I really like some elements of what Chuck Austen is doing with Uncanny X-Men, but the book just doesn't seem to be clicking together the way it seemed it might when he first started with "Hope." He's clearly got some ideas for the characterization of each member of the team, but that level of thought doesn't seem to have gone into the adversaries or problems of each issue, and the result is weak plotting married to strong characterization. I'm also not terribly crazy about the artwork, as Sean Phillips's work here is weaker than I expect from him, and I can't stand the Kia Asamiya designs for the characters. Basically, I wish the whole book could be as strong as the central character story in this issue between Northstar and Annie.
It's easy for me to point to where Austen has gone right in Uncanny X-Men. Annie the nurse suffers from a heavy-handed dislike of mutants, but the lack of subtlety doesn't make it any less enjoyable. Ditto Northstar's sexuality, which is being hammered home pretty hard, but is being used pretty well, and still looks positively restrained compared to his embarrassingly-bad "coming out" issue of Alpha Flight. Seeing these two grumpy outsiders, drawn to Xavier's despite a general desire not to be there, bond and become friends is easily the strongest part of the series. And though they make no appearance in this issue, the same is true of the outcast Juggernaut and his fishy friend Sammy. It's enough to make me wonder if Austen might not be better off ditching the original team and coming up with a whole new one.
Because quite honestly, I'm not really enjoying Austen's take on the regular team members right now. Nightcrawler seems to be bipolar, sometimes hating the church and God and sometimes having found an inner spiritual peace. Angel has never been the most exciting character, but I'd almost rather have the painful angst of his Archangel days or his romantic pining for Betsy Braddock or Jean Grey than the lifeless character we have right now. And Iceman's angry young man act has gotten tired; at first, I thought it was an interesting take on a character who has also been more than a little bland of late, but now he seems almost comedically rebellious.
That said, though, the real weakness this issue is in a conflict that doesn't really belong. Josette and Rober represent an artificial conflict thrown in to prevent the story from being a series of character building moments. Why is Josette hitting on everything with a pulse, even though she's married? It's never made clear, and although it could probably be justified that she was trying to make her husband jealous or that it's some aspect of her powers, I would have liked for the writer to make that point.
As for the artwork, it's passable but little more. Phillips when he is inspired is truly something to see, with a shadowy but realistic look that is impressive, clear and subtle. His work here looks phoned in, capable enough to tell the story but not really enough to push the emotional moments in the story. It could well be that some of the characterization complaints I have come from the artwork not making me connect with the characters. And though I won't lay the blame at the feet of Phillips, as I know they aren't his fault, this issue is the first introduction of the new costumes, and they look terrible. Mid-90s Image Extreme style bad. Northstar is the worst offender, but Angel and Iceman don't come off looking so great either.
I know that reading this review, it sounds like I hate the book, and I really don't. But it seems like Austen needs to marry stronger plotting to his characterization, and to jettison some of the older cast he's been saddled with, and it really seems like the book could use a regular artist who is suited to Austen's more mainstream writing style.
