Uncanny X-Men #11 // Review
Cyclops returns to find the world braying for mutant blood in Uncanny X-Men #11, but writer Matthew Rosenberg, artists Salvador Larocca, John McCrea, and Juanan Ramirez, colorists Rachelle Rosenberg and Mike Spicer, and lettered Joe Caramagna. This issue takes the new status quo set up by the last story and uses it to begin the process of bringing back Marvel's merry mutants.
There are three interconnecting stories in this one, one focusing on Cyclops, one focusing on Wolverine, and one focusing on Blindfold. Cyclops is going around, trying to find out what's left of mutantkind after the X-Men's disappearance. He runs into Blindfold, a future seeing mutant, who warns from his course, Multiple Man, who give him information, and the Morlocks, who want nothing to don't with him. He goes to the rally of an anti-mutant politician and is attacked, losing his ruby quartz visor. Captain America and the Avengers are there to keep the peace and Cap gets him visor back before things can get bad. He makes a statement to the press saying he's going back to where the X-Men started and any mutants that want to join him are welcome, but instead a bunch of old enemies show up… but so does Wolverine. They make short work of their enemies and reunite. In the Wolverine story, it shows Logan shadowing Scott, protecting him and getting Multiple Man involved to help. The Blindfold story sets up her terrible visions of the future and why she ends up the way she does later in the story.
This is a long book, with each story filling in pieces of the puzzle. However, it never gets boring and it works perfectly. Cyclops has to deal with both his recent past as a mutant terrorist but also the failure he feels in allowing himself to get to that point. It makes for an interesting change for a character who has always been defined by being the shining example of what mutants can be. Rosenberg has given Cyclops a warts and all personality that gives him an added dimension. Wolverine is still his gruff self, protecting Scott while pretending he doesn't want. These two characters are the him and yang of the X-Men and Rosenberg presents them as such- Scott is out there, in the limelight making the big statements, while Logan is in the shadows making sure nothing terrible happens.
The weakest story is the Blindfold part, but she's kind of the weakest link to the whole thing regardless. It doesn't take a precognitive to know that the future for mutants is bleak and the only thing her story really shows that isn't illustrated elsewhere is what happened to the remaining young X-Men who weren't at the battle with X-Man. It feels kind of tacked on because unlike the other two stories it barely touches on the main plot. Luckily, it's not a very long story.
Each artist tackles a different part of the story; Larocca does the Cyclops story, McCrea the Wolverine one, and Ramirez the Blindfold one. All three artists do a fantastic job, but Larocca is the standout. The battle between Cyclops, Wolverine, and the various factions of enemies is a great se tpiece and a fitting reunion for two of the X-Men's most important members.
Uncanny X-Men #11 takes the last story arc's ending and it uses it to set up a new status quo. It is a familiar one to long time X-Men fans, but Rosenberg has proven his writing chops elsewhere and this issue is no exception. The Blindfold story feels superfluous, but other than that, this issue is a great reintroduction to the X-Men. The art is top notch and Rosenberg paints a bleak picture without giving away too much. It will be very interesting to see where everything goes from here.
