Joe Casey's Uncanny X-Men run - issue-by-issue

[evilheroics]

What ever happened to this series? Are you going to continue writing it @Captain Buttocks?

TK

[Captain Buttocks]

What ever happened to this series? Are you going to continue writing it @Captain Buttocks?

TK

Hi @evilheroics

I am indeed planning to continue (and conclude) the series with 408, 409 and then a wee summary. Things have just been a bit mental the last couple of months, so I havent been online as much!

Thanks!

[Su_Whisterfield]

W

What ever happened to this series? Are you going to continue writing it @Captain Buttocks?

TK

Hi @evilheroics

I am indeed planning to continue (and conclude) the series with 408, 409 and then a wee summary. Things have just been a bit mental the last couple of months, so I havent been online as much!

Thanks!

No, surely not, CB? Whatever could you have been busy doing?

(CB works in our NHS) ��

[Captain Buttocks]

Uncanny X-Men #408: Identity Crisis

Uncanny X-Men #408 was released on the 3rd of July 2002. The estimated report from Diamond to North American distributers had it shipping 94,855 copies, making it eighth-highest for the month.

It’s time for Casey to start tying up his remaining plot threads in order to clear the decks for Chuck Austen’s arrival, and he does this by re-visiting one of his stronger plots, that of The Vanisher and his Designer Genes, as well as continuing with Nightcrawler’s crisis of confidence and also getting round to giving Stacy a little more depth. That’s a lot of things to try and resolve in only two issues, so it’s going to be a delicate juggling act.

Identity Crisis is another strong name for the issue, reflecting the issues with Stacy and Nightcrawler, but also - as Joe Casey has alluded to earlier in this thread - the problem that Uncanny X-Men had in establishing its own identity at a time when both Morrison on New X-Men and Claremont on X-Treme X-Men had defined mission statements for their books. This point goes back to the raft of cancellations that Nu-Marvel, and in particular the once-sprawling X-books had gone through following the Jemas/Quesada regime being put in place, with some (such as John Byrne) being annoyed that profitable books were cancelled due to them having no clear remit in the new X-Line. Uncanny, as the signature title, was kept on but appeared to be neither fish nor fowl in the new regime.

The Nightcrawler plot sensibly gets the least time here, reliant as it was on the Church of Humanity being the primary driver for Kurt’s disquiet. Kurt gatecrashes a press conference being held by Warren to act the buccaneering showman for the benefit of the cameras. He later is the one to discover that the Vanisher and his drugs have made their way from Cuba (as shown in the 2001 Annual) to New York. There's certainly still a degree of tension between Kurt and Warren, but this strand is sensibly kept in the background.

The way Archangel chooses to handle the drug plot, as a corporate business war rather than a good old-fashioned X-Men punch-up is one of Casey’s stronger themes/ideas and one which he would later revisit in much more depth and complexity in WILDCATS 3.0 (which I can heartily recommend to anyone interested). It plays into the slightly more “statesmanlike” aura which Warren has been taking on over Casey’s run and, as I said before, actually seems a natural fit for a character who had floundered for a decade or so previously. The actual confrontation with the Vanisher will wait until the next issue, but this issue ends with Warren laying out the “terms of engagement” which Worthington Industries will adhere to during the upcoming conflict. It’s tremendous fun and ties back into comments made previously by Casey about having no strong love or empathy for the characters – when he’s doing something like this which he is engaged in, the dialogue crackles and a sense of fun is abundant.

The strongest part of the issue however is the Stacy-X subplot. Stacy is still clinging on to her old identity as mutant prostitute and has an appointment with an elderly mutant. It turns out that the mutant in question is not as elderly as he appears and the appointment is more a mission of mercy. There’s a fantastic scene prior to this between Stacy and Wolverine which may well be the best scene Casey has written in the book so far, as Wolverine talks about clinging onto his old identity for a long time as a safety blanket, and alludes to the fact that Stacy may be doing the same.

A couple of notes – there is a point where Kurt quips about Warren “running for President”. It was rumoured at the time that Warren running for office was a plotline that would emerge were Casey to continue on the book. There is also an off-handed news report about a mutant presidential aide going missing. This too, presumably, would be an upcoming plot had Casey stayed.

It matters not how strong the writing is if the art isn’t on point, and Sean Phillips is a man who is rarely *off* point, turning in another excellent 22 pages of artwork for a storyline that is suited to him (oddly enough, Ron Garney was still nominally the named regular artist at this point, and this issue is not suited to his style). Phillips does an excellent job at conveying emotion during Stacy’s scenes, and I also enjoyed the contrast between Warren’s corporate speech and the Vanisher’s arrival at his own meeting on the last two pages.

So an excellent issue overall then, and one which is very much worth a re-read for anybody with a bit of time on their hands during the current situation. I very much enjoyed revisiting this issue, which really gave me a twinge of regret as to what might have been had the cards fallen differently for Casey, Phillips et al at Nu-Marvel.

Cast update!

Archangel hosts a press-conference which is gate-crashed by Kurt and again plays up the corporate CEO aspect of his character in a good issue for him.

Nightcrawler puts on a forced act at the afore-mentioned press conference and his disquiet still seems evident.

Iceman is mostly in the background here.

Wolverine has that fantastic scene with Stacy. He wore a mask – you should too!

Chamber also doesn’t get much to do in this issue.

Stacy is pretty much the centrepiece of the issue, getting a good amount of characterisation and brining her more noble qualities to the fore, in what is probably a career highlight issue for her.

Best cover thus far – 405. A nice little cover here with Stacy, but not a contender for top spot.

Worst cover – 403.

Who died and will HoXPoX resurrect them? Jason Treemont (an old friend of The Blob’s no less) passes away peacefully after Stacy has worked her magic on him. Obviously he could come back but I’d argue that his story serves its purpose here.

What I Thought Then – A very good issue, and frustrating that Casey seems to be finding his rhythm after his replacement has been announced.

What I Think Now – yes, this is the best issue of the run so far. Strong plotting, good character work and aided and abetted by some very nice artwork.

For those reading this – did you eat canned noodles every day as a child? Is this Stacy’s career highlight?

Next time – wellll….looks like everything’s wrapped up in a NEAT LITTLE PACKAGE!

Stay safe everyone!

[Thievery]

I hadn't realized that you had fished your recaps.

When I first read this issue, I read Nightcrawlers showmanship when he crashed Warren's press conference as putting Nightcrawler back in a happy, swash buckling place for Austen when he took over. After re-reading it, the issue does keep Kurt in a some what gloomy place.

It's kind of interesting, to me at least, that this run is referred to a couple of times in later stories. Banshee having his throat slashed by Mystique pops up a couple of times. The injury is what leads to Sean's death in Deadly Genesis. I Believe that it is also brought up by Rouge during her time as leader during Carey's X-Men, as a reason not to trust Mystique.
Vanisher is shown to still hold a grudge against Angel for costing him his drug cartel during the Kyle/Yost X-force run.
I know that those may not seem like much, but they are call backs to a run that a lot of fans don't seem to enjoy all that well.

Thank you for your issue-by-issue summaries, Captain Buttocks. You did some really good write ups on the issues, and I always enjoyed reading them.

[Will Evans]

I hadn't realized that you had fished your recaps.

When I first read this issue, I read Nightcrawlers showmanship when he crashed Warren's press conference as putting Nightcrawler back in a happy, swash buckling place for Austen when he took over. After re-reading it, the issue does keep Kurt in a some what gloomy place.

It's kind of interesting, to me at least, that this run is referred to a couple of times in later stories. Banshee having his throat slashed by Mystique pops up a couple of times. The injury is what leads to Sean's death in Deadly Genesis. I Believe that it is also brought up by Rouge during her time as leader during Carey's X-Men, as a reason not to trust Mystique.
Vanisher is shown to still hold a grudge against Angel for costing him his drug cartel during the Kyle/Yost X-force run.
I know that those may not seem like much, but they are call backs to a run that a lot of fans don't seem to enjoy all that well.

Thank you for your issue-by-issue summaries, Captain Buttocks. You did some really good write ups on the issues, and I always enjoyed reading them.

No one remembers Sunpyre though. Not even her brother.

[Thievery]

No one remembers Sunpyre though. Not even her brother.

Yeah, no one. Not the X-Men or their readers. I couldn't even tell you for sure what comic she debuted in. I think that it might have been the short lived Alpha Flight series? The one with puck's daughter, or a new Puck or something like that?

[Will Evans]

Yeah, no one. Not the X-Men or their readers. I couldn't even tell you for sure what comic she debuted in. I think that it might have been the short lived Alpha Flight series? The one with puck's daughter, or a new Puck or something like that?

Nope. It was in the short group, Jean gathered to rescue Professor X in Genosha. With Dazzler, Northstar, mind-controlled Frenzy, see-through-skin-Guy Wrath, and Italian mutant Omertà.

While Logan and a newly resurrected Scott, try to sneak in separately.

Right before Casey and Morrison started.

[Thievery]

Nope. It was in the short group, Jean gathered to rescue Professor X in Genosha. With Dazzler, Northstar, mind-controlled Frenzy, see-through-skin-Guy Wrath, and Italian mutant Omertà.

While Logan and a newly resurrected Scott, try to sneak in separately.

Right before Casey and Morrison started.

Heh, that's right. Thanks for your answer.
It goes to show how much that I at least had forgotten about the character.

[PetPigeon]

OK, who is starting the CHUCK AUSTIN reviews next?????

[Will Evans]

OK, who is starting the CHUCK AUSTIN reviews next?????

Not me. But as much as Chuck’s run is my least favorite in all of X-men, he gave me three things I like:

1. Juggernaut’s character development
2. Expanded the roster from Casey’s team. Jugs, Husk, Jubilee, Alex, Lorna, Northstar. Which even not including Warren, Bobby, Kurt, is a pretty good roster.
3. Made Lorna no longer Jean Grey-lite.

[Captain Buttocks]

I hadn't realized that you had fished your recaps.

When I first read this issue, I read Nightcrawlers showmanship when he crashed Warren's press conference as putting Nightcrawler back in a happy, swash buckling place for Austen when he took over. After re-reading it, the issue does keep Kurt in a some what gloomy place.

It's kind of interesting, to me at least, that this run is referred to a couple of times in later stories. Banshee having his throat slashed by Mystique pops up a couple of times. The injury is what leads to Sean's death in Deadly Genesis. I Believe that it is also brought up by Rouge during her time as leader during Carey's X-Men, as a reason not to trust Mystique.
Vanisher is shown to still hold a grudge against Angel for costing him his drug cartel during the Kyle/Yost X-force run.
I know that those may not seem like much, but they are call backs to a run that a lot of fans don't seem to enjoy all that well.

Thank you for your issue-by-issue summaries, Captain Buttocks. You did some really good write ups on the issues, and I always enjoyed reading them.

Many thanks Thievery - your input and perspective has been valued, thanks for sticking with it!

I actually still have 409 to go, which is nearly finished. It's sad actually, as I've enjoyed re-reading the run. I'll probably do a wee 'Aftermath' summary as well, looking at the writer and main artists and also the fate of the characters.

OK, who is starting the CHUCK AUSTIN reviews next?????

Not me. I enjoyed digging into Casey's stories because I felt they were aiming high but victims of certain failings - some in the control of the creative team, and some obviously not. Therefore I feel it's a really interesting historical footnote. I cannot really say the same about Austen's run, and I'm pretty sure it has been covered in depth elsewhere on the web.

Not me. But as much as Chuck’s run is my least favorite in all of X-men, he gave me three things I like:

1. Juggernaut’s character development
2. Expanded the roster from Casey’s team. Jugs, Husk, Jubilee, Alex, Lorna, Northstar. Which even not including Warren, Bobby, Kurt, is a pretty good roster.
3. Made Lorna no longer Jean Grey-lite.

I thought the Juggernaut plot was passable, occasionally bordering on good.

I thought the team was too big, and he definitely made it less than the sum of it's parts.

I *hated* his Lorna. Hated, hated, hated to quote Roger Ebert!

[Thievery]

Many thanks Thievery - your input and perspective has been valued, thanks for sticking with it!

I actually still have 409 to go, which is nearly finished. It's sad actually, as I've enjoyed re-reading the run. I'll probably do a wee 'Aftermath' summary as well, looking at the writer and main artists and also the fate of the characters.



Not me. I enjoyed digging into Casey's stories because I felt they were aiming high but victims of certain failings - some in the control of the creative team, and some obviously not. Therefore I feel it's a really interesting historical footnote. I cannot really say the same about Austen's run, and I'm pretty sure it has been covered in depth elsewhere on the web.



I thought the Juggernaut plot was passable, occasionally bordering on good.

I thought the team was too big, and he definitely made it less than the sum of it's parts.

I *hated* his Lorna. Hated, hated, hated to quote Roger Ebert!

Sorry, I forgot about the last issue.

As far as the points about Austen's issues I will say this:

1) I thought that his Juggernaut Story was pretty good. It was really kind of sad to see Squid Boy die thinking that Cain had betrayed the team. I really felt bad for Juggernaut.
I remember wishing that Juggs would stay on the side of the good guys, but you didn't have have to be a genius to figure out that one of the next writers would turn Cain back into a villain.

2) I agree that his cast got to big. I thought that the problems really started for him when he added Havok, Annie, and Carter. There was just to much going on, and the triangle with Havok/Annie/Polaris was particularly bad.
I originally thought that his decision to add Northstar was a good one. But then I found out that Austen got a big chunk of Northstar's history and background wrong.

3) I thought that Austen's handling of Polaris was the really big highlight of Austen's time on the X-Men. It lead to the Polaris hat we are getting today in terms of character work. And, I really think that making Lorna the actual daughter of Magneto was pretty brilliant.
Also, I thought that t helped to get Lorna away from being what I thought was just a really poor copy of Jean Grey.

Now having said that, I thought that Austen made one mistake with Lorna. When Lorna first pops up at the mansion, she is so obviously insane that it's hard to understand why the X-Men just let her wander around the mansion freely. You would think that the X-Men would recognize that Lorna was having problems, and would have gotten her some form of psychiatric help sooner than what they actually did.

[Big Joe]

This thread is great, and this is the first time I've read through it. I recently reread all of these comics partly because my favourite character in comics has always been Banshee. I was really happy to see him given exposure in the main X-Men book again, and also to see him on covers. That cover to 401 is, in my opinion, one of the best X-Men covers ever.

At the time it was published I have to admit to being surprised and disappointed with the way Banshee was written, I found it to be completely out of character, even though I realised he'd been depressed and through a fight with alcoholism. It just never felt natural that he'd ever go that way, certainly not without someone with him.

Since then, I have kind of wondered if there wasn't a redemption planned somehow that Casey never actually managed to be able to get around to. I'd love to know, because that's the last time the character really had any chance to be properly seen (even the Uncanny Avengers appearances don't cut it for me).

[jawbreaker]

Just wanted to chime in and say, this was the run that got me into X-men(picked it up in back issues some time after I watched X-Men 2) and its where I first discovered/fell in love with Chamber. So this brings back special memories. So nice job Captain Buttocks and thank you Mr. Casey!

ps-I also really liked Stacey X and didnt get all the hate for her...