Marvel’s X-Men relaunch, "From The Ashes," has definitely felt like playing the hits next to the X-Men’s previous, revolutionary Krakoa era. Still, some of those hits have a very nice sound. One of them is "Uncanny X-Men" by writer Gail Simone and artist David Marquez.
"Uncanny X-Men" is set in Louisiana and true to its setting is a Marvel comic with a twinge of Southern Gothic. Simone picked the perfect X-Men cast for her superheroes-as-people style (especially her decision to anchor the series around the headstrong and sassy Rogue) and for Marquez’s lovely art. But not all is well in the Bayou.
Issue #3 of "Uncanny X-Men" ended with Wolverine about to face a new dangerous villain — the Hag — alone, and Rogue sensing Logan was in danger. Now, Marvel has shared an exclusive preview of the opening pages to "Uncanny X-Men" #4 with /Film. The preview synopsis for the issue reads:
"With one X-Man down and hell coming for the rest, ROGUE finds herself alone against a power of darkness she is completely unprepared for. No backup, no lifeline and NO WAY OUT. And as she fights alone, a secret of the new recruits is revealed – is one of them the ENDLING that will destroy all mutantkind?"
Marquez’s cover for #4 (see below) is easily his best on "Uncanny X-Men" so far.
Marvel Comics
This isn’t to denigrate #1-3, but the atmosphere of this one is on another level. As Rogue hides behind a twisted tree, the Hag peeks through the shadows. It’s a basic but effective horror composition, and might remind X-Fans of Bill Sienkiewicz’s "Demon Bear Saga" on "The New Mutants."
Look at the bottom of the cover, and you’ll notice gravestones marked with the names of Rogue’s fellow X-Men. These deaths are surely a fakeout, but their inclusion also evokes the most famous "X-Men" cover, John Byrne’s "Uncanny X-Men" #141 — part 1 of time travel classic "Days of Future Past". Both covers suggest unseen danger and the hopelessness that our heroes have already lost.
Now, the text. Since issue #2, each "Uncanny X-Men" cover has a small, bombastic sentence printed on it, evoking Marvel Comics of the Silver and Bronze Ages. Issue #2 had "Who are the Outliers?" because the issue properly introduced four young mutant runaways. Issue #3 was "Catch the Elf!" since the issue featured the Outliers training via a capture the flag (or rather, "get the belt") game with Nightcrawler.
Issue #4 reads: "In the darkness waits … Sarah Gault!" referring to Hag’s true name. The transition from plain white text to red letters dripping with blood feels right out of an 80s horror film trailer.
What do you think of the new development in the X-Men universe? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
