Free Comic Book Day: Uncanny X-Men

[DearMachine]

I wanted to review this as the first glimpse of the new era.

I suspect people's reactions will be divided based on how they feel about the Krakoa Era. It was a very traditional X-Men story set in a world that hates and fears them, rather than one where they have a nation state of their own, though it's also very clear they will not be going back to the mansion. I can see some people feeling it is a reset to a regressive status quo, while others embracing it as a return to the X-Men they love. I am in the latter camp.

The story opens with Jubilee watching outside the mansion, which has become a restricted area. She is reflecting on what she and the team have lost. Inside, Dr. Corina Ellis is appropriating it as her headquarters, and turning the glorious mahogany office into an IKEA showroom.

Jubilee rides away on her motorbike, and is almost run over by some hateful assholes, who swerve to try and hit her, and then call her almost every hateful name except for "mutie." She follows them to a diner, where she is a little too insistent that she isn't going to make a scene.

The owner of the diner greets her and tells her to sit wherever. Meanwhile, the assholes are harassing the owner's daughter, Uva, who is an obvious mutant with zebra-like features. The owner apologizes to the assholes and Jubilee, and says she just has a skin condition. Jubilee is not pleased with this.

When the daughter turns to look at her, Jubilee flashes her the mutant hand signal. She returns it. Jubilee finds an excuse to get her mother out of the dining room, and then tells Uva she can get her someone safe. Uva says she can't do that to her mother, and Jubilee is devastated by her loyalty to a woman who isn't loyal back to her.

At this point, the assholes start harassing Uva, and Jubilee sprays them with the water from the sink. They chase her out the diner, and she trashed their car, setting it alright in the shape of an X. She ends by calling Logan, and having him tell Rogue that she's in.

The story ends back with Dr Ellis. She has two prisoners. One is Siryn, who is strait-jacketed and gagged. (ETA: my tired self thought it was Hope at first despite the very obvious nametag). The other is an unnamed Inmate X, who is locked in a high security vault, and needs to get adjusted to the idea that he's never leaving again.

Like I say, it is a traditional X-Men story, but it is extremely well-executed. As expected, Simone has a good grasp of the characters and their voices, and writes a compelling Jubilee. I loved the brief reference to Shogo too! I hope he comes back from Otherworld at some point!

I found her take on the mutant metaphor genuinely moving too. I'm the mom of a Deaf kid, and I never want to apologize for him. The mutant hand signal reminded me a little of ASL, and how it is used to form community. I appreciate how it seems disability may become more part of the mutant metaphor again, especially through her introduction of Phillip/Scurvy.

I also am intrigued to see who Inmate X will turn out to be. It has to be an Omega, based on the level of security. I'm trying to think who isn't accounted for at the moment.

And Marquez's art is expectedly stunning. He nails both the soft, internal character moments and the action scenes. His close-ups on Jubilee's face and the emotions she's feeling are a highlight for me.

In sum, I loved it and August can't come fast enough for me, but I know there will be a large contingent of fans who don't feel that way. I hope they give it a chance!

[Nicoclaws]

So Hope doesn't die ? Glad for that

[DearMachine]

Ugh. I'm so embarrassed. My reading comprehension failed me. It's Siryn and not Hope. She literally has a name tag. It also explains the gag and straight jacket.

[Mercury]

I’ll say what I said to Gail on Twitter:

Your FCBD Uncanny X-Men story already has me hooked. Love the narrative boxes (I miss those!), and the overall tone and pacing of the story is aces. I can’t wait to read more. Congrats! 🥂

[MVComics]

Glad to hear positive reviews of it! I'm gonna read it soon

[Til]

So Graymalkin Prison is meant to be a prison for mutants in general, not just Inmate X alone. Do we know if it's a government facility or a private one?

[Nicoclaws]

Ugh. I'm so embarrassed. My reading comprehension failed me. It's Siryn and not Hope. She literally has a name tag. It also explains the gag and straight jacket.

Ah yeah the gag ghing should have tipped me off XD

[JB]

Very nice touch to open the story with a verse, 1 Corinthians 13:11. "When I was a child, I spake as a child. I understood as a child. I thought as a child. But when I became a man I put away childish things."

Also looks like Blob is a prisoner as well. Strong opening glimpse of the new era. I'm sad the mutants are in such a state again but the story hooked me.

[Jackraow21]

Do we see Logan when Jubilee talks to him or is it just a voice balloon with him on the other end of the phone? Trying to decide whether to run down the street and grab this today or not.

[NicoPony]

Thought it was a fantastic little story that packed a big punch. Another interesting note is the comment on Jube’s powers, she’s more formidable than the dismissive doctor believed.

Poor Fred!

Glad Jubilee mentions Shogo.

Art is sublime.

[Steroid]

I enjoyed this little glimpse into the new era for the franchise. I'm getting back some of the excitement I had for the franchise that I lost towards the end of Krakoa. Marquez' art was amazing as always and I can't wait to see what Gail has in store for characters like Gambit, Nightcrawler and Wolverine.

[DearMachine]

You do not see Logan, or hear what he says back to her. Jubilee and Siryn are the only two X-Men you see.

[mugen]

I also saw the x-men pages and I am one of those who don't like it but I had already said several times that I didn't like this "new era"

And as predicted by brevoort we have returned to the misery of regressive mutant porn, to the hatred of mutants even more carcatural than before and to the mutant at its lowest again, again and again... deja vu

- the jubilee monologue on loss is redundant I have already seen this for 20 years every time mutants lost their home because they were hunted by humans.

- I was not moved by the scene with Uva who is harassed by caricatured anti-mutants and by that mother who does nothing, because once again I have already seen this for 20 years (this scene reminds me roberto and that mother in the last episode x-men'97)

- gail simone who does everything to show us to what extent mutants are victims and are miserable I find it forcing and I can't even feel anything because I'm so tired of seeing this again and again Again.
How many mutants are we going to see die because the writers want to show us all the mutant misery?

- if jubilee and the uncanny x-men know that the school is being transformed into a prison for mutants, why don't they come and free their friends?

- The antagonists Dr. Ellis and the old bald man? how on some page to make it more generic like anti-mutants than these two, give me orchis, karima, nimrod and the fourth sinister lol it's just the anti-mutant generic numbers 1755-b48
the rest looks like simple paramilitary soldiers who seem much inferior to Orchis in terms of technology etcetera, but it's difficult to say on a few pages.

all I have seen in these few pages is just a return to the status quo of hated and feared mutant misery who have lost everything, mutant capture and torture recycled again and again and which will only lead like every time nowhere except a future genocide for the drama.

how long before the base in Alaska, the house in New Orleans and Kitty and Emma's school are destroyed, the mutants they welcomed are killed and they are once again driven from their “new home” by anti-mutants?

Hickman took us out of all this misery for a while, Brevoort and the screenwriters brought us back to the starting point like Zeb Well and Nick Low with Spider-Man after Spencer's run.

I don't even know why the mutants are fighting after having all that, there is nothing left to talk about with the status quo for years regardless of the screenwriter recruited or the quality of writing, what I saw didn't bother me make me want to see the sequel I've already seen it.

I'm not interested in seeing mutants continue to be persecuted and killed and being written as eternal victims under Stockholm syndrome who will continue in an absurd way to "protect those who fear and hate them" or to see Cyclops the revolutionary again once... not after krakoa.

[MVComics]

You do not see Logan, or hear what he says back to her. Jubilee and Siryn are the only two X-Men you see.

Damn.. That sucks..

[Jackraow21]

Thanks. Will wait to get this then and not make a special trip for it.