X-Men Unlimited # 11, Uncanny X-Men # 444-459
A gaggle of books. We'll break down by arcs.
X-Men Unlimited # 11
Alex and Rachel have dinner together, where they try and figure out Emma and Scott's relationship.
The End of History
The X-Men (this team comprised of Nightcrawler, Storm, Wolverine, Bishop, Sage, Cannonbal, and Marvel Girl) launch the XSE initiative. Wolverine and Nightcrawler have trouble in Washington while some of the others fight off a group called the Weaponeers of Al-Khalad. Meanwhile, Marvel Girl, Cannonball, and Bishop end up fighting a creature from the Captain Britain comics called the Fury. The rest of the team joins in and they are eventually able to destroy the creature.
Guess Who's Back in Town
After their last little adventure, the X-Men reunite with Captain Britian and Meggan. After this, they all go off to meet with the Queen of England (because Logan, Kitty, and Rachel saved her in the past or something). Turns out, though, the Viper has kidnapped the Queen and is threatening to blow up London. However, she comes across Courtney Ross, who is interested in rising into a high level position with the Hellfire Club. She and Viper join forces and England is spared.
X-23
Back in New York, the X-Men encounter a female, teenaged Wolverine named simply X-23. She's a hothead like Logan and is brought in from District X to the X-Men.
Chasing Hellfire
The X-Men investigate the recent return of Sage to the Hellfire Club and bring Emma Frost along for the ride. While Rachel and Emma face off in a high-stakes game with Ross and Viper (with Selene tagging along - and ultimately defeated Rachel), the rest of the X-Men get caught up with Sebastian Shaw and the newly-reinstated Hellfire Club leader Sunspot. Pierce joins in and attacks, wounding Shaw. Sage - who defected to the Hellfire Club to help manuever Sunspot into a better position to change the group - remains to guide Sunspot's now commanding hand.
World's End
Psylocke, out of nowhere, reappears alive in Spain. The X-Men respond, trying to unravel the mystery, but are called down the Savage Land by Wolverine and X-23. Once there, the gang is drawn into a class conflict that brings in the Mutates and the Ka-Zar. You know. The usual Savage Land stuff.
First off, great art all the way around. Alan Davis, Coipel, and Park all do a great job of projecting some incredible scenes. Well done.
However . . .
The stories aren't that great. There are moments. Whenever Claremont focuses on the Mutant/human conflict, he does a solid job. We luckily get plenty of these - even inside the Institute.
The Hellfire Club stories feel like they're just set-ups for set-ups. There's not a whole lot to them. It feels like classic Claremont with the building of stories early, but with just being unable to wrap up the subplot. It also feels like Kelly/Seagle - stories that start, but don't see an ending.
The Fury story is pretty good for a straight-up super-hero adventure. I don't quite understand the characters, but I can live with it. X-23 is merely the entrance of a character of some questionable interest for me. It's enough to wonder a bit about her, but not enough for me to completely care.
The Savage Land story is pretty typical Savage Land. There's trouble. The Mutates are involved somehow. Ka-Zar gets involved. A fight ensues.
Psylocke's return . . . again, this is Claremont. He's thinking ten steps ahead. Unfortunately, it just doesn't work here. Esspecially in terms of the Hellfire Club. While things do eventually get resolved with Psylocke, the Hellfire Club just kinda peters out. Which sucks, because I actually felt like there was going to be a great story there.
I'll say this, though. The characterizations are just fantastic. Storm is very well defined - emotional, but in control. Nightcrawler is loveable again. Bringing Rachel back was probably among Claremont's best ideas since his return to the X-Universe in 200x.
There's a great moment with Wolverine and Nightcrawler, where they're sitting in a cafe in France, drinking coffee. It's one of those great character moments Claremont nailed back in the day and had left out in recent years. It's one of those moments that miss the most.
It's a mixed here, to be honest. Good art and fine characterization try and make up for lackluster and, at times, unfortutely pointless stories.
~W~
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