Review: UNCANNY X-MEN #23
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Kris Anka
Lettering & Production: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel Comics
During the Original Sin event, some of the deepest, darkest secrets of the Marvel universe are being revealed. Even though Uncanny X-Men isn’t a direct tie-in to Original Sin, Brian Michael Bendis is taking this opportunity to bring forth a dark secret in Charles Xavier’s past with “The Last Will and Testament of Charles Xavier”.
What I Liked
Even though this is billed as an Original Sin tie-in, I like the fact that it has nothing to do with the main series. Running with the theme of secrets being revealed, Bendis is using Original Sin as a springboard to tell a story he always had planned. What I am intrigued by is this Matthew character who appears at the beginning and near the end of the book. Who is he? What is his connection to the story?
I like that Bendis has decided to take an underused character like Dazzler and made her interesting. She has a real beef with Mystique for replacing her and harvesting Mutant Growth Hormone from her body. With the new look being introduced next issue, Dazzler is primed to play a big factor in the X-books going forward.
The actual legal portion of the will being read is handled by a guest-star who one normally wouldn’t see in an X-Men book. Most people wouldn’t think twice to doing a storyline revolving around reading a dead man’s will. Bendis cleverly plays with this by not shying away from the fact that sometimes dead isn’t really “dead” in comic books.
Also, there was a moment between Cyclops and Tempus where we learn something about the young mutant and what her powers may be doing to her.
What I Didn’t Like
I normally am a fan of Kris Anka‘s art, but this issue something seemed to be off. There were a few pages where the line work seemed to be rushed. Overall, nothing was horrible. But pages felt like they were incomplete to me. There would be people in the background of panels with incomplete faces or odd-looking hands/feet.
Summary
Not much happens in Uncanny X-Men #23. This is the opening part of “The Last Will and Testament of Charles Xavier”, so we have mostly setup and teases of a new character who could play a part in the proceedings. Bendis has said in interviews that the secret will have lasting ramifications for the X-Men line of books. That alone is enough to to pique my interest.
Rating: 3 out of 5
This review is written in partnership with Pop Culture Network. They can be found at their website http://www.popculturenetwork.com/
Timdogg
#ComicBookChronicles @CBChron founder. Editor-in-Chief of @thekliqnation. Comic book reviewer, podcaster #RABBLERABBLE
