Comic Review: Uncanny X-Men #11 – Crossover noone wanted

 

Uncanny X-Men #11 kicks off the three-part X-Manhunt event a crossover that was supposed to ignite excitement but delivers... mostly disappointment. Despite a few emotional moments and some potentially interesting plotlines, the issue suffers from major structural problems, unbelievable character motivations, and perhaps most painfully terrible artwork.

Cosmic Chaos with No Emotional Core

The biggest sin of this issue is that it builds its story around an emotional axis that... doesn’t exist. The relationship between Charles Xavier and Sarah Gaunt, supposedly the emotional core of the story, feels made up on the spot. The drama surrounding their child, the supposed grief, and Sarah’s motivations feel more like last-minute exposition than the result of any organic character development. If this bond had been established and developed in earlier issues, it might have felt genuine. But as it stands it just comes off as forced.

Worse, Sarah changes her mind far too easily, as if she suddenly forgot everything she’s been through and all the blame she placed on Charles. Even more frustrating, the rest of the team seems to accept her sudden turn without question, like it’s no big deal.

Rogue’s Inner Conflict Shines—But It’s Not Enough

One of the few highlights of the issue is Rogue. Her internal struggle during the training session at Haven truly hits home. On one hand, she sees the need for the young mutants to take their missions seriously. On the other, she doesn’t want to burden them with the same pain she’s endured. This single scene gives her depth and nuance, making her feel like a real, layered character.

Unfortunately, the context of the scene makes it feel absurd. Just a few issues ago, these same young mutants were attacked in a shopping mall by mechanical hounds. This isn’t the time for symbolic life lessons it’s time for survival training. Yet Rogue is the only adult who seems to grasp that. Where are the other grown-ups? Does anyone actually understand what’s at stake?

The Xavier Confrontation – A Tensionless Letdown

The biggest letdown is what’s supposed to be the “climax” of the issue: the team’s confrontation with Xavier. For the first chapter of a crossover event, the tension is practically nonexistent. There’s no drama, no choreography, no emotion. It feels more like a failed sparring match than a battle with someone who was supposed to be a moral and psychic threat to the team. Sure, it’s only the beginning of the arc, but if this was supposed to lay the foundation for the rest of the story, it’s already cracking.

The Art Is a Major Problem

It’s impossible to ignore anymore David Marquez’s absence is a visual disaster for this series. The current artwork is clunky, static, and emotionally flat. The backgrounds are sparse, and the action scenes lack dynamism. The characters look like they were copied and pasted from different books.

Worse still, the current artist’s style doesn’t match the tone of the story it fails to convey the drama, the humor, or the cosmic scope the plot is aiming for. While some might still praise the coloring, no amount of palette work can hide the weaknesses in the line art.

Cosmic Setting, Mutants Out of Their Element

Fans of the X-Men’s cosmic lore might find something of interest here Deathbird makes an appearance, a longtime figure in Shi’ar storylines. For some readers, she may be a fresh and intriguing addition. Her potential is there, but in this issue, it’s barely tapped. It’s another example of wasted opportunity, lost in the shuffle of bad pacing and scattered focus.

Final Thoughts

Uncanny X-Men #11 tries to be the emotional opening to a new event but buckles under the weight of unconvincing relationships, uneven pacing, and disastrous visuals. Despite a few moving moments with Rogue and a subtle emotional beat with Sarah Gaunt, the issue reads like a rough draft that never went through proper editing.

If David Marquez really is coming back, there’s still hope. But after 11 issues, readers’ patience is wearing thin.

Pros:

+ Moving moment with Rogue and her outlook on young mutants

+ Brief emotional depth from Sarah Gaunt

+ Deathbird has potential, though underused

Cons:

- Terrible artwork – the drop in visual quality is impossible to ignore

- Unbelievable motivations – the Xavier–Gaunt relationship feels fake

- Wasted potential in the Xavier confrontation

- Disjointed pacing and lack of focused storytelling

- Ignores previous plot developments, creating inconsistencies

- Lacks drama and tension in key scenes

Final Score: 3.5/10

A crossover that was meant to shake the X-Men’s world, but instead delivers hollow drama and cheap tension. Strictly for the most diehard mutant fans and even they might struggle to care.