Uncanny X-Men #543

Of all the terrible events to unfold over the course of Fear Itself – the death of Bucky, the destruction of the US Capital, the fall of Avengers Tower – this profound change in a beloved character is the worst to endure because of its consequences. Kitty is forced to make a heart-breaking decision, and her dialogue echoes back to Whedon's run, which has defined her character for the past several years. By honoring past material, Gillen expertly crafts a moment that shows while Colossus may be made of steel, Kitty has always been stronger. Read Full Review

Even with a so-so ending, this story has been fun enough that I'm feeling that Gillen has gotten a good feel for the book. His setup for future stories is intriguing, and I like his take on Cyclops as a master strategist. I'm less than thrilled about the split into two titles that's around the bend, but I'll certainly continue to read "Uncanny X-Men" with Gillen still at the helm. Read Full Review

Now that we've gotten past the required Fear Itself event tie in, Gillen and company can get back to focusing on the required X-Men event. The X-Men event looks to much more engaging, and is full of interesting things for Gillen to play with. Gillen steered the X-Men through Fear Itself quite handily, turning a rather boring summer event crossover into something uniquely X-Men in tone. For that alone Gillen deserves fit praise. Fear Itself was one of the weakest Marvel Comics crossover events in some time regardless of its thematic merit. Read Full Review

Uncanny X-Men #534 balances out to be an okay read, never quite delivering the shock-factor that the cover image implies, but giving us a decent bit of crossover madness. Read Full Review

I ranted enough about artist Greg Land in last issue's review, so no need to rehash it all here. So, Uncanny X-Men #543 is just a complete disappointment all the way around. Read Full Review

Any issue drawn by Greg Land is going to have trouble getting a good grade because it loses a full letter grade immediately. Gillen does a bunch of little things that I don't like and one big thing that kicks ass. I guess that averages out…. Read Full Review

Storm Winterfyre

Oct 06, 2018

Cover-*** Writing-***** Art-**** Story-*****