New Comic Releases and Reviews – Spoiler Alerts Ahead
5 – Worth the Buy It Now Price
4 – Story is Worth the Purchase Price or Definite Trade Paperback Read
3 – Average Story – Buy if you Need to Complete your Collection
2 – Filler Issue – Not Necessary to Purchase
1 – Avoid and Save your Money
UNCANNY X-MEN #526
RECOMMENDED – 4 OUT OF 5
5 – Worth the Buy It Now Price
4 – Story is Worth the Purchase Price or Definite Trade Paperback Read
3 – Average Story – Buy if you Need to Complete your Collection
2 – Filler Issue – Not Necessary to Purchase
1 – Avoid and Save your Money
UNCANNY X-MEN #526
This issue serves as prequels for two separate series: Generation Hope and Avengers Children’s Crusade. Matt Fraction and Allan Heinberg have written separate stories within this book that really adds weight and value to this issue.
X-Men: Second Coming ended with the discovery of five new mutants around the globe indicated by five lights on Cerebra’s monitor. The current Uncanny X-Men Five Lights arc leads to a new ongoing series in November called Generation Hope.
Hope Summers considered the “Mutant Messiah” has decided to find out who she really is and travels to Cooperstown, Alaska with Rogue, Dr. Nemesis, and Cypher. She finds the name of her birth mother and visits her grave only to meet her grandmother. Upon returning home they travel to Vancouver, BC, where Hope triggers the mutant powers of the First Light. Next we will be off to Tokyo, Japan where Hope will be triggering the Second Light with Wolverine and Cyclops in tow.
Matt Fraction captures the interactions between the characters and doesn’t convolute the story like many other current comic writers. He portrays Scott Summers as the new father figure for Hope after both of them lost Cable during the events of X-Men: Second Coming. We really see him perform the emotional connection between Hope and her grandmother. I am enjoyed his run on the Invincible Iron Man especially during his year-long Dark Reign story arc World’s Most Wanted.
The artwork on the other hand is awful compared to what I have seen in the past and expected from Whilce Portacio as he displays no emotion in the faces of the characters. When Hope found out her real parents died there wasn’t a single expression on her face. I remember Portacio’s artwork when he first drew the Punisher ongoing series back in ’88 and he is returning to the Uncanny X-Men after ’91. He is an amazing artist that really needs to get back into the game.
The second bonus story is written by Allan Heinberg appropriately entitled “Rebuilding” and serves as a prequel to his limited series the Avengers Children’s Crusade. Heinberg writes the story from Magneto’s point of view introducing him to the Young Avengers and revealing two of them are his grandsons. Terrific writing as expect from Allan Heinberg and artist Olivier Coipel detailed work mirrors the one he provided a few years ago when both the Avengers and the X-Men teamed-up during the House of M.
RECOMMENDED – 4 OUT OF 5
