All-New X-Men #8 review

It's a game of three halves this issue as Angels past and present team up, the Avengers learn about the time-displaced original X-Men and young Jean Grey springs a nasty surprise.

Flying through New York, the two Angels are getting to know one another. The earlier Warren Worthington III can't get his head around the flightier later/present version of himself, while New Angel is simply enjoying the coolness of meeting 'an older model'. As they approach Avengers Tower, they spot an assault by the vengeful hordes of Hydra but their targets, the Avengers, aren't at home. Old Angel is all for contacting their teammates for help, but New Angel dives right in and while the two hold their own and bring down plenty of Madame Hydra's minions, it's the eventual arrival of the Avengers that puts the lid on the fight.

What the Avengers want to know is, why are there two Angels?

Earth's Mightiest Heroes are soon landing on the lawn of the Jean Grey School, with Captain America insisting science teacher and ex-Avenger the Beast explains what's going on.

And after the Avengers have left, with assurances that the X-Men will let the Avengers know of any developments - what with the displaced heroes being a threat to the space-time continuum and all - Old Angel announces that he's had enough, he's going home to the past. Jean begs to differ ...

In themselves, the three strands would make for a decent issue, but it's the way writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist David Marquez handle the plot that elevates this issue well above the norm. The fight with Hydra, which could be standard superhero fare, there merely for the sake of an action scene, illuminates the differing characters of the Angels. And while Bendis provides fine dialogue, Marquez shows us the differences with kinetic, frenetic layouts - my favourite composition is a spread with symmetrical Warrens dominating either side, complementary yet contrasting.

The rap with Cap could be by the numbers - the reader knows he'll be sternly demanding information, and that the Beast will be limply reassuring. What makes the scene special is Bendis' understanding of our expectations and his playful subversion of them. He has Marquez draw the conversation in the background, while in the foreground Kitty Pryde and the present day Iceman rehearse the likely exchange (click on image to enlarge).
And valiant as Beast's protestations are, the man who finally persuades Cap to unclench a little is the original Cyclops - Scott Summers before he lost the trust of his peers. In a single panel, Bendis shows with dialogue, and Marquez with posture, that this really is the Cyclops of old - measured, reasonable, a man to believe in.

And the ending is something I didn't see coming, though given how in earlier issues Old Jean taps into telepathic powers that shouldn't yet be available to her, the further progression of power and - scarier still - character doesn't jar. What it does is turn the tension of this Marvel Now! Series up by several notches. And Marquez' resolute, dominating Jean chills.

This is a terrific instalment, supplying a satisfying done-in-one fight scene while progressing the overall narrative, establishing personalities and relationships, and dealing with such housekeeping as the reaction of the wider superhero community to events at the Jean Grey School. Bendis and Marquez, along with colour artist Marte Gracia and letterer Cory Petit, combine talents to great effect, and if we get many more issues like this I'll be one very merry mutant fan.

Comments

  1. hey mart are you still reading wolverine and the x-men, if you are then be prepared for the epic hellfire saga, behold the hellfire academy with teachers like sabretooth, mystique, and sauron with all the resource and teacher to make the jean grey academies students into the finest villains of tomorrow unless wolverine and his team can stop them

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    1. I read and enjoy the book, though I didn't know that.

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  2. This was the book of the week for me. I have enjoyed this book much much more than I thought.

    Great dialogue - the 'faked' conversation by Kitty and Bobby, Warren saying 'we deserve it', and Jean flaunting her powers and scaring everyone is just solid.

    But that one panel when the young Cyclops reassures Cap made the book for me. That *is* Cyclops, not the murdering Magneto he has become.

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    1. Absolutely. I miss that chap. If there's any way we could get him back ... mind, I thought the chat with Emma in last week's Uncanny was outstanding. Maybe Brian Bendis is the man Scott needs.

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  3. I am loving this book and the emotional heft and depth. This is as if all the different styles Bendis has used on his successful books (Ultimate Spider-Man, Powers, Avengers) has been synthesized into one powerhouse book. Wolverine & The X-Men is a fun little read but it's never felt integral or important to the X-Men mythos. It's silly little fluff and I never intended to buy it and wouldn't continue to buy it if first Gillen and now Bendis weren't delivering the true drama of teh X-World...

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    1. I wouldn't categorise WatX-Men as fluff, it has it's emotional moments. I find it marvellously refreshing in comparison to the grimness of many superhero books. Still, it is good to have a variety of styles.

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    2. i agree with mart one of may favorite moments is logan idie having lunch near the statue of jean grey it was very cute and heart warming, i just wish logan had more moments like that with idie also another favorite is genesis defending kansas's honor on planet sin or any moment of friendship between him and angel

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  4. I liked this issue quite a bit myself. Loved the way Cyclops actually caused Wolverine to ease up a little bit also.

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    1. Yes, the Cyclops moment was a lovely surprise.

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  5. This might be the best issue of the run so far. A lot actually happens, and every character "sounds" right!

    I do miss the real Warren Worthington, though. I don't dig this new angelic personality (although he was pretty scrappy in this, so maybe he's not all bad).

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    1. This was the first time I enjoyed New Warren, too. I'd also prefer the older version, though.

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  6. Tell me they're at least using the name "Marvel Girl" for 1963 Jean. Have they at least made that one concession to classic history?

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    1. Why so down? It's her name, they always used it in the old days - I'm sure she'll be called Marvel Girl in the field.

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