Chuck Austen is writing a lot of Marvel books right now (and even a couple of DC titles), and the criticism is often voiced that he's spread too thin. In any case, he's much maligned, and mine is one of those voices often raised in criticism. But one has to give him some measure of credit as well. He offers up an accessible issue here with a couple of strong subplots -- ones that are even new, quite a feat for an X-book. But counterbalancing that fact is that the main plot isn't all that captivating. There's plenty of potential to be found here, but problems as well.
Kurt Wagner, the teleporting X-Man known as Nightcrawler, absconds with an X-Plane and heads off to parts unknown, causing alarm among his usually trusted teammates. Havok suspects there might be a connection to his and Kurt's recent archaeological discovery of an ancient society of mutants, and Professor X chimes in to note that teleporting mutants from around the globe have been converging on the same area. Meanwhile, Iceman's affliction comes to light, and Juggernaut and the professor finally butt heads and hash out the emotional baggage from their youth.
I'm torn when it comes Philip Tan's artwork. On the one hand, it brings a dark maturity to the property and stands out as a striking change of pace when it comes to the visual quality of the X-Men. On the other hand, I find it's rather inconsistent as well. He slips in and out of manga mode, usually when it comes to rendering female characters. Still, the inky quality of the linework and the deeply dark colors reinforce the gravity and tension that the script strives to achieve.
The exchange between Professor X and his stepbrother Cain in this issue is a strong one, and it marks the first time I've really bought into the idea of the Juggernaut hanging out with the X-Men. Sure, the scene seemed to come from out of nowhere, but it fit in with the explosive nature of the dialogue and the Cain Marko character. Austen also touches upon an interesting issue when it comes to Iceman. A teammate castigates him for keeping his new mutation to himself, but it's correctly pointed out that like a health problem, it's his body and his business, and nobody else's. That theme of the importance of privacy is one that merits further exploration in this context.
When it's all said and done, though, the main plot lacks the more intelligent qualities of those subplots. The villain looks like a demon, and if his appearance weren't enough to demonstrate his inner nature, his name is just as ludicrous. Austen failed to hook me with the prologue in the previous issue, and he fails to do so again here. The writer's choice to introduce yet another generic team of bad guys is an ill-advised one.
