men comics for years due to lack of familiarity with the characters (and it being really hard to connect with every character in an ensemble cast), but I enjoyed watching season 1 of X-Men ‘97 and when I saw Gail Simone would be writing some of my favorite characters from that series I had to give this book a shot. Love the idea of Rogue and Gambit setting up a refuge for kids in Louisiana and the art team is really strong with bright colors, sharp line work, and expressive faces and body language. New comers welcome, this is a great start to what I hope will become a new favorite book.

[Ryan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best of the new “From the Ashes” titles by a billion

[John Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This new run is off to an excellent start! Gail Simone is one of my favorite writers, so seeing her do all the characters in this book justice is a sight to behold, that especially true with my favorite X-Men character, Rogue. She did a phenomenal job with her characterization. Her breakdown of a kid dying after he touches her is such a raw moment, it's probably one of my favorite X-Men comic moments of recent memory. The villains I'm also really intrigued by, we don't really get a good look at them, all we know is that they are called "The Endling." But the idea of some malevolent force just hunting down and killing mutants is a scary one. I'm definitely staying with this run.

[neytiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

anna marie, remy e logan amo vocês

[Monita Roy Mohan · Rating 2 out of 5]

All right! This was the one I was waiting for. Uncanny X-Men featuring Rogue, Gambit, Wolverine and Nightcrawler. Great make-up of the team—I know and love these guys, so I’m invested.

But, I don’t know about the story and some of the writing choices. It sure gave me pause. I know Gail Simone is a beloved writer—I don’t know how much of her stuff I’ve read, but this one I’m going into with the knowledge of her fame and prestige. And yet, the story was a bit all over the place.

The opening act, set in the abandoned Xavier Institute, was brilliant. Heartbreaking and cruel—Simone writes an allegory for what happens to the places and memories of peoples who are driven out of their land. So poignant. I don’t know who the captured mutant is, but I’m already frightened for them. I don’t know who this Dr. Ellis is either, but she seems evil and her denigration of the mutants is all we need to understand that.

Following this, however, the book falls away. We have a one-pager reminding us of how Logan must always love and lose because he’s immortal while his friends aren’t. But he’s also known death, but no peace. That plays on a mind.

Logan is in Mexico to meet Rogue and Gambit, who are randomly searching for a god-snake. I didn’t quite understand what was happening here. They introduced the creature as a dragon, but it claimed to be a god snake. I thought they wanted it out of the way because it was blocking the entrance to their new home, but actually they were trying to steal the Eye of Agamotto from the creature. And they attack it and maim it? I’m sorry? It was just living its life, and you guys decided to hurt it instead of talk to it. How does that make them heroes and not villains?

The god-snake then rightfully calls them out but says Rogue is a scared little girl—what? This is the most annoying part of the book, I feel like Simone and the creative team completely misunderstand how to write Rogue. I didn’t catch up with Krakoa, but there’s no way you’re going back to square one with Rogue and making her personality all about being afraid that no one will touch her and that she’s a fragile emotional mess. Look, I know the teams have been through so much with the loss of Krakoa, but you don’t see Gambit and Logan breaking down in tears, do you?

Gambit and Logan keep insisting that Rogue is the new leader of the X-Men, she’s the one they’ll follow, but for story reasons she’s made to doubt herself. I don’t get it. She is a natural leader, she’s with two men who’ve fought by her side for years, why wouldn’t she take leadership immediately. Not knowing what the X-Men are nowadays, that’s understandable, but her not knowing she’s a leader makes no sense.

Let’s also get into the most annoying part of this book—why is everyone so lascivious towards Rogue? She’s the only female X-Man in this book, so everyone just sees her as a sex object? She jokes with Gambit about donning lingerie and becoming the White Queen, and Logan goes something like ‘ooo I’d like to see that’. Yuck! I’d slap him so hard for that.

Then they meet a 12-year-old cancer patient and he screams that Rogue is so hot. Remy is super hot too, don’t see the boy salivating over him, do you? The book is yuck and heteronormative. There were a couple of other things too, and I don’t understand the thinking behind these moments. It’s not naughty or sexy, it’s creepy and gross.

There’s another subplot of an invisible creature hunting mutants and that’s how we meet the new group of characters. I guess we’ll see how they turn out.

I do like the art. It’s very beautiful and colorful. And the characters are gorgeous to look at, especially the expressive eyes and faces. I do think the X-Men look way too young though.

I know I’ll read more, but how is it this hard to segregate raunchiness from creepiness. Does Simone usually forget this line? Rogue also deserves better than being an overwrought crying mess. It was so contrived. She’s lost people before, and yes, a kid dying of cancer is a really sad story, but did he die because of negligence and lack of resources because of anti-mutant rhetoric? No clue. Rogue is distraught and that’s somehow the story, but how does it all fit in. Weird.

Hope the writing gets better.

[Etienne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really intrigue by that new series, but, like it often does, I lost interest rapidly. The dragon was the first downer, but the overall comic was just a melting pot of weird disparate elements that did captivate me. I’m out.

[Mr. Cody · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a Gail Simone book…this is a step in the right direction.

[Samhain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never really follow any Marvel comic title, so I won't be continuing this series as it requires way more knowledge about the X-Men than I'll ever have. I just wanted to read something by Gail Simone again and see her version of Rogue (whom I've loved since that 90's/early 00's animated show) and Logan, and to see what Gambit was like nowadays (only ever saw a couple of old panels of him).

Despite going into this for the “wrong” reasons, or at least not reasons which would give this issue a fair shot, I genuinely liked it! Which I feel is a good sign for everyone who actually knows their Marvel and plan to follow the series. It was fun, funny, heartbreaking, and with the perfect pace to let both the action and storyline breathe. Simone sill has that magic touch which can turn anyone into a comic lover, and I love her take on Rogue very much. The only thing I disliked was not getting to see how she'd write Kitty but there were enough hints at what the current Marvel timeline is like for me to gather that Simone wouldn't properly write her for yet several issues.

As I quite enjoyed the artwork too, I'd say this is a pretty solid first issue for Uncanny X-Men and – if I had the time and patience to do a deep Marvel dive –, I'd definitely follow the series. But I don't, so this will remain a fun one shot for me.

[Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading an X-Men comic feels intimidating nowadays but I decided to give it a try since this is a new arc post krakoa and given the team members this time around. I thought that this was good overall and easier to get into than the opening issue of Jed Mackay’s X-Men series that also just started up.

I liked that both the artwork and the dialogue was inviting for the most part. This feels more smaller scale and personal which I dig and the characters here are among some of my favorites of the original X-Men. That being said there was still something missing here that I can’t quite explain, I stayed for the characters and their interactions but the vision still needs to follow through and I wouldn’t say this ‘hooked me’ per say. This was more of a 3.5 for me but I’ll bump it to a 4. I think I will end up enjoying this series the most out of the post krakoa era X-Men comics.

[Leslie Carnahan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love this team. They did really well with what they were given. However, I felt like some of this was long winded. I also felt like some of the art was a bit off. However, I will continue to read this title (unlike another X-Men title that was just rebooted) because of this team. <3

[Kevin Halter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lot better than I had hoped. It has been years since I’ve read an X-book on a regular basis, but I have been waiting for the Island adventure to end so I could give the new books a try. The Uncanny X-men is by far the best of the relaunch.

[Rosaria Battiloro · Rating 4 out of 5]

(the only thing missing were the cats, tbh!)

[Lia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Que pongan ya el segundo en Marvel unlimited por dios

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've given this one four stars mainly for the art, which is excellent, and my favorite to date. The colors, the expressions, the style - brings me into the book, and plays it out in my mind.

The writing, I've mixed feelings about? Simon has a good feel for Remy Le Beau aka Gambit and Anna Marie aka Rogue, and is among the few writers in recent years that have used their names not just the code names. The new regime seems to be backing away from Hickman's take that the Mutants and X-men only use code names or mainly code names with few exceptions. Also, Gambit and Rogue were poorly utilized in Hickman's era or rarely. Hickman's writing team didn't appear to know how to write for them - so they were for the most part sidelined, or made secondary characters in the Captain Britain Excalibur books, which I had given up on. At any rate - I enjoy Simon's take on the two characters. Who've always been favs. She show their connection and devotion to each other, along with their playful side. The X-men handles married couples better than most.

She also writes Kurt Wagner well - as a Priest. The Hickman era also had issues with Kurt. Nightcrawler who is part swashbuckling pirate and part priest - and hates killing, kind of got lost in the Hickman era. And went a bit dark.

The story moves quickly, the dialogue is engaging. It's interesting but each of the books appears to have a narrator telling the tale. In Phoenix - it is a new character and potential antagonist. In X-men, it's Hank. In X-Force - it is Sage. And in Un-Canny Rogue. Simone captures Rogue and Gambit's voices without falling into annoying slang. And her plot moves quickly and pulls the reader in, while also engaging my emotions. The characters take time to grieve, to share a beer, to grieve the loss of their world and friends. They reminisce. We sense the love and friendship and camaraderie between Logan, Rogue and Gambit. Along with their insecurities. The team is also starting out small and gaining people as it goes, as opposed to the opposite or starting out as a full-fledged team. We start with Rogue and Gambit, who meet Logan to take care of a problem that he can't fix alone. Then they go run an errand for Cyclops - who calls and asks them to visit a Children's Hospital. Where they run across Kurt - who had been the one who asked for them.

There's a few mysteries in the book. And conflicts. Apparently Logan doesn't want to be part of Cyclops community for some reason or other, personality conflict? It made no sense to me - because in the previous regime they were close friends, and Logan was living with Scott, Scott's family and Jean on the Moon? Now we're back to the personality conflict that was....before Scott and Wolverine returned from the dead? Why? It was jarring. I wanted to know what I missed.

And this is where my mixed feelings with the writing come into play. Part of this is just the nature of the beast? Readers/watchers or fans of long-running series have to deal with lots of writer turn-over, and in most cases the writers themselves were die-hard fans of the series and have their personal biases and perspectives on the characters. Or strong feelings towards various characters. In short we have writers who are "shippers" or "fannish" about various characters and anti-shippers or hate-shippers or anti-fans of various characters. It's not the same as reading a series by say Illona Andrews, Jim Butcher, Patricia Cornwell, Arthur Conan Doyle (although Doyle famously despised Holmes), or Agatha Christie (who wasn't that fond of Perot). And it shows, and is more often than not detrimental to the flow and overall continuity of the story. Long-time readers have to hand-wave inconsistencies - much like I would do with fanfic. (yeah, yeah, you dislike that character, and love these characters, I get it. That's actually one of my main issues with fanfic.) Editors also have biases, and that's worse - because they are supposed to catch these things and reign in the writer. It's human, I get it. Everyone has characters or tropes that annoy them. But usually if you are paid to write something - you put it aside?

Simon has a personal bias against the character of Cyclops. She's vocally stated this on more than one occasion on social media. To such an extent - that I stopped following her - because I found it to be obnoxious. And I thought and had been told it wouldn't be a problem in the books. She's not writing for the character and he's not in her book except maybe peripherally?

At any rate? I'm taking a wait and see approach to this. There's some interesting ideas here. Maybe what the writing team is trying to explore is the differences between each of the characters and how they kind of have different worldviews based on different personal traumas. Part of the problem with the Krakoa era was people got along almost too well. And it felt kind of cold at times.

Here - the writers are deftly dealing with the aftermath of the war with Orchis. Scott wants to build a community in defiance, and inside a fortress - in Alaska. It makes sense. His birth place is Alaska. He. feels safe there. And he wants to protect those who aren't accepted in society easily or can blend in. He tried to be the hero and was thrown out of his tree house, paralyzed, and tortured, while his wife was murdered horribly at a Gala he was attending. There's an edgy fury. Logan wants nothing to do with it - or with Scott for some reason, and doesn't believe Scott can do it. Wolverine was spending his time chasing after Hank and Sabertooth. Jean is in space and only in communication with Scott - she's not spoken to Logan or anyone else at all. Hank or an earlier version of Hank, sans the memories of Mad-Scientist Hank, is understandably at odds with Logan. Rogue tried to get Kitty to join and Kitty shut her down and wants nothing to do with a team. Kitty wants to live a normal life away from killing and being a mutant - she'd become a ninja killer and didn't like what she saw. And Rogue is mourning the world they lost.

Simon is good at getting to the emotions, and building an air of encroaching dread. She also knows the characters of Gambit and Rogue well. A lot of writers seem to forget Gambit is first and foremost a thief. And they show his abilities here. And Rogue's vulnerability due to her ability to absorb the energy, personality, memories, powers, abilities, and essence of anyone she touches - without an inhibitor on.

Also, when Cyclops popped up - she called him Scott. And showed him being apologetic and kind to Anna-Marie, who he requested visit a Children's Hospital. Not a fighting job. Even if Rogue sees him as always having a job ready, and Logan has issues with him running a community (considering Logan lived with Scott...). I'm not sure what's going on there. But I'm willing to give the writer the benefit of the doubt.

Overall a good a read, and looking forward to the next issue.

[Scratch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely 3.5. Maybe even 4 stars. I might raise my rating in a little bit if it's still bothering me in a few days.

Okay artwork. Okay premise. This issue is mostly just about Rogue, Gambit, Wolverine, and Nightcrawler, and more about Rogue than the others. They have a confrontation with a dragon that is fairly random and pointless, in the grand scheme of things. His presence had nothing to do with these mutants in particular, and it was more that they had a confrontation with him because they just happened upon him.

I preferred the brief storyline where this group of mutants visited a make-a-wish kid at a hospital. The doctor explained that this kid had psychic powers, so he was a weak mutant himself. There really could have been a much longer story about him. Why was he so sick and still on earth? Why didn't he go to Krakoa? And if he had gone to Krakoa, couldn't he have been killed and resurrected to cure him of his brain cancer? Did he JUST get his mutant powers, and JUST get his brain tumor, all at once? Recently? Since the end of Krakoa?

I like Rogue. Don't have strong feelings about the other characters here. I can tell from promotional art that Jubilee is going to join this crew, which is fine. This title feels like it's going to be the most authentic X-title, so far. I preferred this book over the Adjectiveless X-Men book that came out a week or two ago. This artwork is better, the cast makes more sense, etc.

I am more excited about this book than the X-Men book.

Confused why Rogue rattled off a few names of people who are no longer around and in charge, and she brought up Kitty. This was important enough that we had a panel showing Kitty on the phone with Rogue, insisting she doesn't want to be an X-Man and to never call her again. This is clearly just for fan service, because Kitty isn't a particularly powerful mutant, and she hasn't exactly been a key leader of the X-Men. (Cyclops? Yes. Storm? Yes. Xavier, Magneto, Cable, all have had leadership roles. Kitty? Just an inexplicable fan favorite character, and formerly the youngest member of the X-Men.)

We shall see.

[Nicolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new series to return the "Uncanny" adjective in front of "X-Men" signals a return to the days the mutant super team is less world power and more underground activists on the fringes of society.

It is a return to the most recognizable characters of the 90's era cartoon lineup, along with their Jim Lee designed inspired fighting togs.

It has a lineup that has none from the Summers side of the mutant pool, and more from the Mystique side of the extended family. I won't be surprised of the blue hued shapeshifter checking on her children, Rogue and Nightcrawler, or even former lover Wolverine for that matter.

For this first issue, it has a lot of set-up for future stories, and a prophecy or two. This X-Men squad has none of its traditional bases or stomping grounds. No island of any sort, or the X-Mansion. The latter, as revealed in this issue, has been repurposed for a more nefarious purpose.

It is a promising series, for it is in the capable hands of scribe Gail Simone and underrated artistic superstar David Marquez. I want this title to succeed. These are my childhood X-Men. I want to be in on it when it explodes.

However, if I have to choose between this and Ultimate X-Men By Peach Momoko Vol. 1: Fears And Hates (Ultimate X-Men, I am more inclined to the latter, but I'm going to give the former 5 issues to wow me. So far, its on the right track.

[RubiGiráldez RubiGiráldez · Rating 4 out of 5]

En este panorama de vuelta al acoso y derribo de la comunidad mutante, este número uno de la otra "cabecera titular" muti... no está nada mal. El grupete estelarizado por Lobezno y la pareja X por excelencia Pícara y Gambito, resulta bastante refrescante en su personalidad menos "acartonada" de formación superheroica "clásica". Así vemos un curioso encontronazo con una super amenaza desligada de los Savage Avengers que se resuelve con la labia de Remy más que con la superfuerza de Anne Marie o la fiereza de adamantium de Logan. O la cercanía total para acudir al deseo de un benjamín mutante con enfermedad terminal con una sonrisa antes que con una lastimosa lágrima e impotencia con lo mucho que todo está colapsando tras la tragedia en Krakoa.

Gail Simone puede llegar a erigir una propuesta cuanto menos encorazonadora con lo que parece que será una historia de proteger al indefenso en particular antes que a un computo general como lo que se da más en la Patrulla X troncal a cargo de Cíclope.

[Nuno Neto · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 out of 5

Finally an X-book that feels like X-Men in this new “From The Ashes” relaunch.

Does it reach the levels of some of the greatest X-books in the Krakoan Era? No, it does not. But it doesn’t need to either. It captures the feeling of an X-Men team and what it stands for perfectly, in a way that arguably wasn’t seen in Krakoa. This feels a gap that was still present in Duggan’s X-Men. The connection between Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, the depth and feeling coming from their shared story is felt in the way Gail Simone wrote this issue. I’m really glad that this was the writer that was given to X-fans and can’t wait to read more of this team dynamics going forward

The visit to the dying kid, the wishing to believe that mutantkind is meant to bring something better to the world, that they are not just outcasts.. this is what the X-Men are.

Put all of this together and add in some gothic-horror flavor promising a stronger presence in the future? That’s how you get my promise that I will read every issue in this series for a long long time. Congrats Gail!

[Ly Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really good time that I really care about compared to the other X-men. I know each X-men have faced challenges in their upbringing but I feel it was so wise to center the story around gambit, Wolverine, and Rogue: the outcasts. I feel like the story is going through that angle where they will be thrusted to help other outcast. I loved that they center the narrator as rogue and see her aimlessness which shows you the tone right after previous event. A lot of things changed for the worst, the status quo has changed, and new challenges have occurred. It will be a delight to see how the team find purpose when there isn’t any.

[João Filipi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, that was really it! I mean, i shouldn't be surprised, its Gail Simone after all

Rogue was the big highlight of this issue! Its very heartbreaking that scene in which she accidentally kills a child who touched her! That scene was terrifying! OMG!

Gambit was fine, Logan was the second best, and Kurt was almost not in this issue!! It really gave me hope for the next stories that i am reading! Not today, but surely very soon

[Trevor Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gail brings fresh ideas while respecting existing lore.

It is interesting to see how Rogue will deal with changing dynamics with her fellow X-folk. What are the future implications of the deal that Remus made with [REDACTED]? etc, etc, etc. From the first issue, Gail has caught my attention, and I can’t wait to see where this series goes!

[Mona · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.98/5

I really enjoyed the artwork used, but the writing wasn't exactly my favorite. Despite the flaws I am picking up on, I will still be trying out the second issue in the series and recommend that anyone interested in picking up this first issue at least give it a shot - you may like it more than I did.

[Raymond Paquette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great story. We had a villain, a mystery and a cool fight. Most of all, it was real. I could feel the characters and their problems. No huge story. No big drama. Just people trying to recover from a loss.

[Brad DeMaagd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pulled me in from the start.

Having been a X-Men comics reader back in the 90's, in the 2000's I stepped away. In the past year, I read a couple of the early Krakoa story's graphic novels in the past year, so I was curious. Hearing Gail & Dave were on this book, I was invested and well rewarded by Issue #1. Both familiar and fresh, it felt accessible to step back in and meet old favorites where they were. I'll be back for more.

[A. Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cautiously optimistic about the future of X-men

As the krakoan age was ending I was concerned that the new direction for the X-Men would be retreading old ground and nothing new. This issue makes me hopeful. Always a fan of Gail Simone and David Marquez' art is pretty Xcellent.

[Joey's deathly tomes of death · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was better than X-MEN #1, the art and everything, the story, etcetera.
I'm excited to see where it goes, but no Jubilee!
I can't wait to see where the story goes and how the new team comes together.
Definitely recommended.

[Nick LeBlanc · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh, not too crazy about the modern direction the X-Men have taken. The classic soap opera dynamics are a bit lost in the giant spaceships and time travel and dragons of it all. I so badly want to hop in on a X-Men book and follow along on an issue basis but each time I try I wind up disappointed.

[Jérôme G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed a way to come back to X-Men. Rogue, Gambit and Nightcrawlers are my favorites. It seemed like a comic made especially for me. I loved it, the first few pages are amazing as a new beginning. I'm glad to start a new X adventure 🥳

[Tina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually love everything that Gail Simone writes, but I was disappointed with this. The story was flimsy, the writing was subpar, and the art was mediocre. I was looking forward to this series, but now I think I'll just skip it.