Uncanny X-Men #1-3

In a world that's never hated or feared mutants more, there is only one constant: bigger threats require more threatening X-Men. Refusing to accept one more mutant death, the most ruthless mutants on Earth have banded together to proactively mow down their enemies. But with a team populated by relentless killers, one question applies above all others: can they stay away from each other's throats long enough to sever their targets'?

Get ready because this isn’t your Grandpa’s X-Men! The X-Men are back but this time it’s Magneto’s X-Men so it’s a whole new ball game. Cullen Bunn brings us a new book titled Uncanny X-Men but maybe they should have just named this book the Brotherhood because Magneto is at it again with all his old pals only this time they are on the side you can sympathize with.

If you have been following along with the Marvel Universe then you know that the mutant community has been reduced to almost nothing and that the terrigen mists have been a big part of that reduction. The new Uncanny X-Men story starts out with a bang as a group of Inhuman villains are hunting down Mutants that possess the power to heal (no doubt to rid the battlefield of anyone capable of saving lives during an impending mutant genocide). Magneto is a smart guy so he and Psylocke realize what is happening and the team tracks down all remaining healers and attempts to protect them from the Inhuman’s onslaught. This proves difficult to do and we see a familiar healer fall victim to the Inhumans.

This all sounds pretty violent and intense right? Well I think it will be, eventually. This is a good book and I really enjoy it, but it needs time to develop. I am currently three issues into the series and I’m still not itching for the next book to land in my subscription box.  I originally thought that this was going to be a dark, violent, action packed book similar to X-Force circa the messiah war, but so far its tame. I think the true believers out there, the real X-Men fans, will stick around for the story to develop. I would recommend picking this book up I just also ask that we all give it a chance to grow before we cancel any subscriptions. The way this story is going so far  has caused Magneto vision (i.e.- A war is coming Charles!). I think in a few more issues we will have a beautifully developed storyline that leads to something really exciting and special, by which of course I mean a Mutant war full of “Snikty Snikty” and all the action we could hope for.

The artwork in this book is good. I think Magneto and his villainous X-men look tough, dark and even a little more modern. Greg Land’s art has a lot of depth and I think he does a great job of capturing the small details in the panel. I would be interested in seeing this art through all the stages: pencils, inks and color. I would venture to guess that the pencils are really amazing.

Overall I would say that this book is worth picking up but maybe wait for it to come out in trade paperback unless, like me, you’re a big X-Men fan and want to watch the story develop. I have a strong feeling that this is going to be a smart story, one that readers need to be an active participant in. Bunn isn’t going to just lay all his cards down on the table for this he wants the readers to think which is a good call, by not spoon feeding the readers it forces them to try and empathize with Magneto and look at the world through his eyes in order to see where things are going. What better way is there than that to get a group of loyal X-Men fans to start looking at the Villains they have come to hate and instead see them as heroes?

I can’t wait for the Snikty Snikty!