Uncanny X-Men 510: Fighting Back

Hey, everyone… Sorry there was no review last week. Simply a lack of X-titles and Wolverine appearances. I am making it up this week though with three reviews.  We will start with the biggest of my titles, ‘Uncanny X-Men’ # 510…

Uncanny X-Men #510 cover Uncanny X-Men #510 (preview | thread)
Writer: Matt Fraction
Penciler: Greg Land

SPOILERS BELOW…

RECAP: The issue begins with Laura (X-23) and Armor sneaking around the mansion after all the adults have been taken out. Armor is scared but Laura is in predator mode. They are found by Chimera, but Pixie teleports them away before her attack can land. Next we find Wolverine injured, but not out of the fighting. The Sisterhood unleashes Betsy on him figuring he will go easy on his former teammate.

Flash to Emma being tormented my Lady Mastermind who shows her images of the Phoenix. Emma changes to her diamond form and shakes off the telepath and takes down her attacker. She then hones in on Scott’s mind and is able to free him from his own mental confinement. They go to look for Wolverine.

Logan is not taking it easy on Betsy and Deathstrike has to step in and try to even the odds but even that does not slow him down much. He confronts the Red Queen in his room where she has found what she is looking for.

Pixie, meanwhile, has picked up Elixir and the Stepford Cuckoos and brought them to the fight. Elixir heals Nightcrawler and Colossus while the Cuckoos take out Chimera. Having figured out how the Sisterhood got inside, Pixie goes to the detention level and deals with Empath who was being used as a conduit.

That being done the Sisterhood had no option but to retreat. The Red Queen and the Mastermind sisters escape but Wolverine has Betsy with his claws to her throat. Deathstrike is standing by as is Spiral but they are in a standoff. Finally Scott arrives and orders Logan to let her go which he does reluctantly.  Scott questions Logan about  what they took and he admits that it was a lock of Jean’s hair.

MY TAKE: First of all let me say that I really enjoyed this issue. We finally get to see a bit of action and I liked how everyone was referencing Wolverine and what he would do or how he would react in this situation. They did a good job utilizing characters’ strengths to work around the attack and nullify it. Plus it was nice to see Pixie getting back into action and be the hero of the situation after the beating she had a few months ago. I am also glad we did not see much of the Science team. I understand their importance but find it hard to care about their storyline.

That being said, the issue felt very short. The latest Uncanny X-Men run has suffered badly from overextension and this issue is no exception. There are simply too many characters being referenced and stuck into one issue for any one of them to be able to shine. Yet, this issue was a major improvement in focus. There was really only one thing going on, the Sisterhood attacking and trying to steal the hair and the X-Men fighting back. They probably could have narrowed the scope further but it was easier to follow then some of the previous issues.

I would prefer that they pick a group of X-Men as core team and go with that. However, I do enjoy getting to see a variety of characters that are not currently being used in any of the other books. I am also glad that they keep giving at least some attention to X characters like Dazzler and Empath that have been stuck in Limbo for a very long time. I just wish they could find more of a middle ground and keep each issue to no more then a half dozen or so main characters.

While I generally like the art, due to the coloring and art style of the issue I had occassional issues telling the characters apart especially in the panels where everything was done in red and black. I had to took carefully at costumes a couple of times to make sure who was doing what. It is not a big complaint but I do wish the faces and bodies where a bit more distinct especially on the women.

Over all this was a solid issue with a number of good moments especially for Wolverine and Pixie. The setup for the next issue is amazing and I can not wait to see what they do with Jean’s hair.

Thanks for reading my review for Wolverine Files. I will be keeping to this format for the most part but please keep the comments coming and I will see everyone again tomorrow.

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RPG
14 years ago

I’m so happy you liked this issue! I had so much fun reading it.

Superb Review ! Five Stars !

jrpbsp
14 years ago

Why thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed the review.

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