Comic Review: Uncanny X-Men #9 - The Series' Identity Crisis

Uncanny X-Men #9 was meant to be a breather after the chaotic Raid on Graymalkin arc, but unfortunately - while there are some attempts to repair relations with readers - the comic still drowns in a sea of unresolved issues. Between flashes of Gail Simone's good writing and completely unconvincing new plotlines, we get a publication that frustrates more than it delights.

Torn Between Generations - An Uneven Battle for Attention

Gail Simone makes the right decision to return to the series' roots - the dynamic combination of veteran X-Men with a new generation of mutants. Unfortunately, the execution of this idea leaves much to be desired.

The mature part of the team - Wolverine, Rogue, Gambit, Nightcrawler and Jubilee - only get a few glimpses of good writing. The campfire scene where Logan talks to Ransom about the fall of Krakoa is one of the rare moments where we feel the depth of these characters. Rogue and Gambit still have chemistry, and Nightcrawler as the voice of reason fits this group well. The problem is that they're just background for far less interesting new characters.

The young mutants - Calico, Jitter, Deathdream and Ransom - could have been a breath of fresh air, but Simone doesn't give us any reason to remember them. Deathdream sounds like a bad copy of emo-comics from the 2000s, and Calico, despite her potential (her armor-creating powers are interesting!), is written like a child, making her potential romance with Jitter simply uncomfortable. Jitter has charm thanks to her shyness, but that's not enough to build emotions around her.

Chaotic Narrative and Missing Links

The comic suffers from serious pacing problems. Instead of focusing on one strong plotline, Simone jumps between scenes, leaving the impression that each one was treated superficially.

The Sentinel-dogs (Wolf Pack) is an idea that might work in a more absurd tone (like X-Statix), but here it just doesn't fit. Their introduction is sudden, and the threat they're supposed to pose doesn't feel convincing.

Monet ends up in Greymalkin Prison without any explanation - another example of how much this comic needed extra pages to develop its plotlines.

Is the Series Still Worth a Chance?

Uncanny X-Men #9 isn't a complete failure - it has moments that remind us why we started reading this title in the first place. Unfortunately, there are more disappointments than hopes here.

Pros:

+ A few well-written scenes between classic X-Men

+ The mentorship idea (Jubilee and Deathdream) has potential

+ Return to intimate atmosphere instead of another crossover

Cons:

- New mutants still fail to evoke emotions

- Sentinel-dogs are weak antagonists

- Inconsistent artistic quality

- Not enough time for iconic characters