The battle for mutant healers has begun.
Uncanny X-Men has the most potential of any of Marvel’s new X-books, thanks to its strong cast of troubled mutants with violent tendencies. Whether the series will ever fully realize that potential is still very much up in the air. Issue #2 improves on the first in at least one area, but the new Uncanny X-Men still has a way to go overall.
The good news is that Cullen Bunn’s characterization is more consistent this time around. Whereas the the first issue suffered from some clunky dialogue and a bit too much exposition (especially in regards to Magneto), the dialogue flows more smoothly in this issue. There are several great character moments as Magneto and Psylocke continue their hunt and Sabretooth pairs up with Monet. This is a book full of distinctive personalities, and they’re starting to play off one another nicely. The addition of Mystique to the mix only further spices up the cast.
However, the plot isn’t rising to the level of the characterization yet. The conflict in Uncanny X-Men is pretty barebones. Outside of the race to track down mutant healers before the Dark Riders assassinate them, this new team doesn’t have a particularly clear purpose or compelling enemy. The idea that this team is supposed to be the militant, proactive branch of the X-Men isn’t shining through. Knowing that the Apocalypse Wars crossover is coming in a couple months, it seems as though the series is stuck laying the groundwork. It may be that we won’t really see what sort of mark this new team can leave on the Marvel Universe until after Bunn is free to chart his own course.
The series has visual problems to contend with as well. Greg Land’s art work well enough for the action scenes (aside from those panels where characters’ limbs are foreshortened right out of existence), especially with Jay Leisten’s colors lending extra energy to every page. However, Land’s heavily reliance on photo-referenced visuals remains a serious problem. There are poses and facial expressions in this issue that are reused from the previous issue. It all contributes to a very static, repetitive quality.
Uncanny X-Men is starting to take advantage of its great cast, splitting heroes into smaller groups and exploring the character dynamics that develop as a result. Unfortunately, the book hasn’t developed a compelling conflict yet, and the art rarely stands out aside from the vibrant colors and the flashier action sequences.
