All-New X-Men #26

By Brian Michael Bendis, Stuart Immonen & Wade Von Grawbadger

All-New X-Men has become one of the most fun books to come out of the All-New Marvel NOW. What initially seemed like a risky plot has actually turned out to be entertaining and very well maintained by Brian Michael Bendis. Twenty six issues in and things are still fresh!

This is pretty much the first issue since teen Cyclops has left, but not to worry, Bendis gives us an excellent scene between Jean and older Cyke that is written to perfection. Things seem to flow naturally this issue as Bendis works his magic and keeps everyone in character. Kitty getting angry with Scott is another highlight of this issue that Bendis so effortlessly writes. He also sheds some more light on what exactly X-23 is going to do now that young Scott has left. It seems that Bendis allows most of the characters to get a little bit of panel time, which can be difficult to do with a large cast, but he makes it work. This is an extremely well-written issue and Bendis, as always, leaves us with a great cliff hanger.

The beginning of this issue focuses on a talk between young Jean and older Scott. Stuart Immonen shines in these panels more so than any others in the book. So many things are great about the opening pages, from the two page spread of Jean’s dream to the wonderful shading. Immonen’s Scott looks the best he ever has with tons of cross hatching and a barrage of different facial expressions. Immonen gets really detailed this issue too, we see some great work as Beast tries to work in his lab or Angel soars through the sky. This issue really has artwork that jumps out and makes you appreciate Immonen’s talents. He brought his “A” game this issue and it pays off in spades.

This was a wonderful read as Bendis and Immonen both gave everything they had. The book didn’t lose a beat without young Scott and was extremely enjoyable on every level. The writing and art were spot on as this has been one of the best issues in the series. Bendis and Immonen continue to strike gold with this title as they perfect their talents month after month.